Loooooonnnnngggg overtakes

H3llR4iser

Can't help but notice an increasing trend on this on dual carriageways: people doing overtakes going 0.001 km/h faster than the vehicle they are overtaking.

It's a different issue than "lane hoggers" as they are actually overtaking and will eventually move to the left when they are done, but it baffles me; if you're going to overtake, surely you would want to spend as little time as possible traveling level with another vehicle. I can't believe people are afraid of flooring it for 20 seconds but are happy to spend 5 minutes side-by-side with an 30 tonnes artic lorry that, most likely, has no sight of them in the mirrors.

YbFocus

This is shocking annoying!

When there is nothing coming for miles ahead and I see someone pulling out to pass. I always say "I'll go with him as there's nothing coming" next thing we're out there for 20-30 seconds!

It's insane, Micras initiating a pass at 30mph in 5th with no go being achieved at all!!

tossy

These type of overtakes also seem to be the types to drop back below the limit again when the (eventually) complete the over take.

Chris_Heilong

If I see someone slow overtaking me I might let off the accelerator a little so they can merge back. If I am over taking I give it as much speed as is necessary to safely perform the overtake regardless of speed limits.

sebastianlieken

I love when a lorry goes to overtake another lorry. it doesn't take for-bloody-ever at all.

tossy

sebastianlieken wrote: »

I love when a lorry goes to overtake another lorry. it doesn't take for-bloody-ever at all.

That's not always the case. I generally hold the standard of driving among lorryists as pretty good but a lorry overtaking another lorry on a motorway can at times take longer than mass.

Chimaera

I've ended up in this situation while overtaking on cruise control a few times where I'm only a few km/h faster. If there's nothing behind me it doesn't bother me so much.

The other situation I find often crops up on a dual carriageway/motorway is the dilemma of pull in or not when you know you're going to be passing another vehicle in a few hundred metres. You've passed someone and there's a gap of a few hundred metres from them to the next car which you know you're going to be passing: do you pull in or stay out?

quadrifoglio verde

It's people **** scared to do 125 instead of 120...on the speedo

lau1247

can't say I have seen too much of what you described.. just occasionally..

I think sometimes it depends on the section of the road, if I'm on a dual carriage way and I know that up ahead is a camera point I will overtake if needed (due to other's slower car) but not beyond the speed limit until I pass the camera point

(I say camera point rather than zone because while the zone is marked and known, it stretches over a long distance but realistically there is only one or two point where the van can safely stopped. On a road regularly traveled, people will know where it is anyway)

djimi

tossy wrote: »

That's not always the case. I generally hold the standard of driving among lorryists as pretty good but a lorry overtaking another lorry on a motorway can at times take longer than mass.

Been stuck behind a plenty of utter pricks doing this on motorways (usually late at night). Stupid dickhead obviously doesnt realise that if two trucks are limited to the same speed and the truck ahead is going said speed then overtaking it is going to take a very long time... :mad:

Maximus Alexander

What's the hurry?

djimi

lau1247 wrote: »

can't say I have seen too much of what you described.. just occasionally..

I think sometimes it depends on the section of the road, if I'm on a dual carriage way and I know that up ahead is a camera point I will overtake if needed (due to other's slower car) but not beyond the speed limit until I pass the camera point

(I say camera point rather than zone because while the zone is marked and known, it stretches over a long distance but realistically there is only one or two point where the van can safely stopped. On a road regularly traveled, people will know where it is anyway)

Its not a massive problem but it happens often enough to be annoying. Yesterday I drove from Naas to Portlaoise and back and in the space of two 40 minute motorway journeys I encounted this behaviour at least twice.

It usually seems to be people who are overtaking cars that are doing just below the speed limit, but who themselves are not willing to break the speed limit to complete the overtake, so instead they try to make the pass while doing about 5mph more than the car that they are passing.

Its even more scary on a single lane road when you are behind a car who decides to overtake something, pulls out then wheezes down the road at basically the same speed, taking about half a minute to complete the pass, and usually on a relatively small stretch of straight clear road :eek:

djimi

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

What's the hurry?

Safety being one hurry, especially if youre on the wrong side of the road...

