Overtaking, Just how hard it is to do it Safely and Legally!

[tweeked]

Originally Posted by IDT

The OP is complaining about the guy in front doing 3kph slower. What is the accuracy requirement for a Speedo? If we all put our cruise control on 100kph everyone would have a brain explosion. Bit of patience required in that case. Those that sit on 80 in a 100 zone then there is no problem you can do your 20kph faster than the other guy. If you want to drive above the limit, and we are all guilty of it to varying degrees, dont complain when you get pinged for it we all know better.

New2Ford, you are dead right, its the lack of consideration for those behind, beside, infront and anywhere else thats the real problem.

You are totally missing the point of the thread. I am not complaining about the guy going slower. I am happy for anyone to travel 5-10 k's under the limit, as long as they AND the law allow me to pass safely. I am pointing out the danger of 10 odd cars banking up behind this car. It is more dangerous than just making it easier and legal to perform a perfectly safe overtake.

The "just be patient" responses just amaze me. If you think you can make the whole world patient i will tip my hat to you. Do you pick the longest queue out of those available because you are patient? Walk behind someone who is walking slowly in the street because you are patient? No, I am sure you dont. If the guys speedo is out, let me with a GPS confirmed correct one pass him safely please!!!!

Passing people is a fact of life, sometimes I wish I was a tree!

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by new2ford

A lot of this angst would be avoided if European driving protocols were followed. There, on a single lane road, if there's room on the shoulder, a slower car will move over to the side (the left in Australian terms), still driving, to allow a faster car behind to pass. You do it every time, no question. In Australia only the occasional truck driver will show such consideration. Road authorities are now extensively putting in wide shoulders on new/upgrade work so there's plenty of scope for pulling over to let others pass.

Consideration for others and watching the mirror is something that should be rammed in at the learner stage and absorbed into driver behaviour.

I used to move over a tad when i had my canter and large trailer
For a 4 potta diesel it would pull ayers rock outta the ground, but with the overall weight at 100 Ks at hills, it wasnt real fast
But everytime i moved to let those less patient than myself go past, there was always another car,truck,bus, bike that wanted to squeeze past at the last second
Trying to get moving at near standing start up hills got annoying,and all to help someone else get past
My attitude became, i can go as slow as i like, i pay more rego,insurnace than most and IF my truck was goin slow feel free to pull the weight with your little buzz box
I think those who think trucks are slow,should try drive one sometime

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by mwhit43

how do you feel about learner drivers who cant keep a constant speed?

I dont have issues with learner drivers, some are fine
But many have a chip on the shoulder that increases with age
I find even middle aged people have the attitude of "Someone else is overtaking us"
Most roads out my way are 90 % double lines between towns,minimal overtaking opportunities,so it gets a bit annoying when the chance comes to overtake ,those up front wanna play silly buggers

[2011G6E]

To see a "world without overtaking" have a drive down that rediculous section of HIghway One from north of Gympie down to the 110km divided highway near Cooroy...it's one lane each way, 90kph limit, no overtaking allowed. This means you are going to be dictated to by the guy up the front of the lineup...in my case I was returning from visiting a friend of mine at her restaurant in Montville (Gypsys Table...shameless plug... ) and was stuck in a huge line of cars doing 70kph. When we got to the normal highway and could overtake, the car who was making the long line of cars do 20kph under the limit was a brand new big black Audi A6...

[flappist]

Originally Posted by GCRXR6

Massive diference??? 100k trip .. one hour at 100 ... 50 minutes at 120. Wowwww save 10 minutes.

100k trip is a drive to the shops and what what wife drives daily to work.

The whole of Australia is not like where you are........

[OLDFORDNUT]

Originally Posted by SteveJH

When its dangerous is when its a single lane road, and they see you beside them overtaking and decide to speed up from going 20km/h below the speed limit to going the speed limit or above.

of every 50 caravans ive sat behind this year alone ,doing 70 to 90 while talking to their wives only 4 to 6 have not sped up to 100 to 130 when you hit the overtaking lanes anywhere(random and no where near enough)making it dangerous to keep passing them.This is on the Bruce Hiway between Hervey Bay and the Sunshine coast.

