# Someone is trying to pass your car but won't make it. What do you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815 "2017-12-07T19:12:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/61 "2017-12-13T02:35:16Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > There is nothing predictable about maintaining speed. However, slowing down is the only predicable option to increase time and space for the car to pass. I’m not sure I agree. If I pass, I assume that the other car won’t brake, and won’t accelerate. Acceleration == asshole, but why should the other car brake when he’s not the one doing the overtaking? The most predictable course of action is that the being-overtook-driver maintain a constant speed. If I were the one being overtaken, I’d consider it dangerous to the other driver to brake, because my expectation is that he both _knows_ and _considers_ my current velocity. If there’s a danger of collision by the overtaking driver, it’s up to him to make a decision based on predictable actions, and it’s logical to assume I won’t yield. He’ll either slow down, and/or the oncoming vehicle will slow down and/or drift into the shoulder. Now if the situation were _truly_ emergent, I might change my behavior based on my observation of the overtaker and the oncoming vehicle, but my strategy (as both the overtaker and overtakee) has been 100% successful so far. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/62 "2017-12-13T03:25:14Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > If I were the one being overtaken, I’d consider it dangerous to the other driver to brake, because my expectation is that he both _knows_ and _considers_ my current velocity. The thread is about a car that won’t make it. If he knows and considers your current velocity and still tries to pass then he has FUBAR’d the attempt from the start. All you can do is mitigate the situation. That starts by slowing down and moving to the right to give the passing car more room to maneuver. Honestly, you don’t have a choice when presented with a head on collision next to you. Slow down and move to the right or risk a 3 car pileup. You’ll do it naturally. Maintaining speed does not guarantee he will make it by slowing down and ducking in behind you. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/63 "2017-12-13T03:41:05Z")
Right, the fact that he’s attempted to pass you proves, in this case, that he either doesn’t know or didn’t consider your speed, and so being predictable is of no use, because he’s not going to predict you anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/64 "2017-12-13T03:44:51Z")
Fight the hypothetical. I just spent a month and a half living in an area of hilly, two-lane roads. As soon as somebody started passing me, I’d start slowing down. Not by hitting the brakes, but by taking my foot off the gas so he go rushing on ahead to whatever accident or speeding ticket awaits him. By the time we get to the point where he’s so surprised that there are other cars on the road, I’m already behind him with my foot on the brake. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/65 "2017-12-13T14:56:15Z")
I heard a podcast with John Urschel recently, and despite speaking like a jock, he kind of dispelled the dumb jock notion to me. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/66 "2017-12-13T15:00:29Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The thread is about a car that won’t make it. If he knows and considers your current velocity and still tries to pass then he has FUBAR’d the attempt from the start. All you can do is mitigate the situation. That starts by slowing down and moving to the right to give the passing car more room to maneuver. > > Honestly, you don’t have a choice when presented with a head on collision next to you. Slow down and move to the right or risk a 3 car pileup. You’ll do it naturally. Maintaining speed does not guarantee he will make it by slowing down and ducking in behind you. Yeah, maybe this specific condition is covered by what I described as an emergent situation. I’m not trying to kill anyone, even an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/67 "2017-12-13T16:02:42Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Fight the hypothetical. I just spent a month and a half living in an area of hilly, two-lane roads. As soon as somebody started passing me, I’d start slowing down. Not by hitting the brakes, but by taking my foot off the gas so he go rushing on ahead to whatever accident or speeding ticket awaits him. Again, yeah, foot off the gas when being passed on two lanes other than in some exceptional situation, which somebody can always think up. It makes the later emerging situation of not enough room for the passer less likely to start with. But it occurs to me comparing posts and what I see when driving that some people think of the gas pedal as the way to speed up or keep constant speed, and the brake as the way to slow down. I constantly see people’s brake lights in situations where I wouldn’t apply the brakes. I basically use the brakes to come to a full stop at red lights or stop signs (letting off the gas as soon as a red light is visible), occasionally on _very_ steep downgrades, in emergencies (like not to run into fools braking for no good reason), and in exceptional cases where I’m having fun on twisty roads or the track. But the idea of generally using the engine as the main way to slow down, as well as speed up, doesn’t seem to register with many drivers. They’re either on the gas or the brake. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/68 "2017-12-13T16:13:30Z")
