Safe Speed Forums

Working away means I don't have much time for websites these days, so I shall leave this one to fester for a week and see what replies I get.

In the past year or so I have noticed an alarming new trend - at least I find it quite alarming. Has anyone else noticed it?

When overtaking I sometimes find the driver I am overtaking brakes, usually just as the front of my car is in line with the back of theirs.

Why do they do this?

Are they trying to help me overtake them more quickly by slowing down? That bit is me being sarcastic.

These drivers usually tend to be driving well bellow the limit for no apparent good reason and I am sure are aware that they are about to be overtaken as I always indicate before pulling out.

Why do they do this? What do they aim to achieve?

Does anybody here do this? If so can you offer me an explaination?

My own view is that they may be trying to "spook" me into not overtaking them. As I plan my overtaking very carefully and pay full attention whilst overtaking, (and at all other times when behind the wheel) I do not get spooked and complete the overtake as normal, having already made quite sure that there is no new situation developing that would necessitate my having to abandon the overtake.

So the only effect upon me is of slight annoyance and raised curiosity.

My concern about this odd behavior is for those less confident behind the wheel than myself who may well get spooked and end up having an accident or near miss.

There is also an additional concern that some drivers may get wound up by this and attempt to overtake again (having been "fooled" once) under circumstances that are far less suitable than at the first attempt.

So, why do they do that and how do they expect that kind of behavior to make the roads a safer place?

This is not a behaviour I have noticed, though given the number of drivers that brake just because they see another car coming the other way it would not be surprising.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

Can't say I'd noticed it, I'm afraid. On rural SCs I've DONE it once or twice when someone has started to overtake me and (in my estimation) they've been cutting it too fine to get safely back in ahead of me before they hit the oncoming car! I MIGHT have done it when someone has started to overtake me too close (again, in my estimation) to the brow of a hill, blind corner or other such hazard. Perhaps you're seeing more people with a lower "threshold" for what they consider safe than yours?

I've had it happen a few times to me, usually on long straights where the overtaking clearance has been excellent so no need to leave it to the last few yards before pulling out but it did happen to me a couple of years ago on a minor welsh B road where there wasn't a lot of spare overtaking straight to get past a woman doing about 30MPH. I was just pulling past her rear bumper when she braked drastically, meaning that my passing distance to her rear was far closer than was nice....these people are a menace....your brain works out a safe overtaking manouvere based on the length of straight road, the speed the car to be overtook is travelling and your power /acceleration and then these pillocks throw a spanner in the works by closing the safety gap suddenly.

I can only guess it is some misguided belief that they are actually helping you, when in fact, if they carried on at their normal speed, everything would pan out as your brain has calculated. (I really do hope it isn't something being taught these days but nothing would suprise me)

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

The best way to remove any and all 'closing gap' problems will be to go into the oncoming lane to execute the overtake, as soon as the final decision to overtake is verified. By doing this if they brake it merely aids your overtake, and will never then decrease the distance gap between the two vehicles.

I would take it as an aid even if badly executed.
I have braked (IF & only if necessary), OR come off the throttle, to aid someone else's overtake, but only when they are already passing, never as they approach my rear.
This way their overtake is completed more quickly and they are exposed to danger for less time. Lorries love it as you might imagine.

Where is comes from might be motorway overtaking tips, as braking for lorries can be helpful.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

I'd always pull out fully into the oncoming lane before putting my foot down to overtake.

AND then say "Wham , bang, thank you mam" as the car piling down the outside lane ( the one you FAILED to see) pluugs into your rear end. It's usual to accelerate in the inside lane to speed match ,before moving out ,TO PREVENT THIS .In this situation ,i'd leave a decent gap and then accelerate to speed to overtaker the car in the inside, ensuring that I'd got enough speed to DO IT SAFELY. But, in my case I've been doing it for forty odd years, what Weepys quals, or is it all on a trike, under a bridge.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

hold up.... are we talking about single carraigeway or multilane (i.e. DC / Mway here?).. I'd assumed the former.