[OwnTheRoad]

I have just spent the last 7 weeks touring this great country ,central and eastern parts towing a van and yes the speeding and overtaking scenario occurred many times , I travelled at 95 klm P/h ,my speedo is 100 % spot On @100 so many folk behind seemed happy with my progress , the ops calcs when applied to a road train travellIng @ 90 klms p/h make things even more difficult for sure , I certainly sped to pass people it's the only safe way and over 600 klm journeys 10 is faster makes a difference to both travel times and fuel consumption .
Any for anyone who intends on doing outback travel I strongly recommend you have a UHF unit installed or good quality portable as it makes overtaking and being overtaken a great way to do it safely , our truckies are fantastic and were always keen to help , and if you travel mining roads being able to hear the pilot vehicle drivers call out the load width of their oversize loads behind was just brilliant too .
Drive safe folks hooroo

[The Snout]

If in doubt, plant the foot and pull out.

[H.G]

whaa whaa whaa.. just because your on the road.. doesnt mean its all about YOU.

[GCRXR6]

Originally Posted by flappist

100k trip is a drive to the shops and what what wife drives daily to work.

The whole of Australia is not like where you are........

Flappist .. You don't know where I am. What makes you think I don't drive long distance. My point was that speeding serves little purpose. Remember as speed increases so does the damage to the body when one comes to an abrupt halt, and makes it more dificult for me and/or my colleagues to save the victims life. The example given was that over a 100 k run, sitting on a constant 120 will only save you 10 minutes. I agree with the rest of Bens statement. It is frustrating to have to follow some one varying their speed. Bens exasmple suggests an intoxicated driver. Drivers who vary their speed greatly have several issues .. either they are fatigued or intoxicated, can not judge speed well, are not paying attention, or, perhaps some may even have a mechanical problem.

[OzJavelin]

Deliberately took the motorbike on a trip last weekend even though I know it's a boring ride .. because I also know that stretch of regional road is notorious for slower drivers bunching up and ending up with huge tailbacks. I find the bike is a LOT easier to pass individual cars at slower speeds, rather than a car which basically must try and pass a whole line of cars before they can find a spot to pull back in. As it was my fears were unfounded and it was an easy ride!

[Kable72]

Originally Posted by H.G

whaa whaa whaa.. just because your on the road.. doesnt mean its all about YOU.

And once again, you miss the point of the entire thread. Well done /golfclap

[H.G]

yes dear..

[tweeked]

Originally Posted by H.G

whaa whaa whaa.. just because your on the road.. doesnt mean its all about YOU.

Yep, it is about everyone on the road.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Ever had a tyre blow out on a truck next to you?

no, never.

i've never seen it happen either.

Originally Posted by GCRXR6

speeding serves little purpose. Remember as speed increases so does the damage to the body when one comes to an abrupt halt

no purpose? how about as speed increases, the time required for the trip decreases!

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by my_gxl

Loving the V8 for fixing this issue. I can be out and back under 300m.

I am familiar with this having previous cars like a GT4 and RS legacy. With something a bit slower you just have to time your run, more ecconomical too

[mik]

Originally Posted by new2ford

A lot of this angst would be avoided if European driving protocols were followed. There, on a single lane road, if there's room on the shoulder, a slower car will move over to the side (the left in Australian terms), still driving, to allow a faster car behind to pass. You do it every time, no question. In Australia only the occasional truck driver will show such consideration. Road authorities are now extensively putting in wide shoulders on new/upgrade work so there's plenty of scope for pulling over to let others pass.

Consideration for others and watching the mirror is something that should be rammed in at the learner stage and absorbed into driver behaviour.

there are other considerations for the truck driver as well, moving over in a truck could put wheels in the stones, you will often find on the shoulder there is loose stones i`m sure the guys behind won`t appreciate a spray of stones hitting their duco and windscreen.
Add to that trucks often have a higher centre of gravity, depending on the load, if they hit undulation on the edge of the road could become unstable and start to sway, truck drivers won`t weave in and out to let car drivers go past, it`s much easier to maneuver a car than a truck, your not speed limited, you need to have a bit of patience and pick your spot.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by sprint347dave

How much sooner will you arrive at where your going by over taking 1 or 2 cars ????

