Indicating after an overtake

corktina

do you indicate left having passed someone? always seems a bit superfluous to me

Paddy@CIRL

Always.

Renegade Mechanic

Yeah. Actually, I just did! Dunno why I do though, weird...

Mycroft H

I usually do. In both single lane and dual lane carriageways.

One of the instructors who I did my lorry test used to give out about it. I used to do it to annoy him as he was an arse.

biko

I do just because of habit. Before I pull back to left lane again I make sure I am well ahead of the car I overtook so it's probably not necessary.

Boskowski

I learned to always indicate when I leave my lane. Do I do this every time? No. But I know I should.

challengemaster

Nope. Always make sure I'm a good bit past the car before moving back over, but in all honesty - where the fluich do they think I'm going to go? Continue driving on the wrong side of the road?


On DC/Motorways I would tend to.

Either way it's important to remember, legally indicators mean nothing - don't rely on them (or other peoples use of them), use common sense.

biko

biko wrote: »

I do just because of habit.

Yeh same. Total force of habit.

Chris_Heilong

No, its obvious to all cars around I am re-merging.

ironclaw

Generally do it. Of course its fairly obvious what someone is going to do after an overtake, but on a motorway and especially the M50, if your in lane 3 and going back to 2, you often get a chancer in lane 1 going for a jump / undertake to lane 2. If nothing else, it might avoid a sideswipe and it has saved me once or twice (Obviously having checked before moving back in, but it still happens in rush hour with the fast and furious lane jumpers)

slimjimmc

You're supposed to indicate before returning to your lane even on a single lane road.

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-of-the-road-eng.pdf Pg51

When you are well past, check the mirror, signal and gradually move in
again making sure not to cut across the vehicle you have passed.

challengemaster

Just to point out (once again) that the ROTR is not the same as the Road traffic act. ROTR is a sort of interpretation to plain english, combined with a lot of suggestions that actually have no basis in law.

If you want the letter of the law, don't ever look in the ROTR.

slimjimmc

No one is claiming it's a statement of law (not that the thread is about the legal aspect of indicating either) but it is a guide to recommended safe driving practice.

Nino Brown

Never, makes no sense

GreeBo

Only on multi-lane roads.
I think on a single lane road its obvious that Im not going to sit out in oncoming traffic after passing someone/thing.

cormie

I was told not to when I was doing my pre-test on a single lane road based on the fact that it should be obvious you're going to return to the lane considering the lane you're driving in when doing the overtaking manoeuvre isn't actually a lane that you should be driving in. I do keep my indicator on the whole time while overtaking and only flick it off once I'm back in the lane. On a dual+, I indicate, change lane, indicator off, overtake, indicate back, indicator off.

The reason the instructor at the time told me was so not to confuse the drivers behind as they may think I'm then about to turn left ahead for example. I've just followed that since and never felt the need to change it.

challengemaster

slimjimmc wrote: »

No one is claiming it's a statement of law (not that the thread is about the legal aspect of indicating either) but it is a guide to recommended safe driving practice.

It may well be, but saying you're supposed to (obliged) do something and quoting the ROTR holds as much weight as quoting pat the baker

Inbox

Only if I'm after overtaking 3 cars and I need to squeeze back in if I've run out of power.

mathepac

challengemaster wrote: »

Just to point out (once again) that the ROTR is not the same as the Road traffic act. ROTR is a sort of interpretation to plain english, combined with a lot of suggestions that actually have no basis in law.

If you want the letter of the law, don't ever look in the ROTR.

Only a complete numbskull would ignore common-sense suggestions from the ROTR aimed at helping to improve road safety.

Learner drivers aren't tested on their detailed knowledge of the Road Traffic Acts, but on knowledge of the ROTR. It saves having to have a law degree before taking a driving test; a common sense approach I would have thought, but then common sense is pretty uncommon IME.

Bigcheeze

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

No, its obvious to all cars around I am re-merging.

Not on a motorway.

mathepac

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

No, its obvious to all cars around I am re-merging.