Maximus Alexander

djimi wrote: »

Safety being one hurry, especially if youre on the wrong side of the road...

I could understand it in that case, but the OP was talking about dual carriageways. I suppose I'd find it a bit annoying if both cars were doing less than the speed limit, but otherwise it wouldn't bother me. Sometimes it seems like everyone is rushing a pregnant woman in labour to the hospital. :pac:

Dartz

tossy wrote: »

That's not always the case. I generally hold the standard of driving among lorryists as pretty good but a lorry overtaking another lorry on a motorway can at times take longer than mass.

The Race of the Elephants.

Or the Cruise Control Grand Prix?


That's the great thing about having a car with a bit of power. Short overtakes.

djimi

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I could understand it in that case, but the OP was talking about dual carriageways. I suppose I'd find it a bit annoying if both cars were doing less than the speed limit, but otherwise it wouldn't bother me. Sometimes it seems like everyone is rushing a pregnant woman in labour to the hospital. :pac:

Annoying is all that it is; its not a major issue by any means, but its quite frustrating to want to overtake a car to progress with your journey but to have to slow down as you enter the overtaking lane as there is someone already attempting to overtake at barely faster than the car they are trying to pass.

Either overtake quickly with conviction, or realise that there is nothing to gain by passing out said car when you are both basically doing the same speed and stay in the driving lane so as not to inconvenience other road users.

tossy

Dartz wrote: »

The Race of the Elephants.

Or the Cruise Control Grand Prix?


That's the great thing about having a car with a bit of power. Short overtakes.

I agree but the Joe duffy brigade hate a quick short blast of an overtake.

Ave Sodalis

What's equally annoying is when you're overtaking and the car beside you decides to speed up, causing you to either pull back (at which stage they'll probably slow down again) or spend ages trying to overtake like in the OP.

Bacchus

YbFocus wrote: »

This is shocking annoying!

When there is nothing coming for miles ahead and I see someone pulling out to pass. I always say "I'll go with him as there's nothing coming" next thing we're out there for 20-30 seconds!

It's insane, Micras initiating a pass at 30mph in 5th with no go being achieved at all!!

On a regular road? Not a dual-carriageway or motorway?

Sounds like you're talking about a main road, in which case that's quite dangerous what you are doing. By "going with him", you are putting yourself in a dangerous spot. For a start, you no longer have a clear view of traffic coming against you (what if there is a crossroads ahead and car pulls out). The car ahead of you has a clear view and has the time to pull back in in front of the car it is over taking. You on the other hand do not. You could easily get stuck with nowhere to go facing a head on collision. The chance of this are increased too by being stuck behind a car sllllooooooowly overtaking. Don't take the risk, wait until you've a clear run at the overtake before moving out.


As for the OP, I reckon a mix of cruise control and/or not wanting to go beyond a certain speed limit is the cause. If I've cruise control on and I'm slowly catching up on a car, I'll generally just overtake at that speed. I travel at the speed limit so I see no reason to be concerned about the driver behind me.

What annoys me sometimes is when you're overtaking the car you are overtaking suddenly speeds up. More often then not, if you abort the overtake they resume their normal speed. In these cases I just floor it to get around them and carry on.

H3llR4iser

YbFocus wrote: »

...
It's insane, Micras initiating a pass at 30mph in 5th with no go being achieved at all!!

sebastianlieken wrote: »

I love when a lorry goes to overtake another lorry. it doesn't take for-bloody-ever at all.

Let's clarify, it's not necessarily due to performance and/or other constraints; Last time I saw this, today, it was a young lady in a VW Scirocco overtaking a Transit van that was going around 100 km/h; She was literally going 100.1, took a good couple of km to complete the maneuver. I see every kind of car doing this, from the lowly citycars to BMWs and Audis that certainly do not lack the sheer punch.

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

It's people **** scared to do 125 instead of 120...on the speedo

I think this is the issue indeed...or they are scared to use up the diesel/petrol

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

What's the hurry?

Bacchus wrote: »

...If I've cruise control on and I'm slowly catching up on a car, I'll generally just overtake at that speed. I travel at the speed limit so I see no reason to be concerned about the driver behind me.

