If You Thought Your Overtaking Lessons Were Over, Think Again
Posted by admin at 29 June 2018, at 21 : 47 PM
Overtaking is a dreaded word for many learner drivers. But, it’s as essential for driving as learning how to parallel park. The reality is, there are situations where you’ll have to overtake, especially if the vehicle in front of you is causing tailback. Hence why we all learn the basics during our lessons. You know how it goes; the basic rules include:
No undertaking
No overtaking on bends
No overtaking on single-lane roads
But, those few basic rules aside, there are some incidences where even legit overtaking can cause you trouble. That’s not to say that you need to doubt everything you’ve been taught until now. But, it is worth second-guessing whether you should overtake in these three situations.
The truck stop
Driving near big trucks is always worrying. The sheer size of them is enough to make your wheels shake. And, given how many people take legal action as a result of truck injury each year, most of us are pretty up to date with the risks. But, you might not realize that trucks have something called a kill zone. And, you’ll get stuck in it if you spend too long overtaking. But, what exactly is this zone? In short; it’s anywhere to the side of a truck. The fact is that if the vehicle had to swerve quickly or switch lanes, well…the zone would live up to its name. Hence why you should never drive alongside a truck. The risk with overtaking is that, if you can’t get up to speed fast enough, you may be in the zone for longer than is safe. So, unless you’re sure you can overtake quickly, settle for sticking behind.
Bridge over troubled water
It’s also never a good idea to overtake on bridges. This isn’t something many people consider, but it’s a point worth noting. Even a multi-lane bridge has the downside of being over water. As such, an overtaking mistake could leave you with no choice but to collide or go overboard. And, neither of those options is preferable. Instead, then, stick behind even slow vehicles. It’s unlikely you’ll be on that bridge for long. And, you can overtake as soon as you reach a long stretch of road on dry land.
When it rains, it pours
We all know the dangers of driving in the rain, but have you ever considered how this impacts your ability to overtake? If not, it’s time to start thinking about this. Rain is dangerous for overtaking for two apparent reasons. For one, heavy rain reduces visibility. Even car headlights can be difficult to see when the heavens open. And, given that road awareness is essential for safe overtaking, that’s a real no-go. As if that weren’t enough, rain also makes the road slippery. Even if you did spot a car coming towards you, swerving back into your lane could lead to your losing control. If that happened, you’d put the car you’re overtaking at risk, as well as the one coming towards you.