Safe Speed Forums

I live in a rural area and remember being encouraged to overtake a tractor on a driving lesson. How are kids expected to learn anything. If you drive for a whole year without overtaking, what confidence are you going to have on your 366th day/ Are you suddenly going to be a better driver, capable of anything....I think not.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Who knows ! But someone must be responsible somewhere - lets find out where ?

The 'thought' was that this was BSM I mean to ask ...

Any ideas of where your contribution of 'nugget nonsense' came from ? Or can you ask who you got it from ?
Anyone else ?

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

From what my son, who passed his test rather more than a year ago, tells me - he was taught that overtaking is an extremely dangerous manoeuvre which should only be done if the vehicle in front is travelling very slowly (< 15 mph). Over the last year I have taught him that, even in a relatively low powered car, overtaking can be done safely.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

It's obviuosly not a manouvere that you want to do as soon as you have past your test and when you are on your own but it is something that you ned to build up confidence in doing and as you appreciate traffic speeds and closing speeds your experience tells you what is a safe length of road to overtake in. This won't be learnt if you travel everywhere, stuck behind everything going just over 15 MPH, for the first twelve months.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Overtaking does seem to be dying out...

I had an extremely frustrating day's driving on A roads around Southern England on Friday, stuck in queues where the 2nd car seemed unwilling to overtake the front vehicle and no-one else seemed willing to queue-hop. The last leg was 90 miles of SC and took 2.5 interminable hours.

I have to add to this, a behaviour that I am witnessing more and more these days, and it happened to me over the weekend.

Deliberate blocking of overtakes, the first method I shall now briefly describe:
I am heading along an NSL road at 60, and I catch up with 2 cars going 40mph. The car immediatley in front of me has left a gap large enough for me to slot into, so I assume that he is not going to attempt an overtake. An overtaking opportunity arises, so I maintain my speed with right hand indicator going and move to the opposing lane, making it obvious to the driver that I am going to commence an overtake. He still makes no move, so I accelerate to go past him. At half way point he obviously spots me, and accelerates hard to close up the gap I am going for. I increase my acceleration and slot in, matey behind me is now flashing his lights and waving his fists! I overtook the second car moments later and carried on my way, fist waving man never overtook the car in front, so what was the point? I wonder if the driver realised that he was guilty of dangerous driving by his little stunt?

An even more dangerous one, also witnessed this weekend. As I went for an overtake, the overtakee put on his right indicator. I obviously aborted the overtake and slotted in behind again. He then switches off his indicator???? Next opportunity I go for another overtake, and he does the same again, only this time I ignored him!

What is the point of stopping cars overtaking you, if you don't want to drive to the limit that is fine by me, but don't hold up traffic, it's dangerous and illegal.

Probably people taking a break from writing to the local council about "speeding through their village" and getting out for a drive.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

People are so obsessed with the "speed kills" propaganda that they rate anyone who wants to go above 40MPH as a a raving axe murder who eats little children.

I've had people blow their horn at me or flash lights when I've overtook them and there hasn't been another car in sight. If I happen to pull up at traffic lights, soon after, I would ask them whath their problem is but I wouldn't give them the pleasure of stopping needlessly to delay my journey for them.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

I have overtaken people who have later caught up with me at the next lights and I could see them in my mirror waving their hands up and down as if to signify somethng - I can't think what.

Actually, they don't get it. I didn't overtake them because I was in a hurry. I did it because I could, it keeps my eye in and I enjoyed the performance of the car. I don't drive "just to get from A to B" and IMO drivers who espouse this point of view are among the worst on the road.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

I actually feel (and I probably am) 100 times safer going along at 60MPH on a clear road than sitting behind some idiot doing 40MPH and braking at every slight bend or dip in the road. Do these people not realise how stressful and tedious they make driving for other people?
Maybe, one day ,I should overtake one of them, then, when a safe distance in front, slow to 35MPH to let them catch up and keep braking at slight corners and slowing unneccessarily....mind you they probably wouldn't notice the difference....

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Perhaps you were stuck behind two or three people who had passed their test in the last twelve months and, as Claire suggested, been advised by their driving instructor,to not overtake anything over 15MPH, for their first year.

That would definately be a case where P plates should be compulsory for the first year. What about Red P plates to signify POOR drivers who have long since passed their test. ....

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Or N for Numpty.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Maybe if we get more trafpol they could stop Numpties, make them wear a red N sign on their cars for two months then sit a re-test...

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Strange, when I was doing my lessons (2 years ago) my instructor got me to overtake someone doing about 65kph in an 80 "because its a vital skill that you should taught and develop", this was on lesson 2.

Good for him, glad to hear that some people are still being taught to a good standard. I expect English Instructors have to worry about H and S in case someone sues after making a bad overtake....

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Where was that, if you don't mind revealing?

Unless I'm mistaken, I think that Mindriver mentioned in a recent post that he was in Ireland....might be wrong though...

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

The blocking mimse is the most frustrating. If someone wants to overtake then let them. The highway code does say you should not block an overtake. I usually drop a gear and hoof it past. I don't see them gesticulating as I am usually so far ahead I can't see them.... Does depress me slightly when I end up stuck at lights or behind another dawdler and they mimse up to me again... you can feel the smugness oozing from them! Got stuck behind some old farmer in a land rover. He was doing 40 in an nsl 60, braking for every tiny corner. I overtook him. We went different ways and low and behold the bugger was in front of me again getting onto the A483! Another mimser that was braking in 30 zones for non existent hazards then decided he was probably going to join a 70 mph dual carriageway about 40. Had to overtake him on the slip road as I thought I'm safer in front than behind as there is nothing more dangerous than trying to slot into 60 mph traffic at 20 mph too slow... I used to always wait and queue politely behind but now after nearly getting squashed a few times I make sure I either wang past them or leave so much of a gap that I can welly it up to a sensible joining speed after they've dawdled into the inside lane.

I had a small truck do the long right hand indicator thing. He took so long to get on with his right hand turn that I thought he was suggesting I should over take. Road was clear. Overtook then saw him turning into a side road that was *way* ahead of where he had started to indicate....Not sure he even noticed as I dropped it to second and I was about 400 yards away before he'd even started turning! He had gone past about 2 turns into various places and had been dawdling and mimsing the whole way I followed him. I still don't know what was on his mind and whether he meant me to overtake or whether he was just dribbling along oblivious. Either way he just set off the numpty alarm and I just wanted to be as far away as possible.

Correct, right in the midlands in the wonderful county of Laois. The instructor was a retired cop as well.

Cracking read, that.

FWIW, slow drivers (or drivers slower than myself) are just another little examination in the continuing lesson of the art of driving. Another little test of vision-lift, road positioning, correct gear selection, and forward hazard anticipation. Another string to the bow so to speak. Just another hazard to be dealt with safely and at the earliest opportunity, as - over 20,000+ miles per year on all classes of roads teaches me - it's this lot that demonstrate that having passed their test, it's quite easy to start on the bottom rung of the driving ladder then subsequently start digging.

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Wenlock Edge was umbered. And bright was Abdon Burf. And warm, beneath them, slumbered the smooth, green miles of turf