Scary moment! ->was overtaking on a country road....

daggeredge

ok just out of car.....
was coming back to my house from town and came up behind an "L" driver, (L driver myself, 2nd provisional)She was not holding to the left of the lane...was in the center etc on the main dual carriageway... Thought it was a little dodgy but "fine" I thought "Don't think anything of it". We both pulled off at the same junction, she went round a bad corner ,nearly on the right! I gathered at this point she hadn't been driving long! and was proved right when she proceeded up a straight stretch of good road at 20!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a speed incensed freak (people are going to try to say I am in the replies now! ) I just wanted to get by her so I started to overtake... signalled, pulled out when I saw the way ahead etc.... the stupid twit must never have checked her mirrors coming off the road or anything cos I dont think she knew I was behind her.... I flashed the lights so she'd see me, but looking back now I don't think she saw them either (still, not looking in her mirrors and all....)

I swear to god I wouldn't have done the following if I'd had known what she was going to do :
so I start overtaking and she speeds up!!! (at the middle of the good road now, bad bend 200 metres ahead) And whats worse she was doing her familiar "must get in the middle of the road" manouvere!!! :eek: I gave two short beeps and she saw me, braked and a whole 4 seconds later pulled in closer to the ditch! I motored on (at this stage i was incensed, i must admit)

I had to beep her as we were getting to the end of the road and nearing a dangerous bend... (thats how much time passed trying to get around her!) :mad: Of course a van comes round the bend and I finishing going round it!

The thing, is I must have looked like a "get outta my way!" lunatic with the beeping....It's just got me thinking if you do that and have an accident, even with driving like that you're wrong!

just though I'd share the above cos it scared the life outta me! :eek:
I'm thinking if a car came flying round the corner i would have been wrong! :eek:Also forgive the length of the post but I thought i had to explain the situation

mike65

Been there, done that, got the brown pants!

Not as drawn out but yeah I've had an overtaking experince where the driver ahead suddenly decides to pick up speed just as you are on the right side of the road and yes they were all over the road lane wise...

Mike.

Is1ldur

Get a car with a few more horsepower, or else, don't try overtaking on bad roads. I would never attempt a pass unless I was 100% sure that there was no danger. Sometimes I hold up other people because of it, and often someone comes up behind, gets impatient and nearly kills everyone involved (when they prolly think it is okay to pass) Good thing is, you learned a lesson.
I'm sorry if I sound like I am just pontificating or something, but people don't seem to realise how dangerous overtaking actually is! (usually until someone gets hurt)

BrianD3

When you saw her speeding up and swerving across the road you should have immediately aborted the overtake by slowing down and pulling back onto your own side of the road behind her car. As has been said, overtaking is dangerous, a lot of things can go wrong during an overtake and there's a high probability of a fatal crash if they do. So be very alert and at the first sign of trouble, abort! Of course that's not excusing her behaviour in any way, she drove appallingly. It sounds like she was just a bad and inexperienced driver who didn't know what she was doing. But there are drivers out there who will consciously and deliberately speed up when someone tries to overtake. These muppets should be shot in the head.

BrianD3

seamus

Yeah, when you're doing any kind of manouver, you should always have an escape plan.
Usually these will consist of braking, accelerating, or steering away from the hazard. When overtaking, if in doubt, slow down, and return to where you were. You never know when you'll come across a muppet like this.

alleepally

With a good few more years experience you might learn to give L drivers PLENTY OF DISTANCE and HAVE PATIENCE!

mike65

Mr. Dark wrote:

Get a car with a few more horsepower

:rolleyes: Yeah right how powerful is powerful enough?

Mike.

BrianD3

If an overtaking maneouvre doeen't come off or someone "spoils" your overtake with their bad driving then don't get flustered or impatient. There will be other opportunities to overtake further down the road. In contrast, if you have a 60 mph head on crash while overtaking, you'll never get the opportunity to do *anything* ever again.......

Also, the advice to have an escape plan at all times is very good advice. Be ready for other people to **** up and be prepared to take evasive action.

One characteristic of a very good driver is someone who can anticipate/predict other people's mistakes before they make them As well as being able to drive while making very few or no mistakes himself.

BrianD3

OfflerCrocGod

mike65 wrote:

:rolleyes: Yeah right how powerful is powerful enough?

I find a Jet engine sufficient.

MadsL

With a good few more years experience you might learn to give L drivers PLENTY OF DISTANCE and HAVE PATIENCE!

In a good few years we get the feckers properly trained and not driving unaccompanied...at the moment it is MADNESS!!!!

unkel

BrianD3 wrote:

When you saw her speeding up and swerving across the road you should have immediately aborted the overtake by slowing down and pulling back onto your own side of the road behind her car

Yes!

BrianD3 wrote:

One characteristic of a very good driver is someone who can anticipate/predict other people's mistakes before they make them As well as being able to drive while making very few or no mistakes himself.

