Overtaking - The Overtaking procedure
Overtaking is an important skill
Overtaking - Never overtake unless you are certain that you are safe to complete the overtaking manoeuvre
The overtaking decision is not one that is taken lightly. The overtaking decision is a serious decision and the faster the traffic the more serious a decision overtaking is. Overtaking is a skill that will develop with practice. Nervousness of overtaking is expected to start with. Judgement of speed is critical whilst overtaking. The overtaking procedure must be performed in advance. Forward planning is the key to good overtaking.
Initially your instructor will tell you when you need to perform an overtaking manoeuvre. As soon as possible they will want to see you starting to make the overtaking decision unaided.
Overtaking - The Overtaking procedure
Overtaking - Locations for Overtaking
Overtaking - The location for the overtaking procedure is highly important
It is important that you chose the location for your overtaking manoeuvre very carefully. Whether or not overtaking takes place is not a decision that should creep up on you.
The overtaking decision can be more difficult to make on single carriageway roads because of the different physical nature of the road. Dual-carriageways are more likely to be straighter and have a higher speed limit which makes overtaking easier. Single carriageway roads are not usually straight, at least not for very long, have lower speed limits, and the oncoming traffic is definately a complicating factor. Overtaking is harder here. I am going to take a look at the two road types separately.
Overtaking - The Overtaking procedure
Overtaking - Overtaking on single carriageway roads
Your overtaking manoeuvre should be undertaken carefully
The complicating factors for overtaking that must be taken into consideration on a single carriageway road are:
- Overtaking: - Normal roads are seldom straight for long reducing the chances of performing an overtaking procedure
- Overtaking: - Lower speed limits than dual carriageways mean that the overtaking manoeuvre will take longer
- Overtaking: - Oncoming traffic has to be taken into consideration before overtaking, even the possibility of a car coming from around a bend
- Overtaking: - There are more junctions than on dual carriageways leading to traffic emerging slowly from both sides of the road, seriously affecting an overtaking procedure
If you are following a vehicle at a speed which in your judgement is lower than a suitable speed for the road then you need to wait for the following before overtaking. You need a straight stretch of road that is long enough that you can move out, overtaking the slower vehicle, and return to a normal driving position before a vehicle coming from the opposite direction would have to slow down for you if they came around the next bend at precisely the same time as you moving out to begin overtaking.
Furthermore, the piece of road that you choose for overtaking must be free of junctions. A vehicle emerging from a junction ahead may not be able to see you. If a vehicle does emerge from a junction ahead of you while you are performing an overtaking manoeuvre then the danger of an accident increases sharply.
If you are certain that you have selected a safe place for overtaking then Get on with it! I have seen a lot of overtaking manoeuvres spoilt because pupils made a correct decision to overtake, started their procedure, doubted themselves and took too long to commit to the overtaking, and subsequently had to remain behind the slower vehicle because of oncoming traffic. If they had committed themselves to overtaking they would have been fine.
The overtaking manoeuvre is very dangerous on a single carriageway road and should never be conducted unless you are certain that you can complete the overtaking procedure safely. If you are in any doubt about overtaking then do not overtake!
Overtaking - The Overtaking procedure
Overtaking - Overtaking on dual-carriageways
Overtaking on dual-carriageways is easier than overtaking on single carriageway roads
I think it worth mentioning here that dual-carriageways are intended to perform two completely separate functions depending upon their location. There are high speed dual-carriageways between urban connurbations and the lower speed, often speed restricted, dual-carriageways which exist within urban connurbations to facilitate the efficient progress of as much traffic as posible through our town and city centres. The two, while being completely different beasts to drive, are essentially the same.
Overtaking on dual-carriageways is safer than overtaking on single carriageway roads. Because of this you will probably perform the overtaking manoeuvre more often on dual-carriageways than you would on single carriageway roads. Even though the dual-carriageways are safer roads for overtaking the speeds are usually higher. These are the complicating factors which must be taken into consideration when overtaking on a dual-carriageway:
- Overtaking: - The average speed on a dual-carriageway is higher. Overtaking therefore has to be planned farther ahead
- Overtaking: - There will be at least two lanes. You have to consider traffic approaching from behind at a higher speed than your own before overtaking.