Dumb statement if the speed of the cars you mention isn't known.

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Not necessarily... Most 2 lane highways (decent ones) have overtaken lanes every 10 kms.... The expectation is that if you cannot overtake safely you should wait for these lanes..

Try the Newell where you need to add an extra zero.

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

no, never.

i've never seen it happen either.

I have, three ways.
One blew beside me.
I blew one when being overtaken.
But the best was the one that blew just as I was passing another B-Double (going the other way) That one dented the Bullbar, blew the RH steer tyre and punctured a drive tyre.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by GCRXR6

Massive diference??? 100k trip .. one hour at 100 ... 50 minutes at 120. Wowwww save 10 minutes.

Who said 100k is a long trip.

Originally Posted by H.G

whaa whaa whaa.. just because your on the road.. doesnt mean its all about YOU.

You're right.
It's also not all about the person driving slow then speeding up when the overtaking lane appears. It's not about them but they seam to think every vehicle behind them should be going the same speed as them.

[AndrewR_AUII]

Interesting thread with Bathurst coming up....the trip home is usually....interesting.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by mik

there are other considerations for the truck driver as well, moving over in a truck could put wheels in the stones, you will often find on the shoulder there is loose stones i`m sure the guys behind won`t appreciate a spray of stones hitting their duco and windscreen.
Add to that trucks often have a higher centre of gravity, depending on the load, if they hit undulation on the edge of the road could become unstable and start to sway, truck drivers won`t weave in and out to let car drivers go past, it`s much easier to maneuver a car than a truck, your not speed limited, you need to have a bit of patience and pick your spot.

My comments relate basically to car drivers and where there is a wide sealed shoulder. I don't expect trucks to put two wheels in the dirt. I think everyone appreciates those truckies who let people pass if there's an opportunity to do so.

It also shows that as professional drivers they're looking in their mirrors and checking the environment around them, which is what many car drivers who cause km-long tailbacks don't. Which is the point I'm making. Anybody is entitled to drive slowly, but they need to be aware of the flow-on effects of them doing so and thus respond with courtesy and consideration.

All of this works fine in Europe, no reason it can't work fine in Australia.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by The Snout

If in doubt, plant the foot and pull out.

The issue with a statement like this is, most cant plant the foot and pull out successfully
Ive had a wee wee hyundai try overtake me in a truck and trailer
Couldnt get past the front door,something about hammer time and a 9 metre vehicle you have to pass at 100Ks
I think many who cant judge speed, distance,should hand their licence back
driving a car isnt all about sitting on the limit and indicating to make a turn

Most couldnt successfully drive a stick up the preverbial

[XRDeeze]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

The issue with a statement like this is, most cant plant the foot and pull out successfully
Ive had a wee wee hyundai try overtake me in a truck and trailer
Couldnt get past the front door,something about hammer time and a 9 metre vehicle you have to pass at 100Ks
I think many who cant judge speed, distance,should hand their licence back
driving a car isnt all about sitting on the limit and indicating to make a turn

Most couldnt successfully drive a stick up the preverbial

Don't worry, just Azonto..

[GCRXR6]

[quote=Ben73]Who said 100k is a long trip.



Ohhh boy... Ben, that was an example to demonstrate the little time saved.

The statement had nothing to do with long trips. Crikey, 100 k is just a run up the road to me, as it may be for you. However, for some, that may well be a journey.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

What grinds my gear?

5 cars being held up by one up ahead going 80km/h in a 110km/h zone.

Passing lane approaches, car in front going out pulls into left hand land to let people pass AND SPEEDS UP TO 120KM/H!!!

Passing lane ends, no one has passed them, they drop back to 80km/h until the next passing lane.....

Next passing lane... I can't tell you what speed I was doing as I was too busy watching the road, but I'm amost certain it wasn't legal.... nor was that of the other 5 cars in front of them

Other time was a Landcruiser going up a mountain, ONLY straight bit of passing road for AGES and he would have to done at least double the limit to ensure I didn't pass him... rhymes with tankers...