Might that be because you re-merge before you indicate? The idea of indicators is to indicate your intentions, not a history of your actions.

challengemaster

mathepac wrote: »

Might that be because you re-merge before you indicate? The idea of indicators is to indicate your intentions, not a history of your actions.

Probably because it's common sense that people don't continue driving on the wrong side of the road indefinitely. But as you said,

mathepac wrote: »

but then common sense is pretty uncommon IME.

Inbox

Actually its always the **** overtakers I see doing this.

Paddy@CIRL

A wiser man than me once told me that it doesn't matter how fast you're going, if you always use your indicators it's a sign that you're in complete control of the vehicle and won't have any tell tales or knocks on your door afterwards

road_high

Always on a motorway or dual carriageway. Never do it on a single carriageway though, perhaps I should.

bigroad

Its good practice to do it and its safer.Non use of indicators shows up a lazy driver.

GTE

challengemaster wrote: »

It may well be, but saying you're supposed to (obliged) do something and quoting the ROTR holds as much weight as quoting pat the baker

"Supposed" has never meant obliged.

"Supposed" works almost perfectly in this situation come to think of it if one considers the Rules of the Road documentation to be just an interpretation of the law rather than a simpler to understand version of it.

Voodoomelon

I always do, so the slow coach i'm overtaking doesn't think i'm a complete asshole after kickdowning past him.

bigroad

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I always do, so the slow coach i'm overtaking doesn't think i'm a complete asshole after kickdowning past him.

I have to agree.It amazes the amount of sloweys that flash when you overtake them ,as if you should stay behind them till they see fit to raise their speed from zero.

dgt

One flash normally does it for me. If it can be seen through the black smoke is another thing

harbourmill

from my point of view its pointless to indicate left after passing a car because the driver knows you passed him and assumes you are going to come back in to the left and not continue on driving on the incorrect side of the road. While doing a advanced driving course in the early 1980s an instructor informed me of the above and that indicating when no other vehicles were affected by my manoeuvre, is a sign that you are not aware of your traffic in front or behind you and are indicating out of habit. ie indicating to turn right if nothing is behind you or coming towards you. still that said i am teaching my daughter to drive and guess what !! i have her indicating in all situations as common sense would dictate that indicating may be habit forming but it is a good habit, and letting other road users know your intentions cannot be bad

corktina

bigroad wrote: »

Its good practice to do it and its safer.Non use of indicators shows up a lazy driver.

HOW is it safer,? You just passed someone so therefore you are moving further ahead of them , so you aren't going to impede them,and the ROTR say you should drive in the left-most available lane, so it is obvious you are going to pull back in.

I was taught NOT to do it, but then that was in the UK and what do they know? Not like they see a lot of traffic is it.

GTE

corktina wrote: »

HOW is it safer,? You just passed someone so therefore you are moving further ahead of them , so you aren't going to impede them,and the ROTR say you should drive in the left-most available lane, so it is obvious you are going to pull back in.

I was taught NOT to do it, but then that was in the UK and what do they know? Not like they see a lot of traffic is it.

I have never seen a nerve get hit like that over something so insignificant, even by Motors standards.

bigroad

Well what happens when a motorbike comes up your inside at speed for whatever reason.Its safer because you are doing everything in Your power to be safe.
Its not what you can see its what you dont see is the problem.

HJL

dgt wrote: »

One flash normally does it for me. If it can be seen through the black smoke is another thing

I do the same, one quick flick so the car i just over took knows im not turning off the road to the left, and a possible car further up knows im not continuing to plough on on the wrong side of the road.

corktina

bigroad wrote: »

Well what happens when a motorbike comes up your inside at speed for whatever reason.Its safer because you are doing everything in Your power to be safe.
Its not what you can see its what you dont see is the problem.

How would a motorbike do that with whatever you overtook in the way?

corktina

QUOTE=bbk;88645193]I have never seen a nerve get hit like that over something so insignificant, even by Motors standards.[/QUOTE]

what?

mathepac

corktina wrote: »

HOW is it safer,? ...