This would seem to be a "poor observation" maneuver, prompted by peripheral vision alerting the driver being overtaken that something is moving; somewhere.
I usually have the opposite problem: drivers being overtaken suddenly discovering the little pedal by their right foot.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Yep that's the more common one, the bloke who can't be arsed to go above 40MPH on a NSL road who suddenly wants to play racing cars.
At least with this type of pillock, you can either half expect it/know that their car is underpowered and you can still overtake/ drop back safely.
With the sudden braker you could have a nasty collision before you realise what has happened.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Single carriageway.

ok.. weep is talking about single carraigeway.
botach seems to have multilane carraigeway in mind.

and the OP ?

Botach's right though, this is a very un-productive way to overtake. Assuming you are following the 2 second rule, by doing a 90degree pull out,it is going to take the average car several seconds to even reach the back of the car that you are about to overtake, making the whole overtake manouvere very long winded and needing a very long stretch of straight road, especially if you cut back in at 90degrees too.

The normal overtake method is to close the gap on the lead car by accelerating to close the 2 second gap then overtake at approximately a 45degree angle and cut back in at 45degrees, which works fine so long as someone doesn't brake at the last moment to close that gap down to the bare minimum.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

When you’ve got a car like mine you just resign to never overtaking.

When you’ve got a bike like mine, even if you’ve got a Scooby and decide to floor it as I’m about to overtake, I am overtaking you if I want.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I'd assumed (possibly from Weepys rhetoric that it was a DC),but it's equally likely on a SC . And Tone- I NEVER assume anything on the road. Except ,that ,just perhapos I'll meet someone with Weepy's mentality coming the other way ,and I'll give way to Mr pratt. My father taught me that on roads you will meet all sorts of folks. It's less stressfull to let the Weepy lot carry on their way and sit back and wonder how they got a licence.Letting them go on their ay to meet a large HGV and hopefully they will only get a a nasty shock .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

That's a bit unfair, I pointed out that this can provide a safe way to overtake. It does take some experience to perfect it. Yes speeding up is a frequent technique when preparing for an overtake, and is of course a very safe and sensible method, but if you are trying to remove the danger of a car in front braking and leaving you potentially accelerating 'towards them', then this other technique can avoid it.
Of course you MUST know that all manoeuvres must be possible in the distance that you know to be clear at all times. Therefore no one is going to hit you from any direction.
Perhaps I didn't explain it clearly enough and you thought I meant something else ? It can be hard to explain these things in words !

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

Exactly the problem that we are talking about avoiding.

Let me explain this overtaking method (better (without masses of detail!!) ... or I will try.

Car ahead, overtake planned. Clear road (as applies to either method). Drop a gear or two (unless in correct gear), gently pull out to 'on-coming lane), at 45% etc as you wish (there is no 90% possible that I know of ! ), then with full confirmation that all is still 100% safe to overtake, you apply good acceleration to quickly pass the vehicle and then after a decent gap pull back in (usually 2secs), gently.
It is used in high performance driving often but it can often afford a better visual line in many circumstances as you are already on the 'oncoming side of the road'. This works very well for lorry overtaking etc.... I hope that helps? It does demand a vehicle that can accelerate quickly. It would be rare to overtake this way using a less powerful vehicle.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

Well, I wouldn't be overtaking if there was an oncoming vehicle in sight would I unless it was very very far away.

graball/botach like to make out I've driven very little, it clearly helps them justify themselves. When In fact I've driven thousands upon thousands of miles in many different countries, all over the UK, on all sorts of roads, in town (and many towns), out of town, Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy, France, Scotland, Ireland Wales, USA, Asia etc...

Depends on said vehicles' speed and the vehicle I am using. After all these years you're still not getting this speed, circumstances thing.

If I'm on my motorbike overtaking a 'slow coach' doing 20mph, I can be safely past it within 100 yards; the oncoming vehicle well within sight.

It's comments like yours which makes people doubt your experience, ability or hidden agenda. ..

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.