Overtaking is the most dangerous manoeuvre on the road. How to perform it correctly? Not only knowledge of the regulations will be important here, but also the right skills and properly developed habits.
Overtaking in traffic is a maneuver involving passing a vehicle or another traffic participant moving in the same direction. Unfortunately, accidents caused by overtaking errors are not uncommon and are often tragic in their consequences. So how to properly perform the maneuver overtaking? The key to success is compliance with road rules, as well as the ability to anticipate and correctly assess the traffic situation. Equally important will be decisiveness and speed in making decisions
One of the main principles of safe overtaking is to follow the rules of the road. In most situations on the road about whether we can overtake, we will be informed by appropriate signs. Such a maneuver in many cases (but not all) exclude the overtaking signs and double line on the road. Drivers should also remember that overtaking is prohibited when approaching the top of a hill and on a curve marked with a warning sign. Overtaking is also prohibited at intersections, unless the vehicle being overtaken is turning, the intersection is equipped with traffic lights, or it takes place on a traffic circle. Overtaking is also prohibited before pedestrian crossings (except in the case of directed traffic). Remember that overtaking is usually done from the left, although there are many exceptions to this rule.
When deciding whether to overtake, the correct assessment of the driver himself is crucial. The basic issue is to make sure that there is no vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, and that there is no other obstacle (such as a pedestrian) in the lane where the overtaking maneuver will take place. Before overtaking, we must also make sure that there is no intersection, pedestrian crossing, dangerous curve or hill ahead. Another equally important issue is assessing the situation on the road behind us. This is primarily a matter of checking whether the lane where we plan to overtake is free and whether overtaking will not impede other vehicles (necessarily check that the vehicle behind us has not started to overtake). Let’s also assess whether the width of the roadway allows you to properly perform the entire operation
Overtaking maneuver should be well prepared. We must act very quickly, so that the situation on the road does not have time to change. Check how many vehicles are in front of the overtaken traffic, and make sure that we can safely complete the maneuver. Also, make sure your vehicle has enough acceleration to complete the overtaking safely. Keep a good distance from the vehicle you are about to overtake – this will allow you to build up sufficient speed before you begin the manoeuvre. Remember that you should be extra careful at all times when overtaking
An overtaking manoeuvre should be as short as possible. In order to do so, we should use the full potential of our car, regardless of high revs or increased fuel consumption. The sooner we finish overtaking, the sooner we can avoid the dangers associated with this dangerous manoeuvre. The sooner you finish overtaking, the sooner you can avoid the dangers of this dangerous manoeuvre. Also remember to turn on the turn signal, which will inform other road users of our intentions. Remember that we should not exceed the speed limit when overtaking. In practice this can be difficult, because the maneuver requires us to fully focus on what is happening on the road – looking at the speedometer is the last thing we think about. It is equally important to act decisively when overtaking. If during the initiated maneuver there are circumstances forcing us to break the maneuver (such as a sudden appearance of a car in our lane), also do not hesitate for a moment.
(photo: pixabay.com)