Making other road users aware of your intentions is never a bad thing and makes for a safer environment for everyone.

corktina wrote: »

... You just passed someone so therefore you are moving further ahead of them , so you aren't going to impede them,and the ROTR say you should drive in the left-most available lane, so it is obvious you are going to pull back in...

This is what the ROTR says (interpreting current Irish Road Traffic laws )

"The law requires you to signal your intention of doing things on the road. This means signalling properly before moving off, turning right or left, changing lanes, overtaking, slowing down or stopping. You must signal clearly and in good time"

corktina wrote: »

... I was taught NOT to do it, but then that was in the UK and what do they know? Not like they see a lot of traffic is it.

Their laws certainly don't govern road traffic here. Maybe it's time to read the ROTR in full?

corktina

The ROTR don't govern traffic either.....of course you knew that

pippip

I was told not to.

Instructor said you can give people the impression you are turning when you are not.

mathepac

corktina wrote: »

The ROTR don't govern traffic either.....of course you knew that

I'd accept that, the book is aimed more at drivers and human road users than at cars and bikes which can't read.

The Backwards Man

One flick left, one flick right, one flick left again and then a blast of the hazards.

born2bwild

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Not on a motorway.

Not on an Irish motorway.

GreeBo

pippip wrote: »

I was told not to.

Instructor said you can give people the impression you are turning when you are not.

So then why indicate before you start the overtake?
People might think you are turning right and not overtaking at all!

cython

corktina wrote: »

HOW is it safer,? You just passed someone so therefore you are moving further ahead of them , so you aren't going to impede them,and the ROTR say you should drive in the left-most available lane, so it is obvious you are going to pull back in.

Unfortunately you're driving in Ireland now, where many people seem not to know that you should keep in the left-most lane, and so they nearly do a double take when someone actually drives appropriately. As a result if overtaking on a motorway or DC I would always indicate when moving back left, as it may be less than obvious to many of the morons out there!

On a single carriageway, as already noted it's abundantly clear that you can't (realistically) persist with driving on the wrong side of the road indefinitely, so don't see the need to explicitly indicate back in.

ironclaw

pippip wrote: »

Instructor said you can give people the impression you are turning when you are not.

I'm struggling to think of a situation where if you are to the extreme right of someone, they would believe that if you indicated left, you would be turning left i.e. Passing in front of them and continuing to the left to turn.

I was always taught to signal my intentions. I signal when a road is completely empty. Sounds stupid saying it but I don't see why you wouldn't. A few people here have used the word 'assume' to describe what another driver should be thinking. Assumption is the mother of all f**k ups. You have to drive like everyone around you is an utter moron as the vast majority are.

Supergurrier

Always do.

Its common sense really, assume nothing indicate everything.

Paco Rodriguez

As challengemaster said, I don't think people will expect you to continue to drive on the right all the time.

Plus people might think im turning left ahead so I only indicate at the start of the manoevre.

Noccy_Mondy

On standard roads anyway, excluding motorways, you are supposed to signal left if all 4 wheels of the car cross the white line. If overtaking, for example, a parked car on the street, usually only 2 wheels cross the line, so there is no need to indicate left. When overtaking, you aren't supposed to signal left and move back into your own side until you can see the car you're overtaking in your centre mirror. That's the proper way anyway.

Mycroft H

Paco Rodriguez wrote: »

As challengemaster said, I don't think people will expect you to continue to drive on the right all the time.

Plus people might think im turning left ahead so I only indicate at the start of the manoevre.

I'd have my indicator on for a good while depending on what I'm overtaking. Gives plenty of notice to what's in front/behind me.

Let's say there is a cyclist in front of me. I'll pop on the indicator even if it's not clear yet. Let's the person know behind me that there is a slower vehicle in front of me and as soon as it's safe to overtake, mirror, move and boot down. :pac:

Same with slower cars/tractors/lorries etc. Depending on the situation. If people think I'm turning left, what of it? Not going to change what I'm doing.

YbFocus

I always do, I think common sense dictates a quick Flash to show your intention.
We're not talking a full 8-10 second indication for turning off the road. But just allowng one or two flashes.

Nothing should be taken for granted in the "where else am I going" kind of way!