Scottish Elises

Lookign fro an opinion, and it's about cars and driving for once!

So you are on a fast A road when you come upon a long line of slow moving traffic, say a dozen vehicles or so moving at between 30-40 mph. The front vehicle is a camper van or truck. You sit in lie long enough to establish no-one is going to overtake, possibly the front vehicles have become those which can't do so (campers, other trucks etc).


What do you do?

Do you wait for a long enough straight to do them all in one glorious overtake?

Do you wait in line, after all you are in no great hurry?

Do you take them motorbike stylee, moving up the line 2-4 vehicles at a time, slotting in when you can?

Discuss...

I drive a landrover

I attempt to to keep up

If possible do the lot, as leapfrogging seems to be unacceptable these days, plus cars tend not to leave sufficient room for overtakers to temporarily slip in.

Only a dozen...pah!

Seriously, overtake all if it's safe to do so. Watch out for speed differential and likelihood that one muggle in the queue may pull out to overtake.

Normally leapfrog is the only way in which case try to do so smoothly without braking...

People on hear have ended up in a real bad way just overtaking three cars when mid maneuver the mid car pulls out , mid car probably checked mirrors two seconds before then does not check again before pulling out,bang.

Best to assume you can't pass them all, and move out - without accelerating initially - to assess gaps.

But fundamentally, if in doubt, don't overtake

Why. What have you done...

I drive back road/B roads the majority of the time, more so now we have moved out the road again and this scenario is the bane of my life as most people drive with the intent of overtaking but not the will. For whatever reason they will sit 5 ft off the bumper in front and not even look for an opportunity to pass unless they can see a good mile in front.
Que hoping is the only way, you have to make a gap to get back in but most drop back when you pass them. That said, long enough clear road then all in one go but as Ali said watching the speed differential and keeping an eye on changing road position.

In my experience:
Sports car. Big revs. Very fast but safe overtake with a clean slot back into traffic = flashing lights and angry hand gestures.
Diesel sh*t box. Nobody cares.
On the commute there is absolutely no point in overtaking. It makes a few minutes difference to my arrival time. Overtaking is fun but I'm always thinking "If I get caught up in an accident, and that row of cars I just passed end up as witnesses, I'm sunk".
I suppose its all about how your overtake is percieved by the doddery folks.

You whack the lot whichever way you can, then get hit by a Scam Van.

tut

Varies depending on the vehicle & the situation:
A) Wait to overtake the whole line if possible but constantly watching for signs of any of the queue making the move too.
B)Leap frogging is probably an easier, lower speed option but does for whatever reason seem to often piss people off these days so once you pass the first one or two the rest bunch up with determination meaning option a) for the rest of the line.
C) if a or b can't be done safely accept the reduced velocity and longer journey time

ps:- best straight ever is on the A82 on the Glencoe road to FW on Tut Towers runs before the iron bridge, we used to get passed 20 in one overtake, safely as you could see miles ahead and over six events there was never a sign of the fuzz.

tut

2nd gear, headlights on full beam, full boot, overtake the lot whilst waving at the inevitable moral outrage breaking out behind, probably keep the horn on all the way past too . . .

Can't remember my high score . . .

Good to see that you are as PC as ever Ferg........

tut

Oh that makes me feel so much better.

Was leapfrogging and some c.nt in a van tried to drive me off the road. Had I been on my own I'd have pushed in as I would have been more committed (overtaking faster, braking harder) but I was being polite so he got a chance to close the gap on me and bloody did, damn near hitting me in the process.

It left me genuinely perplexed rather than angry. Wondering if someone had changed the rules whilst i wasn't looking.

No rules Pete, just treat all other road users as idiots that will do the exact opposite of what they should do, that way you are prepared.

Learnt that from my dad nearly sixty years ago when he taught me to drive.

tut

ps:- shut up Scotty....