Graduate of the Bob Bondurant school of high performance driving here. Part of the training covers virtually every aspect of what one can encounter while driving. Not only would I slow down for what the OP describes, I slow down anytime I am being passed. That is what we were taught in the class. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/69 "2017-12-13T17:49:38Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Graduate of the Bob Bondurant school of high performance driving here. Part of the training covers virtually every aspect of what one can encounter while driving. Not only would I slow down for what the OP describes, I slow down anytime I am being passed. That is what we were taught in the class. It’s a good general rule, but depending on the many variables mentioned in this thread, the safest choice may be to speed up and create space behind you for the passer to tuck into. There isn’t a One Choice Fits All answer to this. Your tactic is a One Choice Fits Most. And I’ve always wanted to take the Bob Bondurant course! ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/70 "2017-12-13T18:25:15Z")
In general I do what many others here seem to do and let off the gas when someone passes me. I also make sure that when I pass I make it as quick as possible. My impression from the OP, though, was that in this case the other driver was a pokey passer and was really taking his/her time. If that’s the case, and knowing how my car would perform, I might have reacted in the same way and floored it to make it easy for him/her to get back over behind me. But if this was initiated as an unsafe pass from there start (hill, curve, or obvious poor judgement of oncoming traffic) then I’d be off the gas immediately and ready to brake/move over. Also, what is a > [@](#): > > two lane divided highway that would allow for a pass as described by the OP? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/71 "2017-12-13T19:06:43Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I was driving on a hilly two lane divided highway when the car behind me tried to pass. When the passing car was almost even with mine, the driver saw an on-coming car and realized that it wouldn’t be able to successfully pass. I hit the brakes but so did the passing driver so we were still in about the same position relative to each other. The on-coming car saw what was going on and slowed down and the passing car eventually got back behind me, so all’s well that ends well. > > What is the proper thing to do? Speed up, slow down, maintain speed or something else? > > Poll coming. About 25 years ago, that happened to me, only I was driving the passing car. The oncoming car appeared from around a bend, so I slowed down to drop behind the car I was trying to pass. But I wasn’t behind him yet, so I slowed down some more. And I \*still \*wasn’t behind him, so I slowed down even more. This was happening real fast, and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. By this point, the oncoming car was way too close to even think of speeding up. He went off onto the shoulder to avoid me, thank goodness. Afterwards, I realized that the driver I was trying to pass had slowed down just as I was slowing down, and had kept on slowing just as I kept on slowing, which was why I couldn’t get behind him, try as I might. At the time it was happening, it was happening so fast, I had no idea why I couldn’t drop back behind the guy. Anyhow, my advice would be: **maintain speed** , and let the driver of the passing car make his decision. He knows what you’re doing, he sees the oncoming car. He can either decide he can pass, or decide to get back behind you. But if you change what you’re doing, _what he knows is wrong_. And if you guess wrong about how best to help him, he’s screwed. If you speed up and he slows down, or vice versa, everything’s good. But if you both speed up or both slow down, you’ve got a problem - and there’s a 50-50 chance you’ll guess wrong and do the very thing that screws up his avoidance strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/72 "2017-12-13T19:59:23Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Also, what is a > > > [@](#): > > > > two lane divided highway > > that would allow for a pass as described by the OP? 😃 I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/73 "2017-12-13T21:02:09Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I don’t get it. A divider usually physically divides the two directions of traffic, making passing more difficult. And noisy. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/74 "2017-12-13T21:28:21Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > A divider usually physically divides the two directions of traffic, making passing more difficult. And noisy. Must be a regional thing. When I GIS “two lane divided highway”, some have a physical barrier and some don’t. #shrugs ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/75 "2017-12-13T22:12:42Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > About 25 years ago, that happened to me, only I was driving the passing car. The oncoming car appeared from around a bend, so I slowed down to drop behind the car I was trying to pass. But I wasn’t behind him yet, so I slowed down some more. And I \*still \*wasn’t behind him, so I slowed down even more. This was happening real fast, and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Yeah I think this is one reason it’s important to distinguish between ‘slowing down’ as in foot off the gas, and putting on the brakes. As