It doesn't have anything to do with the driver behind but with the one on the side; Very few people realize that traveling two abreast (and sometimes three) is the single most dangerous situation on the road as the involved drivers do not have complete and continuous sight of the other vehicle(s) and they also have little to no margin to cater for the unforeseen.

When I was learning to drive, many many moons ago, one of the mantras was "when you overtake on a motorway/national road/dual carriageway, complete is asap spending as little time as possible side-by-side with the other vehicle; especially if it's an HGV". The concept is simple: anything goes wrong while you're side-by-side (mechanical issue, sudden obstacle on the road, tire failure etc.), you're both toast.

In case an HGV is involved, carnage is guaranteed: I still remember an accident that happened years ago on an Italian motorway, when a lorry burst a tire while traveling normally on the right hand lane and crushed the entire line of 4-5 cars that were traveling by its side. I don't remember the exact death toll, but it was quite staggering and it made the news for consecutive days.

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

What annoys me sometimes is when you're overtaking the car you are overtaking suddenly speeds up. More often then not, if you abort the overtake they resume their normal speed. In these cases I just floor it to get around them and carry on.

Argh...that's another one indeed!

Markcheese

So your allowed do whatever speed you like... But the person annoying you by overtaking too slow isn't ?? (talking DCs here)
I have been gulity of this once or twice... Doing 120/125 in left lane and don't particularly go any faster,go into right lane (safely) when coming up to a slower vehicle , keep my speed the same cos it suits me... And quite often see someone going considerably faster coming right up behind fast ,flashing me to get off their personal lane ... (usually a BMW driver) ... Then I usually perform a very slow overtake, petty and small minded I know...

Bacchus

YbFocus wrote: »

It doesn't have anything to do with the driver behind but with the one on the side; Very few people realize that traveling two abreast (and sometimes three) is the single most dangerous situation on the road as the involved drivers do not have complete and continuous sight of the other vehicle(s) and they also have little to no margin to cater for the unforeseen. !

Good point. I generally wouldn't take that long to overtake anyway. If the difference was minute (or if the other car accelerated), I'd speed up to move past them.

Bacchus

Markcheese wrote: »

Doing 120/125 in left lane and don't particularly go any faster,go into right lane (safely) when coming up to a slower vehicle , keep my speed the same cos it suits me... And quite often see someone going considerably faster coming right up behind fast ,flashing me to get off their personal lane ... (usually a BMW driver) ... Then I usually perform a very slow overtake, petty and small minded I know...

I hate those drivers too. I'm already pushing over the limit to overtake and they're up my ass. In those instances I take particular care to check my mirrors, ensure I'm clear of the other car, throw on the indicator, check my mirrors again before moving back into the left lane. As you say, it's petty but I'm not going to be 'bullied' out of the overtaking lane.

The12thMan

Dartz wrote: »

That's the great thing about having a car with a bit of power. Short overtakes.

Indeed.....

bear1

For me, it also has to be the gob****es that disagree completely with being overtaken no matter how it is performed.
They blast you with the high beams over and over again.
I had a situation once a few years ago, I was driving from Waterford to Limerick - anyone that knows that road knows how much of a pain in the hole it is.
I had this feckin eejit in a 206 in front of me for ages and ages going fantastically slow but I just couldn't get passed with all the bends/trucks whatever.
Finally I get my chance to pass and I fcuking gunned it passed him. Well... if I had envisaged this gob****es reaction I'd have taken a different road altogether.
He flashes the bejaysus out of me, accelerates up to within inches of the rear bumper, flashing, beeping etc.
He goes for an overtake on a feckin bend which forced me to slow down to let him in.
He's back in front at this stage (to say I was angry was an understatement) and he starts brake testing me.
I ease off a bit so that he doesn't allow me to get too close but it just doesn't seem to get him to feck off.
Now, I generally don't snitch on other drivers unless something terribly bad is happening but this guy took the biscuit.
Traffic corps called and fair fcuks to them they were there in a matter of minutes.
We both pulled in with the Guards and the lad had so much attitude that I was told I could go on my way after giving a statement but he had to stay.

