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Cutting
in:
Quite a few driving instructors preach about the dangers of cutting in
unless the entire overtaken car can be seen in one's mirrors. Strangely
this encourages learners to court danger, unnecessarily. Even if you slightly
misjudge it, brushing against an overtaken car will cause only slight
damage compared to multiple deaths should you hit an approaching vehicle
head on.
Provided the car you are passing doesn't have to slow down, there is no
reason for not cutting in as much as you want. Especially when your speed
is greater than that of the car being passed, you can go really close,
glance rapidly over you shoulder to check it out. Irrationally 80 per
cent of all drivers leave more room between their vehicles and those they
are overtaking than between their vehicles and traffic going the other
way. Common sense dictates that you keep closer to the vehicle you are
passing. Of course sensible drivers will wait till they get a clear pass
without any approaching vehicle.
Follow the leader overtaking:
Once a car moves out to overtake, several more often tag behind, hoping
to get by as well. The only safe tagging rule is to keep well back from
the leading overtaking car moving in or out as required to maintain a
continuous view of the road ahead. Hoot as you pass each vehicle as they
probably don't expect a second or third vehicle to be passing. You should
ensure that the gap the man in front chooses will hold you all and still
be big enough should he brake unpredictably. At all times strive to have
a gap ready for emergency retreat. The aim should be to keep options open
for room to manoeuvre. If there aren't any gaps, you better not be there.
Keep in mind the idiots on the road who stick to your tail at speed when
you are passing a convoy. The mirror should already have warned you that
the guy behind is an idiot and so the onus falls on you to save his ass.
You must drive accordingly, rejecting any plan you may have had of keeping
on passing till the last moment when oncoming traffic has all but arrived,
and move instead into an earlier gap. This leaves the idiot on his own
to face the oncoming traffic. He now has time to get out of trouble.
Passing with speed in hand:
When you are accelerating flat out to pass by in time, the strain could
snap the accelerator cable or may break the engine. Rare yes, but it does
happen. It is prudent to have a spare safety margin of speed to avoid
such situations. When you arrive to overtake with speed in hand ready
to go, the safety margin needed can be a little less because you are not
straining to get by.
Often timing arrival at the overtaking point with expert judgement, you
can keep your speed going throughout for certain types of overtakes. You
thus benefit from the safety of speed in hand. This is possible when you
arrive from well behind and have been able to sum up all the problems
in readiness. The trick is to reach the car you want to pass at the same
instant as a gap develops in the oncoming traffic. This clear area lets
you quickly, softly by.
Making you intentions clear:
When you catch up a queue held up by a slow moving vehicle, you have to
allow earlier arrivals the chance to pass first. Even if you are ready
to pass and lying out, if a car ahead makes an attempt to pass the problem,
you are bound to move in behind him. This lets him know that you will
wait for him to finish his overtaking.
If however he shows no sign of preparing to pass, preferring to stay behind
him only adds to the jam. Positioning for vision and knowhow may enable
you to pass safely, when he won't or cannot. Go then, because every car
out of the queue releases a space for the next arrival behind.
Dangerous situations:
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| Leave
room for the car you are about to overtake to swerve to avoid the
kid running across the road. Don't squeeze him in and thus put the
child's life in danger. Your priority should be to save life. |
As
seen in the illustration, you are alongside, passing a car that is forced
out unexpectedly by a kid dashing out onto the road. Your priority should
be to give room to save life. Keep away from the car as much as you can
and avoid shutting him in, so he can swing round the child. The split-second
emergency may not give him time to brake. Whether you stop or go on is
secondary, the main thing is to give the car swerving space. |
October 2001