I said IME to lots of drivers you’re either on the gas or the brake, not used to the idea of adjusting speed mainly with the gas, so ‘slow down’ to them means ‘brake’. One should IMO be off the gas whenever someone is passing you on a two lane with rare exceptions, not on the brake unless positively observing the passer is trying to forge ahead and it’s going to be close, or anyway it’s clear they won’t make it then you have to get clear, and the car slows down faster than it speeds up. Speaking of driving schools, the BMW one (not BMV, I guess that meant ‘Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ as they call it in some US states 🙂 ) doesn’t deal with that particular issue, in the course I took. But they do show you how unlikely you are to fully use the brakes if you haven’t practiced. If you _really_ brake in those cars (and mass market brands have decent ABS brakes now too) and you weren’t belted in, you’d go flying. Now how about if it’s slippery too? well at some point the passer is a complete lunatic, and complete lunatics driving get people killed. Most drivers don’t fully brake even when aim to; if you do that’s a big advantage in a case like getting back behind somebody who is also braking. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/76 "2017-12-13T22:45:30Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Must be a regional thing. When I GIS “two lane divided highway”, some have a physical barrier and some don’t. #shrugs If there’s no divider it’s just a 2-lane highway. You’re not going to get a reliable result from Google because what you’re searching for doesn’t really exist aside from short stretches where the road splits due to geography or construction, so Google is just going to populate the search with “next best” results. If you just search “divided highway” nearly every image is of a 4-lane (or more) divided highway, most typically with a grassy or concrete median. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/77 "2017-12-13T23:45:57Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > About 25 years ago, that happened to me, only I was driving the passing car. The oncoming car appeared from around a bend, so I slowed down to drop behind the car I was trying to pass. But I wasn’t behind him yet, so I slowed down some more. And I \*still \*wasn’t behind him, so I slowed down even more. This was happening real fast, and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. > > By this point, the oncoming car was way too close to even think of speeding up. He went off onto the shoulder to avoid me, thank goodness. Afterwards, I realized that the driver I was trying to pass had slowed down just as I was slowing down, and had kept on slowing just as I kept on slowing, which was why I couldn’t get behind him, try as I might. At the time it was happening, it was happening so fast, I had no idea why I couldn’t drop back behind the guy. > > Anyhow, my advice would be: **maintain speed** , and let the driver of the passing car make his decision. He knows what you’re doing, he sees the oncoming car. He can either decide he can pass, or decide to get back behind you. > > But if you change what you’re doing, _what he knows is wrong_. And if you guess wrong about how best to help him, he’s screwed. If you speed up and he slows down, or vice versa, everything’s good. But if you both speed up or both slow down, you’ve got a problem - and there’s a 50-50 chance you’ll guess wrong and do the very thing that screws up his avoidance strategy. So to summarize your scenario, you passed someone with a curve ahead, didn’t watch the car you were passing and didn’t have a wreck because: A, you were going much slower, and B, the other driver moved to the right so you had space to move between the two cars. You screwed up twice and the person you were passing did the only thing that covered all the variables. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/78 "2017-12-14T02:02:17Z")
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/79 "2017-12-14T14:50:00Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Anyhow, my advice would be: **maintain speed** , and let the driver of the passing car make his decision. He knows what you’re doing, he sees the oncoming car. He can either decide he can pass, or decide to get back behind you. The problem is the person trying to pass doesn’t know what they’re doing, and that’s usually pretty clear from the getgo. At least on the east coast where I drive, there are typically marked passing zones, so both drivers should be aware of when passing will occur. If a person is passing properly, there’s little reason they should be pacing the car next to them. They certainly shouldn’t be passing on or near a turn, either. I don’t trust a person like that to make any type of judgement call. They’ve now allowed more luck, than sound decision-making, to dictate the outcome of the situation, after poor decisions caused it in the first place. > [@](#): > > By this point, the oncoming car was way too close to even think of speeding up. Why would an oncoming car in the opposing direction speed up? That doesn’t benefit anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815/80 "2017-12-14T14:57:43Z")
> [@Krouget](#): > > Why would an oncoming car in the opposing direction speed up? That doesn’t benefit anyone. I think that **RTFirefly** meant that it was too late for him (?), the driver of the passing car, to consider speeding up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-is-trying-to-pass-your-car-but-wont-make-it-what-do-you-do/803815.md?page=5)