Safe Speed Forums

There are a few decent threads on the go right now about how to deal with tail-gaters and adverse reactions from other drivers when they are overtaken.

My question to everyone is this:

Is there a safe way to make a driver in front of you aware that you wish to overtake?


The easy solution is to drive right up their back bumper and/or sit on the extreme right of the lane. This is viewed as aggressive driving (for good reason) and flashing lights etc is also unacceptable.

IS there a way to safely make it clear that you wish to pass?

The reason I ask is because last night (going home from work) I found myself behind a Jag XKR with a 50~60 something driver enjoying a nice drive with the roof down. Not got a problem with that. What did nark me and the queue as far back as I could see was that he hogged L2 of the DC for it's entire length (approx 8 miles) travelling around 2mph faster than the vehicles he was overtaking (approx 65mph~ish). Thereafter we were on SC almost all the way home until one final 2 miles stretch of DC where he pulled out and repeated his performance from earlier.

Some will inevitably say "be patient and wait" but to be fair that's not really a solution. What are people's views?? Personally I think the guy was either just being a total arse just for the sake of it, or he was completely oblivious to several miles of vehicles behind him wanting to pass.

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Difficult: A quick flash of the lights as an "excuse me did you know I was here?" is usually taken as a "get out the way I'm in a hurry."

Hard as it might be I have found patience is the only peaceful and calm approach, but I do find it easier if I have a jolly good swear first.

People leaving roundabouts on DC's annoy me when they don't accelerate to pass the slower traffic in the inside lane. Then you can find yourself too close to the car in front and have to wait until they complete their slow overtake before you can get past. Or you can't get out of the inside lane because of the blockage in the outside lane.

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Shooting is good for you and too good for some people.

I do try very hard to be patient, and I think I'm fairly tolerant overall.

After following someone who wont move over for 8 miles though it starts to wear thin.

I wasn't too impressed with his merge at the end of the DC either which makes me think he was the oblivious type rather than the control freak.

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If he was as old as you estimate he probably thought he couldn't possibly be doing any wrong because of his experience etc.

If I had an XKR I would have swivelling eye balls on stalks making sure I kept out of everybodies way, I would also tend to accelerate away from followers and get back to inside lane just to show them how fast the car is, (but then I'm big headed sod).

What makes it even more difficult for you is you're on your way home from work, he is out for a pleasant drive so the least he could do is get out of the way. But that type think they own the road as well.

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Shooting is good for you and too good for some people.

Well like I said the roof was down and he had silver hair and a 4 inch parting at the back

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He sounds as though he looks a bit like me, but younger though, I guess!

right indicator flashing?

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

You adopt this procedure, each step punctuated by a wait.

1. A quick flash
2. Several longer flashes
3. Several long flashes with RH indicator going
4. A continuous stream of long flashes
5. Ditto with beep of horn
6. Headlights on, beeps of horn
7. Headlight full on main beam, horn continuously pressed.
8. Ditto with foglights
9. All the above with sidewinder aimed
10. Release sidewinder

Sorry, but if someone is selfish enough to hold up 8 miles of traffic the bugger deserves it.

..remembering to leave a more appropriate gap first...

Or 4) after 1.5 miles, retreat to 500 yards from rear, go to step 10
Reckon 1.5 miles is long enough , he's proved he aint goint to move over, so why wait.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

its really very simple.

breath in.

pull into L1

wait for a less patient driver to tailgate & bully him into submission... and follow through afterwards.

To be honest I think if I moved into L1 I'd be tempted to sink th efoot and undertake.

I've done that in the past, but I'm trying to behave myself these days

Looks like he maybe does need flashing afterall. Sometimes dream of buying an old 4x4 and using it to nudge bumpers etc The world would end up like a scene from Mad Max if people did that though

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Followed by opening window ??

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Funny driving in NZ, they allowed undertaking when I was out there, quite common and not as hairy as it might seem, but then they are taught to observe all mirrors equally.

Not sure if it would catch on over here though.

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Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.

http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk

There is little to no point in giving any kind of signal, or tailgating.

I find the best method is to wait for a reasonable gap, where the driver in front could pull over and let you past, if they dont then move one lane to the left and accelerate gently.

The oblivious types will not see you and you'll slide down their inside, those who are deliberately trying to be a rolling roadblock will move over to block you. You then make a regular overtaking manouver.

If you do anything at all agressive or even anything which suggests you might want to get past then nine times out of ten you just wind up with an idiot doing their best to make things awkward for you.

That'll be me then!

Seriously, cajoling numpties like this is entirely consistent with the SafeSpeed code of not encouraging aggressive behaviour in others (ie road rage).

On balance, I would far sooner upset one silly old sod than allow him to enrage the hundreds of drivers he has held up. Who knows how the anger of just one delayed driver might manifest itself further into his journey?

And if someone is too dozey to notice a sidewinder up their arse they're unlikely to suffer much road rage themselves.

This is so very very true. It works even better if you car is a lot more powerful than it looks, and generally looks non-agressive and doesn't have a wanker image (so no WRX STIs or BMWs then)

Sit back at a good safe distance, be as nice as pie, then once it's save to overtake, floor it. If you have enough spare attention available, it can be amusing (or scary) to watch the drivers reactions in the mirrors and see how long it takes them to even notice you're there.

Many of them will then speed up and tailgate you until you overtake the next car, however.

I would say that when confronted in this fashion with an OAP who is overdue for the undertaker, then the best solution is to employ some O.A.P. of your own and then undertake...

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

I think maybe some people are afraid of overtaking...
I remember a little while ago I got on to the A338 heading towards Bournemouth so my sister could take photos out of the window of the bad signs. So I was in the NSL area doing about 50, as we got closer to the signs I was slowing down. A couple of cars came up behind and were slowing down with me, I must have slowed to 30mph before they overtook me!

This road is a very good quality 2 lane dual carageway and there was nobody in the outside lane getting in their way. They just sat behind me slowing down for possibly 30 seconds before realising that they could just go past.

I never did work that out.

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Andrew.

Ziltro, a case of lemmings following the brake lights in front?