MetzgerMeister

Funniest thing ever is when someone overtakes you and they're going like the clappers. Then when you get to the next line of traffic, they are right in front of you :pac:

Gazzmonkey

bear1 wrote: »

For me, it also has to be the gob****es that disagree completely with being overtaken no matter how it is performed.
They blast you with the high beams over and over again.
I had a situation once a few years ago, I was driving from Waterford to Limerick - anyone that knows that road knows how much of a pain in the hole it is.
I had this feckin eejit in a 206 in front of me for ages and ages going fantastically slow but I just couldn't get passed with all the bends/trucks whatever.
Finally I get my chance to pass and I fcuking gunned it passed him. Well... if I had envisaged this gob****es reaction I'd have taken a different road altogether.
He flashes the bejaysus out of me, accelerates up to within inches of the rear bumper, flashing, beeping etc.
He goes for an overtake on a feckin bend which forced me to slow down to let him in.
He's back in front at this stage (to say I was angry was an understatement) and he starts brake testing me.
I ease off a bit so that he doesn't allow me to get too close but it just doesn't seem to get him to feck off.
Now, I generally don't snitch on other drivers unless something terribly bad is happening but this guy took the biscuit.
Traffic corps called and fair fcuks to them they were there in a matter of minutes.
We both pulled in with the Guards and the lad had so much attitude that I was told I could go on my way after giving a statement but he had to stay.

Had to deal with one of those last Friday, having more bhp than the other driver is what separated us in the end

Zubeneschamali

My fave is the guy cruising along the Motorway in the driving lane ahead of me at a sensible speed. Slow lorry in the distance, getting closer, closer, very close... driver hits the brakes, slows down to lorry speed, and then indicates out, and sloooowly overtakes.

What was wrong with moving out in good time and overtaking at the speed you were cruising at? Did you not see the great big lorry in your lane?

I have no idea what these guys are thinking.

H3llR4iser

Gazzmonkey wrote: »

Had to deal with one of those last Friday, having more bhp than the other driver is what separated us in the end

I think we should call it the "Bernd Maylander" syndrome!

Anjobe

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Funniest thing ever is when someone overtakes you and they're going like the clappers. Then when you get to the next line of traffic, they are right in front of you :pac:

Funny alright, but not quite the funniest. I was driving south on the M1, north of Drogheda, one wet winters night and I was passing a long line of cars in the inside lane when a big SUV came right up behind me. I cleared the slower moving cars and switched back into the left hand lane about 150m before the speed camera, SUV driver floors it straight past the camera - flash, flash.

toastedpickles

That's the great thing about having a car with a bit of power, and knowing when and how to use it, the amount of times I've over took one of these people, only to move back in and have the guy i just over took over take me level up with me and try to block me in, 9/10 times they fail miserably, the other 1 time is because trucks :pac:

alias no.9

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

It's people **** scared to do 125 instead of 120...on the speedo

Not sure it is, I think some people hesitate as they're moving beside the vehicle they're overtaking, they're not always at or about the limit. The worst thing about it is that they're hanging out in the blind spot of the driver they're trying to overtake which is just about the worst thing you can do.

CiniO

Chimaera wrote: »

I've ended up in this situation while overtaking on cruise control a few times where I'm only a few km/h faster. If there's nothing behind me it doesn't bother me so much.

The other situation I find often crops up on a dual carriageway/motorway is the dilemma of pull in or not when you know you're going to be passing another vehicle in a few hundred metres. You've passed someone and there's a gap of a few hundred metres from them to the next car which you know you're going to be passing: do you pull in or stay out?

That seems to be the big problem with Irish drivers. Most of them must think - ahh sure, I'll be passing another vehicle in few hundred meters, so I'm not going to come back to driving lane for sake of this short distance.

Well - of course they should come back.

F.e. assume traffic on driving lane goes at 90km/h (in line with trucks).
Car drives at 126km/h on overtaking lane, and after overtaking one vehicle stays in overtaking lane because there is another vehicle 300 metres ahead on driving lane.

Now quick calculation - speed difference is 126-90 = 36km/h. That's 10m/s (metres per second).
So it's going to take half a minute to reach to other vehicle.
Half a minute is way too long to stay in overtaking lane without overtaking.