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by GCRXR6

Who said 100k is a long trip.



Ohhh boy... Ben, that was an example to demonstrate the little time saved.

The statement had nothing to do with long trips. Crikey, 100 k is just a run up the road to me, as it may be for you. However, for some, that may well be a journey.

I know it's just an example. Here is my example, 600km trip and you will be saving an hours travel time.
That 10 minutes adds up and makes a big differance.

Every got tired while driving? I have. 10 minutes before I felt tired I felt ok. If I can save 10 minutes that might be the differance between getting tired or getting home.

I'm not say we should speed, if someone is doing 80 and you want to do the limit of 100 who cares. Does it matter of it saves you 1 minute or 1 hour. You are not breaking the law so big deal.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_F6

What grinds my gear?

5 cars being held up by one up ahead going 80km/h in a 110km/h zone.

Passing lane approaches, car in front going out pulls into left hand land to let people pass AND SPEEDS UP TO 120KM/H!!!

Passing lane ends, no one has passed them, they drop back to 80km/h until the next passing lane.....

Next passing lane... I can't tell you what speed I was doing as I was too busy watching the road, but I'm amost certain it wasn't legal.... nor was that of the other 5 cars in front of them

Other time was a Landcruiser going up a mountain, ONLY straight bit of passing road for AGES and he would have to done at least double the limit to ensure I didn't pass him... rhymes with tankers...

What is wrong with these people, do they get off with doing such stupidity.

You get people in the right lane siting under the limit and they think it's there right to slow you down and will touch the brakes playing games with ya. thinking they are some sort of police dog.

If someone is coming up in the right lane speeding, i get into the left lane regardless of what speed they are doing coming up, as it's got nothing to do with me to interfere with them.

Speed does not kill. but stupidity sure can and sure does.

Speed is only a factor. and to have someone overtaking, worrying full on that he may exceed the posted limit is just full on stupidity.

[blackf6]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

done a night run karratha to headland in work ute.. ch40 for background...

pulled over just out of headland for a weeee....

ch40.... hahahaha check him out couldnt hang for another ten...

whoooosh goes a truck.. whoooosh goes another truck....

took the **** out of me for the next ten minutes..

Silly buggers, think only truckies tune in to channel 40.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_F6

What grinds my gear?

5 cars being held up by one up ahead going 80km/h in a 110km/h zone.

Passing lane approaches, car in front going out pulls into left hand land to let people pass AND SPEEDS UP TO 120KM/H!!!

Passing lane ends, no one has passed them, they drop back to 80km/h until the next passing lane.....

Next passing lane... I can't tell you what speed I was doing as I was too busy watching the road, but I'm amost certain it wasn't legal.... nor was that of the other 5 cars in front of them

Other time was a Landcruiser going up a mountain, ONLY straight bit of passing road for AGES and he would have to done at least double the limit to ensure I didn't pass him... rhymes with tankers...

This happened to me driving to Ayr last week!
5 or 6 cars... stuck behind a VN commodore doing 80kmh!
I thought it musta been an old granny... got to a overtaking lane and she floors it... no one overtook, cept me who had enough and planted it and over took the lot, as i passed her she was a young P plater! and im not joking when i say she was doing 110 when she got to the overtaking lane. A few over took her once i had gone past and lo and behold, when the overtaking lane ended.. she slowed down!

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

This happened to me driving to Ayr last week!
5 or 6 cars... stuck behind a VN commodore doing 80kmh!
I thought it musta been an old granny... got to a overtaking lane and she floors it... no one overtook, cept me who had enough and planted it and over took the lot, as i passed her she was a young P plater! and im not joking when i say she was doing 110 when she got to the overtaking lane. A few over took her once i had gone past and lo and behold, when the overtaking lane ended.. she slowed down!

Just an observation I've made for some years is that a number of drivers who travel at the speed limit or a bit more on divided roads, but when they get to a 2 way section, they slow right down as if they are frightened of the traffic going the other way.

So when they reach an overtaking area, they accelerate again because they are not directly facing the oncoming traffic.