Yes! Totally agree with those points. If only a few more drivers were like that, Brian...

Mr. Dark wrote:

Get a car with a few more horsepower

Nought to do with horsepower, all to do with torque. A modern diesel will do or a petrol V8

MadsL wrote:

In a good few years we get the feckers properly trained and not driving unaccompanied...at the moment it is MADNESS!!!!

Don't get me started on that one again. Last time I mentioned it (in a constructive and unabusive way, I'd like to think) some eejit gave me negative reputation points - whatever the hell we need reputation points on this forum is beyond me but that's another threads' worth

tinofapples

These muppets are more dangerous than any other driver on our roads. They pi$$ you off so much with their crap driving that they force you into taking unneccessary risks which you wouldn't normally take .

They are all over the country .

Gurgle

The vast majority of provisional drivers are perfectly competent within a couple of months of starting to drive. There is no public transport in the country to provide an alternative. Its all very easy to whine & moan about them 'muppets' but what do you want them to do ? How are they meant to get around while waiting 2 years for a bullshìt driving test ?

The really really dangerous ones are the ones who think they can drive (having failed the test twice in many cases ) not the under-confident learners. If an 'L' driver looks like they just started driving that day, they probably did. Stay the hell back & let them get on with it.

Besides, in my experience, by far the most dangerous drivers on the roads are middle aged men. They learned to drive when there was practically no cars on the roads, they bought their licences in the local post office, never did a test and think that they are the yard-stick by which other drivers should be measured. Every near-death driving experience I've ever had (including being rear-ended 3 times) has been caused by a man in his 30s - 40s.

my 2c.

seamus

Gurgle wrote:

The vast majority of provisional drivers are perfectly competent within a couple of months of starting to drive. There is no public transport in the country to provide an alternative. Its all very easy to whine & moan about them 'muppets' but what do you want them to do ? How are they meant to get around while waiting 2 years for a bullshìt driving test ?

Convenient excuse, but what did they do before they started driving? Why can't they do that again? The problem in this country is attitude. People think it's OK to drive unaccompanied. I was the same, but I acknowledge I was wrong. It has to stop. People start going to college, so they get a car to drive there, and then their excuse becomes, "Well, what else do you expect me to do?". If people didn't have the attitude that it was OK to drive unaccompanied, then they would come up with alternate ways of getting around instead of making excuses.

The really really dangerous ones are the ones who think they can drive (having failed the test twice in many cases ) not the under-confident learners. If an 'L' driver looks like they just started driving that day, they probably did. Stay the hell back & let them get on with it.

Underconfidence is more dangerous to the people around the driver (who will do stupid things in reaction to the learner), whereas overconfidence is dangerous to the driver (who will do stupid things in reaction to other people). People who have failed their test aren't necessarily more dangerous, per se, in fact for many it may be a shock to the system which levels their confidence to somewhat reasonable levels.

The crux is, it's impossible to tar with one brush. To say "all learners are dangerous" or "everyone who has failed their test is a crap, dangerous driver" or "women can't drive" is pure generalisation, and completely without foundation or facts. Each driver has their own merits. Even the most experienced driver makes bad calls, and even the least experienced driver makes good calls.

Besides, in my experience, by far the most dangerous drivers on the roads are middle aged men. They learned to drive when there was practically no cars on the roads, they bought their licences in the local post office, never did a test and think that they are the yard-stick by which other drivers should be measured. Every near-death driving experience I've ever had (including being rear-ended 3 times) has been caused by a man in his 30s - 40s.

They wouldn't be middle-aged any more. My dad is 56, and he did his driving test at 21. I would say older men tend to be more arrogant and intolerant than anything else. Younger and less experienced drivers would be more used to, and expecting vehicles which keep their distance, and give way, and tend to get fazed by arrogant driving. Arrogant driving isn't necessarily dangerous driving, but quite often it can be considered inconsiderate.

Gurgle

seamus wrote:

Convenient excuse, but what did they do before they started driving? Why can't they do that again?

I can tell you what I did - dropped/collected by parents, cycle, hitch-hike. When you move away, you lose number 1.
Would you rather cycle or hitch-hike on the country's roads today ?

seamus wrote:

I was the same, but I acknowledge I was wrong

Its easy to aknowledge you were wrong now that you no longer have to do it.

seamus wrote:

Underconfidence is more dangerous to the people around the driver (who will do stupid things in reaction to the learner), whereas overconfidence is dangerous to the driver (who will do stupid things in reaction to other people).

I'd rather a learner hit me at 25mph than a gob****e at 60.

The most convenient thing about a learner driver is the big red 'L'. Its kind of a hint. It means (to me) 'Don't expect this car to move in a predictable fashion'.

Maybe everyone who got a license without ever passing a test should have to put a big red 'O' (as in old) on the back of their cars.