YbFocus

Bacchus wrote: »

Sounds like you're talking about a main road, in which case that's quite dangerous what you are doing. By "going with him", you are putting yourself in a dangerous spot. For a start, you no longer have a clear view of traffic coming against you (what if there is a crossroads ahead and car pulls out). The car ahead of you has a clear view and has the time to pull back in in front of the car it is over taking. You on the other hand do not. You could easily get stuck with nowhere to go facing a head on collision. The chance of this are increased too by being stuck behind a car sllllooooooowly overtaking. Don't take the risk, wait until you've a clear run at the overtake before moving out.

I don't go with him per say but I allow him be out there and well on his way past. I can then see that there is nothing coming and that there are no junctions etc ahead and go to complete the move before he is completely finished his.
I'm not glued to his bumper which is how it may have sounded.

Dartz

bear1 wrote: »

For me, it also has to be the gob****es that disagree completely with being overtaken no matter how it is performed.
They blast you with the high beams over and over again.
I had a situation once a few years ago, I was driving from Waterford to Limerick - anyone that knows that road knows how much of a pain in the hole it is.
I had this feckin eejit in a 206 in front of me for ages and ages going fantastically slow but I just couldn't get passed with all the bends/trucks whatever.
Finally I get my chance to pass and I fcuking gunned it passed him. Well... if I had envisaged this gob****es reaction I'd have taken a different road altogether.
He flashes the bejaysus out of me, accelerates up to within inches of the rear bumper, flashing, beeping etc.
He goes for an overtake on a feckin bend which forced me to slow down to let him in.
He's back in front at this stage (to say I was angry was an understatement) and he starts brake testing me.
I ease off a bit so that he doesn't allow me to get too close but it just doesn't seem to get him to feck off.
Now, I generally don't snitch on other drivers unless something terribly bad is happening but this guy took the biscuit.
Traffic corps called and fair fcuks to them they were there in a matter of minutes.
We both pulled in with the Guards and the lad had so much attitude that I was told I could go on my way after giving a statement but he had to stay.

Worse.

That peculiar brand of swine that accelerate when you try to pass them. And then don't let you back onto your side of the road when you back out of it...

YbFocus

Dartz wrote: »

Worse.

That peculiar brand of swine that accelerate when you try to pass them. And then don't let you back onto your side of the road when you back out of it...

You sir need more torques

Dartz

YbFocus wrote: »

You sir need more torques

Nah. Just drop two gears and wind it up to 9000..... They get the message. Zoooooommm

YbFocus

That rotary sound, I'm jealous of you for that

toastedpickles

YbFocus wrote: »

That rotary sound, I'm jealous of you for that

I've never heard a rotary I know i can youtube it, but its not the same

YbFocus

toastedpickles wrote: »

I've never heard a rotary I know i can youtube it, but its not the same

You will one day young squire, one day one will be yours :pac:

toastedpickles

YbFocus wrote: »

You will one day young squire, one day one will be yours :pac:

Oh jesus :eek: I can't handle that much maintenance :pac::pac:

Gerry T

While I find slow overtaking a pain, what's worse is the guy that over takes and slows down to a speed 2 or 3Km/Hr slower than your travelling...most noticeable when your in cruise control. Feckin pain as you play hop-skotch up the motorway...only to floor it for 5min to loose the guy... I'm going to get a ticket one of these days !

bear1

I had a 2.4 Alfa at the time so the power and the torque was there to crush that bastard.
I knew though if I used my anger combined with the power of the car that it could end badly.
I'd love to have known what the fook he was thinking though, what his achievement was in the end?
He held us both up, both lives put at risk and others (overtaking on a blind bend) caused his and mine blood pressures to rise incredibly... gob****e.

Trojan

This is very typical driving on US interstates. You're on cruise control somewhere around the speed limit, and almost all the traffic is moving at +/- 5% of your speed. Very common to see very slow overtakes. And it's some of the most stress-free driving anywhere.

CiniO

Trojan wrote: »

This is very typical driving on US interstates. You're on cruise control somewhere around the speed limit, and almost all the traffic is moving at +/- 5% of your speed. Very common to see very slow overtakes. And it's some of the most stress-free driving anywhere.

For me driving in environment where everyone drives in similar speed and overtaking takes ages - like you said in US or on UK motorways, as well as in Ireland during heavy traffic is stressful.
Stress-free driving is in Germany, where most overtakes takes only seconds or less.

