Overtaking may not be the most common cause of collisions on the road. but they are certainly among the most serious!!…… Better road signage, markings and design may well help, but changing the whole of our existing road system will be an endless task.
A good start point for a safe overtake would be asking ourselves a couple of questions…… Do I need to do this? Is now really the right time? When we think about the journey as a whole, rather than just the next stretch of road, driver frustration often reduces. Unless the journey is a massive emergency, there’s rarely a NEED to overtake: overtaking the odd car here and there, you’re unlikely to get to your destination more that a few minutes earlier.
Before starting an overtaking manoeuvre. there are many things to think about:
*Road markings and signs?
*Bends? Hills? Obstructions?
*Any junctions where others may emerge?
*Can you see well ahead for approaching traffic?
*How is the vehicle ahead being driven? Who is driving it?
*Can you give plenty of space?
*Do you have the ability to do this safely?