- Overtaking: - Entering and leaving dual-carriageways is often done at slip roads, these can affect your overtaking decision. Make sure that you do not begin an overtaking manoeuvre near to the exit that you need to take. You would not be the first to miss it because of an ill timed overtaking procedure.
- Overtaking: - It is not uncommon, and particularly at the busier times of day, to find stationary traffic ahead. It would be considered most unwise to perform an overtaking manoeuvre with such a situation ahead.
To perform an overtaking manoeuvre on a dual-carriageway you need to spot in advance that you are catching up with another vehicle. You need to be certain that there is no traffic already in the overtaking lane intent upon overtaking you, and you need to be able to see that there are no blockages on the road ahead.
Overtaking - The Overtake procedure
Overtaking - How to decide to overtake
Overtaking - Never overtake on guesswork
Forward planning is essential. You need to be performing regular forward observations into your far distance to identify early enough that an overtaking manoeuvre is necessary. The overtaking decision should be made early. Your forward planning skills are of foremost importance here.
You need to realise that you are going to be overtaking a slower vehicle early enough that you can complete the mirror checks, signal, perform a blind spot check and assess your gap in the traffic in the overtaking lane. If there isn't a gap in the overtaking lane large enough still have enough space between your own vehicle and the one in front to reduce your speed to match theirs and maintain a two-second gap! For beginners this takes some doing. The farther ahead that you identify slower moving vehicles prior to overtaking the better.
Overtaking - The Overtake procedure
Overtaking - How to Overtake
Overtaking - The following procedure will ensure that you overtake safely
An overtaking manoeuvre is basically two lane changes. The first, to move safely into the overtaking lane (if there is one), and the second, to move back into the driving lane once you have passed the slower (or stationary) vehicle.
Before changing lanes for overtaking, a signal is always necessary for the vehicle that you intend to overtake. If you have passed it and intend to change lanes back into your normal driving position, an indication is only necessary if there is a vehicle in the overtaking lane behind you (if you are on a dual carriageway), or if you feel that a vehicle in front would benefit from the signal. It is not strictly necessary on behalf of the vehicle that you have overtaken because they are expecting you to return to the left once you have completed your overtaking manoeuvre.
If you do indicate then the signal must remain on for one hundred percent of the lane change procedure. You should only indicate if necessary but I would prefer to see a pupil indicate for both lane changes whilst overtaking if they are in any doubt at all as to whether indications are required.
The question arises, "how far should I go beyond the slower vehicle while overtaking before moving back in again." As a good guide for safety I recommend that you do not consider returning to the inside lane after overtaking until you can see the full width of the overtaken vehicle in your central rear view mirror. This will give you a safe gap without cutting in across their bonnet.
If you are tempted to cut in earlier than this after your overtaking manoeuvre then you are potentially in danger of either, frightening the driver of the vehicle that you have overtaken or, being very close to a hidden road user such as a scooter rider in front of a truck.
The graphic below shows the correct and incorrect ways to return to your normal drive position after performing your overtaking manoeuvre.
If there is a sign for a right turn ahead of you, always make sure that you check the indicators of the vehicle that you intend to overtake before and as you start the overtaking manoeuvre. They sometimes do not indicate until they see you begin the overtaking manoeuvre. If you do not check then a near miss situation is on the cards.
Remember:- A good driver is basically one who makes well informed decisions.
Overtaking - The Overtake procedure
Overtaking - Where not to overtake
Overtaking - Do not perform an overtaking procedure unless certain that it is a safe overtaking procedure!
The Highway Code gives explicit advice on where you must not overtake. Rather than me copying it all across to this page please read this page of the highway code carefully.
