I’m a new driver and was wondering what you think of this.
Situation:
There is a very slow moving vehicle on the road, say a tractor. I’m the first car behind it and behind me is another car. Assume that either there is only one lane for traffic in each direction, or that it is a dual carriageway but both lanes are very busy.
I sit impatiently glancing out the side window waiting for a gap so I can overtake. Then as soon as I spot the gap, the car behind me moves out so I can’t overtake and leaves me stuck behind the tractor. This has happened a few times off late, the last time being this morning and it annoys me a bit.
Assume the vehicle in front is so slow that anyone in their right mind would want to overtake it.
Should the car behind me give me first shot at overtaking, because I’m the first car behind the slow tractor?
Or is that a courtesy that is in my head and is just down to whoever reacts first?
On a single carriageway - overtaking more than one vehicle is a potentially dangerous manourvere. The guy behind you should wait. And he’s a rude little moron if he doesn’t.
On a dual carriageway - it’s first-come first-served. The road is designed for overtaking multiple vehicles. But to help you get that gap first, keep more distance between you and the tractor, which gives you acceleration room before you need to pull out.
First off, this is about safety, not etiquitte. Rudeness is important only to the extent that it affects safety.
I’ll second GorillaMan, that passing more than one vehicle at a time on a two lane road is a bad idea, but you aren’'t the one doing this unsafe maneuver. What you need to do is make sure that you can pass safely.
You might want to try putting more distance between yourself and the tractor. This may give you a better view around the tractor so you can better anticipate openings in oncoming traffic. It will also give you room to accelerate, and your accelerating will show the driver behind you that you intend to pass.
ehhh, people are too pass-happy nowadays. The other day, someone passed three cars (I was the second) just to slow down and make a turn 100 feet later. Um, WHY??
But, anyway, maybe signalling early would prevent problems. I’ll agree with the others that passing more than one vehicle is unsafe, and USUALLY the passing procedure is front car to back car, unless the one in front is consistently missing viable passing opportunities.
Welcome to the wonderful world of driving in Ireland Pookah!!
Happens to me all the time … I flip on my indicator and slow down slightly (to leave space between me and the tractor), once you get brave enough [2.5 years on the road here] you pull out regardless of what the fecker behind is doing …
watch you’re rearview mirror for the arsehole in the 4x4 weaving in and out of the traffic, he’ll try to overtake 3 cars at once, and realise he’s not going to make it, then cut in infront of you. Always drive with one hand on the horn and refresh your profanity vocabulary …
The car behind the slowpoke should pass first. But if that car declines a good passing opportunity, or waits too long to pull out, I figure that no one will ever get to pass if we have to wait for him. In those cases, my mind shifts to seeing if I can pass both vehicles.
People reach different conclusions about when to pass. One factor in this is one’s own perception of safety – some folks are downright timid (e.g. my wife) and some are downright foolhardy. Another is power of their vehicle – old VW Beetles can’t use the same opportunities that an RX7 Turbo could breeze through. Another is how well they can see the road ahead, which varies with one’s personal eyesight and with how high their head is above the road.
I disagree with putting more distance behind the slowpoke if you really want to pass. It lengthens your passing distance, which means you might have to forego an opportunity that could have worked if you were right behind him ready to zoom. The drivers behind you see this and factor it in. It also gives room for those drivers to pass you and pull into that space, working their way to the front of the line so they will be able to use the next opportunity. Fall back if you want them to pass you, but be up there and ready if you want to pass.
As a new driver you’re likely a bit more cautious than some others. This is not necessarily a bad thing – getting boxed in by someone behind passing you doesn’t mess up your day as much as forcing an oncoming driver off the road, or having a head-on collision. But people who think you’re squandering an opportunity are not inclined to wait for who knows how many minutes or miles for you to reach your comfort zone.
You can minimize people jumping the gun on you if show them you are going to pass by being right behind the slowpoke and drifting slightly into the passing lane for a good look as soon as the last (known) opposite-direction car is past, and having your turn signal on at that time.
What stuffs it up is that you don’t know what I’m thinking.
In the circumstances you describe I know that you want to pull out and if I’m behind you I will wait for you to go first. But when you fail to go I don’t know what is happening in your head so I have to make an executive and I just blast past you.
Yes, but when the fecker behin you decides to overtake on a blind corner and realises he’s not going to make it and tries to pull in between you and the tractor … actually. had. that. happen.
You should ask around your location, since driving in Michigan may be different than driving in Ireland which is probably different from driving in the Ukraine.
That caveat aside: You are already too late! If the guy behind you is getting into the passing gap before you’ve acted, the you are asleep at the wheel. Until you are more comfortable driving assertively, you should back off of the slow vehicle and give room for the person behind you to pass you and pull in, thus positioning herself to pass the slow vehicle. That’s not a slam—you are a new driver, after all.
Ready to go at it more assertively? Back off a little bit more than you usually do and keep an eye out for the opening—you’re probably tailgating. The person behind you can probably tell that you are edging close to the center line and leaning your head over to get a view—that’s a signal that you intend to pass. Just before the opening comes, turn on your blinker (or indicator or whatever it’s called). Here’s the fancy bit: Hit the gas! You have to time it for the car (or you) to downshift and rev up, and when the opening comes you pull out and go for it. The idea here is that you don’t pull out to pass and then hit the gas to accelerate; instead, you begin accelerating and hit the ground running, so to speak. (If you have an automatic (those are standard in the States), try double pumping the gas to get it to downshift when you want it to.)
