Overtaking

Can be dangerous!

Overtaking is hazardous because it may bring you into the path of other road users It is a complex manoeuvre due to a number of subsidiary and primary hazards presented by the vehicles to be overtaken Applying the system enables you to overtake safely

Key safety points Don’t overtake where you cannot see far enough ahead to be sure it is safe Avoid causing other vehicles to alter course or speed – sometimes they deliberately make life hard! Always be able to move back into the nearside in plenty of time Always be ready to abandon overtaking if a new hazard comes into view

Never overtake on the nearside on dual carriageways or motorways Overtaking must be done in accordance with the Highway Code and IAM manual Never overtake on the nearside on dual carriageways or motorways You can pass on the left in slow-moving* queues of traffic when offside queues are moving more slowly – this is not overtaking You may not move to a left hand lane in order to pass – this is overtaking * Highway code …

163 - stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues 163 - stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left 268 - Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.

Hazards to Consider Before Overtaking Reproduced by permission from The Stationery Office Ltd from Roadcraft published on behalf of the Police Foundation

The Three Stages of Overtaking Stage one – the overtaking position Stage two – the take off position Stage three – the overtake & return There are three stages of overtaking The Overtaking position The Take Off position The Overtake & Return These are discussed in the following slides

The Following Position Diagram on left from PYADT Page 47 Where you are gaining on a vehicle in front, and it is not possible to overtake immediately, use the system of car control to reduce your speed to that of the vehicle in front, to follow at a safe distance. Your main task in the ‘following position’ is to observe and assess the road and traffic conditions for an opportunity to overtake safely. You need to ask yourself these questions: What is happening behind – are any of the drivers behind likely to overtake you? What is the speed of the vehicle(s) to be overtaken? Is/are the driver(s) ahead likely to overtake? Is there a possibility of as yet unseen vehicles approaching at high speed? What is the speed of approaching vehicles in view? What is the distance needed to overtake and regain a nearside gap safely? Have you taken into account the speed and performance of your own vehicle? What will be the likely response of the driver and occupants of the vehicle in front? Does the road layout present a hazard? Reproduced by permission from The Stationery Office Ltd from Roadcraft published on behalf of the Police Foundation

Stage One The Overtaking Position Do not hold your thumbs like this Diagrams from PYADT – Page 47 In the ‘Overtaking Position’, this is the view from the driver’s perspective. The ‘Overtaking Position’ is closer than the ‘following position’ and minimises the distance you have to travel to overtake. This is when your safe separation distance is sacrificed for a short period. Adjust your position towards the centre line to give you the best possible view of the road ahead. If your planned manoeuvre has to be aborted, drop back to a safe following distance. This position can also indicate to the driver in front that you wish to overtake. Adopt this position so that you are ready to overtake when a safe opportunity arises. Because it is closer than the ‘following position’, you have less time to react to the actions of the vehicle in front, so you must be sure that there are no hazards ahead which might cause it to brake suddenly. You can only know this if you have been able to fully observe the road ahead. Work through the stages of ‘The System’ to move up to the ‘take off position’. Reproduced from Pass Your Advanced Driving Test

Stage Two The Take Off Position Diagrams from PYADT – Page 47 When in the Overtaking Position and a suitable opportunity appears for an overtaking manoeuvre, move smoothly and safely out to a position which will maximise your visibility. This should be done without accelerating, enabling you to move back if necessary without braking. From the ‘Take Off Position’, continue observing until you identify an opportunity to overtake, then re-run ‘The System of Car Control’ to guide you while you overtake: Information Position Speed Gear Accelerate Always consider the hazards already mentioned and be prepared to abort the manoeuvre in favour of safety. Confirm that you can make your manoeuvre safely without compromising yourself or other road users. Check for any hazards which may have previously been unseen, and that your gap can be safely reached. Reproduced from Pass Your Advanced Driving Test

Stage Three The Overtake & Return Diagrams from PYADT – Page 47 If the conditions are right, accelerate briskly to complete the manoeuvre. If they are not, you can safely pull back in behind the vehicle. Once you have passed the vehicle, return to the nearside after checking the mirror and nearside mirror. Ensure that you do not cut in too sharply and upset the course and speed of the vehicle you have overtaken. Reproduced from Pass Your Advanced Driving Test

Do not accelerate until you are in the take-off position – power with steering will destabilize the car – especially in an automatic Do not change gear until you are going in a straight line

Overtaking - Right Hand Bends Overtaking on Right-Hand Bends Looking at the picture on the left Where the vehicle in front is approaching the apex of a right hand bend with a restricted view, you should select a course well to the nearside. Looking at the picture in the middle, Move up on the vehicle in front just before it reaches the apex so that you gain the earliest possible view along its offside. The picture on the right shows us the overtake. Overtake if the road is clear, as long as there are no risk of losing tyre adhesion and you have adequate nearside clearance during the manoeuvre. If conditions are not favourable for overtaking, drop back. Reproduced by permission from The Stationery Office Ltd from Roadcraft published on behalf of the Police Foundation

Overtaking – Left Hand Bends Overtaking on Left-Hand Bends Looking at the first picture: Where the leading vehicle approaches a blind left bend, do not attempt to overtake until you have a clear view of the road ahead. Picture 2 You could maintain a position where you can see along the nearside of the leading vehicle as it passes through the bend. Picture 3 If this view is favourable, move out to look along the offside as the road straightens and start to overtake when conditions are suitable. Bear in mind that areas of the road will be obscured while you change from a nearside to an offside view, so take great care when you do this. Reproduced by permission from The Stationery Office Ltd from Roadcraft published on behalf of the Police Foundation

Summary Passing on the left is not the same as overtaking on the left Position yourself to obtain the best view Three stages of overtaking Move back to nearside in plenty of time If in doubt, hold back So to summarise: Position yourself to obtain the best view Three stages of overtaking The Following Position The Overtaking Position The actual Overtake Move back to nearside in plenty of time.

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