Seth Brundle

An overtaking manouvre is the most *dangerous* manouvre you can do on the roads as you can always have something appear that you cannot see when you start off, such as a tractor pull out of a field or a kid on a bike coming out a driveway (hence dual carriageways being the safer types of roadway).
As mentioned, you should have a back up plan, ie if in any way you feel you may not make it then abort - no point 'thinking' you might be successful as the outcome may not be the way you wanted it.
Erratic & unpredictable drivers are the worst to overtake as they probably arent aware of your presence and are likely to do anything. I had an experience before whereby a slow driver I was passing decided to turn right (without signalling) as I was passing them - thank fcuk I had good brakes!If you are attempting an overtaking manouvre and there is another driver behind you doing the same, don't be afraid to abort (sensibly). Don't let this idiot pressure you into an accident.
On this subject, you will find people overtaking when traffic is apporaching (usually on wider roads) where the oncoming traffic needs to adjust its line to accommodate this prick - these people should be castrated ith a rusty pen knife!

seamus

Gurgle wrote:

I can tell you what I did - dropped/collected by parents, cycle, hitch-hike. When you move away, you lose number 1.
Would you rather cycle or hitch-hike on the country's roads today ?

Sorry, I do sympathise. Tests should be available within two weeks of applying, but there's never an excuse. People move away from home with the "Ah sure, i'll get a car and I can drive the 30 miles to work". Move 20 miles closer to work, and get a moped, or move onto a bus route that lets you get to work. What would be the point of moving out of your parents house if you still have a large commute ahead of you?

Its easy to aknowledge you were wrong now that you no longer have to do it.

It sure is. It's the experience tradeoff. I'm in no way super-experienced, but if I knew then half of what I know now, I wouldn't have driven unaccompanied.

Ronan|Raven

I drive unaccompanied and I will remain doing so. Anywho I was driving to a friends house on sunday, coming onto a good stretch of road to be greeted by a guy doing 10miles an hour talking to someone walking beside him. Ok I thought, indicated and went to overtake as I was just pulling out he gives speed! Never even looked to see that I was practically beside him at this stage! To make it worse he continued accelerating, needless to say when he did realise I was beside him having to rapidly accelerate and calling him everything under the sun did he slow off! Thankfully it was a long straight road that is very quiet.

Andrew Duffy

Ronan|Raven wrote:

Ok I thought, indicated and went to overtake as I was just pulling out he gives speed! Never even looked to see that I was practically beside him at this stage! To make it worse he continued accelerating, needless to say when he did realise I was beside him having to rapidly accelerate and calling him everything under the sun did he slow off!

Why did you not abort the overtake?

Ronan|Raven wrote:

I drive unaccompanied and I will remain doing so

Perhaps that is not such a good idea, given what you have displayed about your ability to respond to hazards.

_sheep

I drive unaccompanied and I will remain doing so, simply because i can. If i had a fear of getting stopped / loosing my licence / getting arrested i would stop. Since there seems to be no(actual enforced) punishment for driving alone (going on what ive seen friends doing for years, ie them comming home saying they got stopped for this and that by the garda, but driving by themselves on a provy wasnt an issue), why go out of my way for public transport etc when the car is so handy.

Its a very silly thing to do, i know, and if i have a crash i know im boned, but its my choice

Ronan|Raven

Andrew Duffy wrote:

Why did you not abort the overtake?



Perhaps that is not such a good idea, given what you have displayed about your ability to respond to hazards.

Reason I did not abort is I had plent of acceleration available if needed and I was damned if I was spending 10 miles behind the individual as there is no other spot to overtake.

Gurgle

Ronan|Raven wrote:

I was damned if I was spending 10 miles behind the individual

Would you like that on your tombstone ?

Experience is knowing when to just sit quietly behind the idiot.

Ronan|Raven

Id sooner "Id like to think I know the road I was driving on and had a clear view for as far as the eye can see "

sheep how did your test go? Did ya sit it yet? Or is it this week?

elexes

going by kilbeggan race corse the other day well night . i was driving along fine when i saw a van passing out a car on a bend and heading right for me . lucky enough i was at the enterence to the corse and drove strait into the corse . stoped the car for a second looked around then realised to myself "that wanker almost got me ****ing killed "

then another day on the same root i saw somone driving a van for a and a insulations in westmeadth squirting water at ppl as he or she drove by . i thought this to be very stupid it was scaring the **** outa some of the ppl others didnt notise . one woman got very mad didnt notise it was the van and walked around a car looking for the person that done it .

unkel

unkel wrote:

Don't get me started on that one again. Last time I mentioned it (in a constructive and unabusive way, I'd like to think) some eejit gave me negative reputation points)

Hehe a bit sad to quote oneself, but it's probably the same incompetent driver, content with the current system that only if you prove you can't drive will you get another P license to grant me more negative points for this contribution

mike65, you know who it is - keep an eye on him