This takes practice and you’ll have a few false starts—slamming on your breaks because you mis-timed the opening and must avoid rear-ending the vehicle in front of you. It is important to not mistake wuss driving for good driving, as well as to not mistake dangerous driving as assertive driving.
I’m not sure that I like the conclusion some people seem to be reaching that I’m holding up the traffic. Yes, I am a new driver and I probably would be a bit slower to react than an experienced driver, but I’m not hopeless. They haven’t been stuck behind me and slowpoke for ages either. What I’m saying is that it strikes me a bit rude to overtake before me, solely because they are able to beat me to it. That’s seems analogous to pushing people out of the way because you happen to be walking faster than them.
However, I am interested in the replies that mention that the car behind me might not have realised I was actually going to overtake. I do, of course, use my indicators but will try switching them on even earlier and will also try driving closer to the overtaking lane to see if that makes a difference in how well my intentions come across.
I usually just manually downshift to third (or D3 in some cars).
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What stuffs it up is that you don’t know what I’m thinking.
In the circumstances you describe I know that you want to pull out and if I’m behind you I will wait for you to go first. But when you fail to go I don’t know what is happening in your head so I have to make an executive and I just blast past you.
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You know exactly what I’m thinking, because I’m signalling my intention to pull out. If I’m not, then you have every right to go ahead and blast past me.
I don’t know if this happens in Ireland, but in New York, when you intend to pass and turn on your signal light, be careful of some asshole who sees your intent to pass and thinks he can beat you by passing you AND the tractor before you can pull into the lane to pass yourself. Does that make sense?
It’s like when you’re on a two or more lane highway, in the right lane, and you turn your signal light on to change lanes and the car in the left lane (but plenty far back) decides to speed up so he can get ahead of you before you can get into his lane. Some people think driving is a competitive sport. Just be careful of those people.
Its like George Carlin says. Anyone going slower than you is an asshole and anyone going faster is a maniac.
I’ll generally give the first car “first shot”, but dammit, you better “shit or get off the pot” and bust that move, buddy! If you blow the first legitimate opportunity to pass, I’m taking the second. Sometimes, you get idiots who are content to pull right up behind the slow moving traffic, then just sit there! The second car come along, and cant get around both, and the first idiot won’t leave enough room for him to make two seperate passes and the next thing you know, you have a 3 mile long procession.
Then I come along and (depending what I’m driving) pass the lot of them!
Advice: Indicate your desire to pass by using the turn signal. The idiot behind you would be a fool to attempt to pass you if he knew you were moving left at any moment. And always assume the guy in back of you, like the guy in front of you, are complete idiots. You will usually be right.
“But I’ll always regret that Rwandan thing.” --Bill Clinton
On a two-lane road, you have the first opportunity to get into the passing lane after an oncoming car clears. You can physically block a hothead from overtaking you. Of course, if there is a hothead behind you, you have to be right quick about getting into the passing lane, but you can beat him there.
If he’s an idiot, he might tailgate you throughout the pass. He’s mainly putting himself at risk if he does so, though there could be problem if you decide after pulling out that it’s not safe, and you want to get back behind the slowpoke. Tough call, but a rare situation.
When you have two or more lanes in your direction, it’s a different situation. The gap you need is between cars traveling in your direction, and the car at the back of the line has the first opportunity to get there. Normally the passing cars get in the passing lane from the rear of the line to the back, with the person unfortunately directly behind the slowpoke getting the last opportunity – by which time someone from farther back in the passing lane has caught up and blocks you. Sometimes only the courtesy of another driver enables you to get out of that spot. But it is definitely not routine, in my experience, for people to defer to the first-in-line car by foregoing their chance to change lanes.
You don’t have to like the conclusion, even if it is correct. You may very well be holding up the people who want to pass. Too bad for them. It’s not your job to extend your driving ability beyond your skills.
Since you’re a young driver you’ve demonstrated the Wisdom of Solomon just by asking the question. The driver was probably rude if he/she realized your intentions. If you were leaning toward the center lane that would be enough indication of what you planned to do. Don’t worry about rude people beyond the thought that you don’t want to be next to them when they screw up. If a dumb-ass wants to get away from you then be grateful for his efforts.
All that aside, most drivers improve their skills over time but it tends to only be the skills used in daily driving. Few people know how their car will react in an emergency situation because it takes practice to perfect these skills. On occasion I will take my car to a deserted lot and attempt a few evasive maneuvers. I’m always surprised how easy it is to lose control of a 3500 lb vehicle.
Very wise advice, indeed. Too many seem to think that driving is a competitive sport and these are the ones that usually cause the accidents that could have been avoided. As irritating as these drivers can be, it’s wise not to try to prove their ass-holiness by competing for space and risk becoming an asshole driver causing accidents yourself.
If it’s any consolation to you: a few miles of travel at lower speeds will make precious little difference in time of arrival if your destination is at least a few further miles away. Relax and use the extra minutes to your benefit.
Anyone with math abilities (and the desire) that exceed mine are welcome to demonstrate this point. Not stupid, just lazy.