Markcheese

CiniO wrote: »

For me driving in environment where everyone drives in similar speed and overtaking takes ages - like you said in US or on UK motorways, as well as in Ireland during heavy traffic is stressful.
Stress-free driving is in Germany, where most overtakes takes only seconds or less.

Never driven in Germany, but was I stressed out on the M5/m6 after last Christmas, the wife and kids in the car yelling are we home yet.. Bumper to bumper artics so couldn't see half the signs ,lanes narrowed due to works...gas thing is I used to live and work around there 20 years ago... Didn't need to drive much though ...

bear1

CiniO wrote: »

For me driving in environment where everyone drives in similar speed and overtaking takes ages - like you said in US or on UK motorways, as well as in Ireland during heavy traffic is stressful.
Stress-free driving is in Germany, where most overtakes takes only seconds or less.

Or... you don't even see the overtake

visual

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

My fave is the guy cruising along the Motorway in the driving lane ahead of me at a sensible speed. Slow lorry in the distance, getting closer, closer, very close... driver hits the brakes, slows down to lorry speed, and then indicates out, and sloooowly overtakes.

What was wrong with moving out in good time and overtaking at the speed you were cruising at? Did you not see the great big lorry in your lane?

I have no idea what these guys are thinking.

He seen you coming in review mirror and waited for you so he wouldn't be lonely overtaking

_Kaiser_

I surprisingly rarely run into any of the issues mentioned on this thread.
I do a lot of long motorway runs and the best answer to some of the issues raised here is a consistent speed, indicating, and moving out ahead of time.

Given the generally dawdling pace of most drivers (speedo-watching, not comfortable driving "fast" or trying to save a fiver on fuel) I often make significant "progress" on such roads and overtaking happens every few minutes.

Scenario A: Single car ahead. Approach steadily, flick the indicator right and move out a few seconds before you draw level. Return to driving lane after completing overtake and other car is a safe distance behind

Scenario B: Multiple cars ahead. Approach steadily, flick indicator right and move out a few seconds before you draw level. Stay in outside lane until all cars are passed - this includes cars that may be 100/200m ahead. I hate "weavers" and when making the aforementioned "steady progress" it's a lot easier/safer to stay where you are

Scenario C: Car ahead, car behind already in outside lane and either maintaining distance or gaining slooowwly. Follow A/B as necessary before that outer car becomes an issue

Scenario Car ahead, car behind in outer lane coming up fast. Let him pass and follow A/B

Scenario M (for muppet!): Car ahead decides they want to race, takes objection to being overtaken, or is otherwise acting the clown (weaving in lane, slowing/speeding up etc). Apply liberal use of the 224 bhp (though it may be more, I must get it tested!) and massive torque from the 3L TDI under the bonnet to extract yourself from the situation.

It's very rare I'm overtaken though as I don't dawdle when there's no cause to.

Alun

CiniO wrote: »

For me driving in environment where everyone drives in similar speed and overtaking takes ages - like you said in US or on UK motorways, as well as in Ireland during heavy traffic is stressful.
Stress-free driving is in Germany, where most overtakes takes only seconds or less.

I agree, I found driving in the US on Interstates far from relaxing. Give a German autobahn any day of the week.

Boskowski

CiniO wrote: »

That seems to be the big problem with Irish drivers. Most of them must think - ahh sure, I'll be passing another vehicle in few hundred meters, so I'm not going to come back to driving lane for sake of this short distance.

Well - of course they should come back.

F.e. assume traffic on driving lane goes at 90km/h (in line with trucks).
Car drives at 126km/h on overtaking lane, and after overtaking one vehicle stays in overtaking lane because there is another vehicle 300 metres ahead on driving lane.

Now quick calculation - speed difference is 126-90 = 36km/h. That's 10m/s (metres per second).
So it's going to take half a minute to reach to other vehicle.
Half a minute is way too long to stay in overtaking lane without overtaking.

Are you serious? Half a minute is too much?
Surely you mean 'is too much with someone behind me wanting to go even faster'.
But failing that I can't see how it it is 'way too long'.
I say apply some common sense to the situation and all is fine.