Over-taking a block of cars

[morsing]

Hi,

What's the technique for over-taking a block of cars, all following each other very closely behind the front driver holding everyone up?

More often than not, people being held up don't have the over-taking skills to pass and slowly a long, dense queue of cars is built up behind the slow driver.

Any tips? Over-take one car at a time, squeezing into gaps in bewteen? Or something completely different?

Thanks

[Horse]

'Overtaking' is one of those areas where it's, perhaps, more important to look for reasons not to go. And with a row of vehicles there are many more reasons!

'Squeezing' into a gap sounds iffy, on a number of counts, such as:
Not having a definite 'landing spot' before you take off
Having other drivers likely to start an overtake in front (or alongside) you
Limited forward view if you can't expect to pass all in one move

Then there's the 'standard' reasons for "Why not?", such as "how has this vehicle built up a queue and no-one's overtaken yet?" Is the lead driver doing something 'random' that has made previous overtaking risky for following drivers, or has the driver been looking for a turn off (with the potential for a turn right in front of you, or car 2 to move out if the turn is to the left)?

However many cars there are, each overtake has to be 'singular' even if you continue at a constant speed. Beware the mindset that you're only overtaking the lead car and that the following cars will simply stay where they are.

Yours, cheerfully, optimistically, H

[GJD]

Shoving back in to a gap that doesn't really exist isn't a polite or safe option. Not leaving such a gap and not helping vehicles behind to overtake isn't polite either, but two wrongs...

When there isn't room to safely get back into a gap between vehicles your only overtaking option is planning to pass multiple vehicles in one go. This obviously needs a longer section of clear road than overtaking a single vehicle and there's the risk that one of the other vehicles ahead of you in the queue moves out in front of you after you've started to overtake.

Sometimes I find that some of the drivers in the queue in front don't always maintain a constant gap and safe spaces in the queue open up.

As with any overtake, there's always the option of not going for it.

[Renny]

I think Horse has covered most of the key reasons not to do it as the OP suggested. Unless an overtake can be completed safely, without inconviencing others, don't do it.

As your observation skills improve, you will see more reasons not to make an overtake.

[jcochrane]

Any tips? Over-take one car at a time, squeezing into gaps in bewteen? Or something completely different?

Thanks

GJD and others seem to have just about covered it. It does bring to mind a story when Tommy Wisdom was driving John Miles and they were held up for a number of miles by a car in front in which the two occupants appeared to be having a heated discussion. As an overtake was going to be too dangerous Tommy dropped into a commentary of what the two arguing might be saying to each other. Apparently it kept John highly entertained during what might have otherwise been a boring period in the drive.

[Horse]

Any tips? Over-take one car at a time, squeezing into gaps in bewteen? Or something completely different?

Apparently it kept John highly entertained during what might have otherwise been a boring period in the drive.

If baulked like this (no chance of overtake, not the commentary ) I'll hang right back on concentrate on something ese instead, like pin-point accuracy (getting the tyres to cross a particular mark on the road), or 'no brakes' or smoothness, or fuel consumption (following an HGV on Sunday with extended family in the car, so I concentrated on getting the 'overall' fuel consumption up as high as I could).

[GJD]

If baulked like this (no chance of overtake, not the commentary ) I'll hang right back on concentrate on something ese instead, like [lots of good ideas of other things to do if you want to practise something]...

... or you could practise overtaking.

Not the act itself, but the preparation. Even if you've no intention of overtaking, you can still practise the thinking and observation that will help next time you do want to overtake: reading the road ahead to try and see when the opportunity will come (the road opening or straightening), looking for hazards and reasons not to overtake (or at least not yet), positioning relative to the vehicle in front to for visibility through corners.

[ROG]

... or you could practise overtaking.

Not the act itself, but the preparation. Even if you've no intention of overtaking, you can still practise the thinking and observation that will help next time you do want to overtake: reading the road ahead to try and see when the opportunity will come (the road opening or straightening), looking for hazards and reasons not to overtake (or at least not yet), positioning relative to the vehicle in front to for visibility through corners.

IF no-one is behind you then you could get as far as going fully into the oncoming lane before returning to your previous position again

[devonutopia]

It would have to be a very long range of sight for me to even contemplate overtaking more than perhaps 2 cars in one go. I guess I am too chilled out when driving and rarely eager to get anywhere in a super-hurry. All that I am thankful for is when the occasion arises I have enough power under the right foot to make a potentially dangerous manouvere very safe thanks to a swift increase in speed.

[Standard Dave]

This is a problem I've encountered when the general sheeplic lacking the skill or training decide to sit in queues.

It would be simple to overtake them if people left gaps big enough for the rest of us to make proper progress.

However back to the original point a multi vehicle overtake needs to be treated as a long vehicle overtake but with the added hazard observation of the middle vehicles to see if they show any signs of making an overtake.

I've managed a personal best of 5 cars and 2 HGVs using this technique the cars all seemed more than happy to sit having passed up chances to overtake when I had dispatched part of the queue, there was a straight section over a mile long with no opposing traffic even after my pass none of the other vehicles even had a look.

Agressive reactions from other motorists who consider that becuase they can't or won't no one else should is also a factor this is why trying to make a gap or push into one is dangerous or could result in collision or road rage incidents.

[stv]

When i am on the bike and don't need as much room the 'sheep' often go out of their way to give me room to overtake, yet when in the car and need more room they will hold station.

If the leading cars are too close together for an overtake and no traffic behind, just moving to the offside to show your intention can sometimes wake other drivers out of their sheeplike state and get them to consider an overtake themselves or increase the gap.

[jont]

If the leading cars are too close together for an overtake and no traffic behind, just moving to the offside to show your intention can sometimes wake other drivers out of their sheeplike state and get them to consider an overtake themselves or increase the gap.

It can also cause drivers to become more bloody minded and close up the gaps

[Horse]

interesting that several posters liken drivers to sheep - in much the same way that many motorcyclists are disparaging about car drivers - 'cagers' - until, of course, they get into a driving seat themselves.

The point is, of course, that other drivers on the road are simply that, 'other drivers'. By calling them 'sheep' is assuming superiority. And that can end in a number of ways - one of which is to consider them not worth bothering about because you're 'better' than them - but if you ignore them then you'll start to ignore what they're likely to do.

And then, if something goes wrong, it won't have been your fault, will it . . . ?

Sheep Vs Human:

'Cornering - Is Your Brain Bigger Than A Sheep's?'

http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2008/ ... -than.html

[Standard Dave]

The term sheep is an acurate term in this case, they are simply following without though.

Like any sheep dog or shepherd I'd be paying attention to what all the sheep are upto.

On the point of considering whether people with advanced training are superior to other road users I can think of no argument to say that the many hours spent training is somehow negated by being behind another vehicle on a piece of road.

[Horse]

The term sheep is an acurate term in this case, they are simply following without though.

Like any sheep dog or shepherd I'd be paying attention to what all the sheep are upto.

On the point of considering whether people with advanced training are superior to other road users I can think of no argument to say that the many hours spent training is somehow negated by being behind another vehicle on a piece of road.

I think - ish - you're sort of agreeing with me as the point I was trying to get across is that if other drivers are likened to sheep (ie 'do without thinking') then they should be expected act like sheep - to do other, random, things without thinking - probably as you're about to pass them.