Breaking the speed limit whilst overtaking

[MGF]

So on a multi-lane carriageway you wouldn't consider aborting the overtake?

I wouldn't be brakeing if I saw him at the last minute as he would be closing in fast and be rather close to my rear.

Dom

If this emergency vehicle was a few feet from your bumber would you really want to be breaking?

I should hope that you would see the lights long before it was too late to brake.

[dombooth]

So on a multi-lane carriageway you wouldn't consider aborting the overtake?

I wouldn't be brakeing if I saw him at the last minute as he would be closing in fast and be rather close to my rear.

Dom

If this emergency vehicle was a few feet from your bumber would you really want to be breaking?

I should hope that you would see the lights long before it was too late to brake.

I would, I'm speaking about other drivers. Or if he started them up when he was the car behind me.

Dom

[fungus]

23 pages. My brain hurts.

[GJD]

In which case would it be prudent to consider going by the speedo and then only to 67/68 providing some headroom in speed/acceleration?
Without the headroom (and not prepared to exceed the speed limit, for the reasons you have given) you will have removed one of the three options available in case of emergency leaving yourself only braking and steering.

Not sure what you mean?

In general, there are three things you can do with your car when something comes up for which your current course and speed is inappropriate: you can speed up, you can slow down and you can steer. Basically, all driving is is the process of continuously assessing what's going on and what's going to happen next, and doing one or more of those three as required by the circumstances, communicating as best you can with your fellow road users as you go.

Someone who chooses to cruise on a particular road at the very fastest speed they are prepared to drive on that road has discarded one of those three options. They can slow down, and they can steer, but they cannot speed up.

For example, you are not prepared to drive above 70 on a motorway - fair enough. If you choose to cruise at 70 and you wish to overtake someone cruising just a couple of mph slower than you, you have no choice but to take a long time with a small speed differential. Have you considered opting for a cruising speed a little lower, say 65? That way, when you came upon someone cruising just slightly slower than you, you would have more headroom in terms of speed - that is, you would be able to speed up to get the overtake done quicker - a good idea anyway, and particularly if you need to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle - then slowing back down to your cruising speed after you were past. You would never catch someone who was cruising just slightly slower than your maximum as they would be cruising faster than you. More generally, you would keep all three options available to help you manage the space around you.

[GJD]

23 pages.

My brain hurts.

So much so that you've lost the ability to count!

[dombooth]

In which case would it be prudent to consider going by the speedo and then only to 67/68 providing some headroom in speed/acceleration?
Without the headroom (and not prepared to exceed the speed limit, for the reasons you have given) you will have removed one of the three options available in case of emergency leaving yourself only braking and steering.

Not sure what you mean?

In general, there are three things you can do with your car when something comes up for which your current course and speed is inappropriate: you can speed up, you can slow down and you can steer. Basically, all driving is is the process of continuously assessing what's going on and what's going to happen next, and doing one or more of those three as required by the circumstances, communicating as best you can with your fellow road users as you go.

Someone who chooses to cruise on a particular road at the very fastest speed they are prepared to drive on that road has discarded one of those three options. They can slow down, and they can steer, but they cannot speed up.

For example, you are not prepared to drive above 70 on a motorway - fair enough. If you choose to cruise at 70 and you wish to overtake someone cruising just a couple of mph slower than you, you have no choice but to take a long time with a small speed differential. Have you considered opting for a cruising speed a little lower, say 65? That way, when you came upon someone cruising just slightly slower than you, you would have more headroom in terms of speed - that is, you would be able to speed up to get the overtake done quicker - a good idea anyway, and particularly if you need to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle - then slowing back down to your cruising speed after you were past. You would never catch someone who was cruising just slightly slower than your maximum as they would be cruising faster than you. More generally, you would keep all three options available to help you manage the space around you.

Not sure whether it's just round here (I remember someone either here or IAM forum saying M1 J27 up to J32 ish was shockingly bad) but I've found that doesn't tend to work as most are wanting to fly past everyone else so I just end up holding people up.

Plus accelerating in my car whilst doing 65 takes quite a while to get to 70 so it's not very useful.

Dom

[GJD]

Plus accelerating in my car whilst doing 65 takes quite a while to get to 70 so it's not very useful.

It's about keeping the option to temporarily select a higher speed should that be desirable. Of course, how quickly you can change speed is always going to be limited by the performance of the vehicle. A bit of googling suggests that the quoted top speed for your car is 103, so at 65 you're still a long way from what the machine is capable of and I'd be surprised if you didn't have usable acceleration available.

[dombooth]

Plus accelerating in my car whilst doing 65 takes quite a while to get to 70 so it's not very useful.

It's about keeping the option to temporarily select a higher speed should that be desirable. Of course, how quickly you can change speed is always going to be limited by the performance of the vehicle. A bit of googling suggests that the quoted top speed for your car is 103, so at 65 you're still a long way from what the machine is capable of and I'd be surprised if you didn't have usable acceleration available.

Might be if I change down from 5th to 4th but it takes a while.

Dom

[GJD]

Might be if I change down from 5th to 4th but it takes a while.

Changing down is a perfectly valid option. Don't rule it out .

[Gareth]

Plus accelerating in my car whilst doing 65 takes quite a while to get to 70 so it's not very useful.

A bit of googling suggests that the quoted top speed for your car is 103, so at 65 you're still a long way from what the machine is capable of and I'd be surprised if you didn't have usable acceleration available.

It would be useful for Dom to know the top speed in each gear, and to appreciate the difference in acceleration from 65 mph for each of the gears that tops out above 70 mph. I expect it'll be 3rd, 4th and 5th.


ETA: conversation moved on while I was searching for figures

ETA (2) since Dom achieved a F1RST I'd expect he already knows the maximum speeds for each gear.

[dombooth]

Plus accelerating in my car whilst doing 65 takes quite a while to get to 70 so it's not very useful.

A bit of googling suggests that the quoted top speed for your car is 103, so at 65 you're still a long way from what the machine is capable of and I'd be surprised if you didn't have usable acceleration available.

It would be useful for Dom to know the top speed in each gear, and to appreciate the difference in acceleration from 65 mph for each of the gears that tops out above 70 mph. I expect it'll be 3rd, 4th and 5th.


ETA: conversation moved on while I was searching for figures

I think it is 3rd, 4th and 5th but not certain as I don't like to rev the nuts off it regularly.

Dom

[jameslb101]

I don't like to rev the nuts off it regularly.

You should do. That's what revs are there for. And it's fun

[dombooth]

I don't like to rev the nuts off it regularly.

You should do. That's what revs are there for. And it's fun

I don't want any extra expense. Whether it be on repairs or fuel.

Dom

[jameslb101]

I don't like to rev the nuts off it regularly.

You should do. That's what revs are there for. And it's fun

I don't want any extra expense. Whether it be on repairs or fuel.

Dom

This is getting very off-topic, but how old was your car when you bought it?

[dth]

What about the situation on a motorway? The car being overtaken is travelling at about 67/68, the overtake is taking an eternity. Then in the mirrors comes flashing headlights and blue lights approaching at a fair rate of knots.
What would you do?
Regards
Brian Haddon

Not overtake! Is 67mph going to make a differencee to the arrival time in any worse way than doing 80mph to complete the overtake and then either come back to the speed limit (would all on here do that) or stay at 80mph?