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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not overtake the tractor?

37 replies

Minesaguinness · 25/07/2012 13:11

A rural road I travel on a couple of times a week - good amount of farm traffic & lorries, single carriageway, 60mph limit.

I am a fairly confident driver but still a bit wimpy, I do not have a fast car and have my two small children in the back. I will overtake if there's a good, long gap but otherwise, prefer to hang back. I leave a gap to the tractor so that someone else can nip in between.

Today I was hooted at and have been before.

AIBU? Should I try harder to overtake?

OP posts:

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 25/07/2012 15:15

It's either safe to over take or it's not.

I don't understand where all this 'if you feel it's safe' stuff comes from. Feelings have nothing to do with it, and if you are that nervous a driver that you can't do safe manoeuvres when there is no reason not to, then you really shouldn't be driving.

If its safe to overtake and you don't want to, then YABU. If its not safe to overtake and you don't, then YANBU. If its not safe to overtake and you do it anyway, then YAB a twat.

HecateHarshPants · 25/07/2012 15:19

bugger them. Only overtake if YOU feel it is safe to do so.

They can hoot away until it drops off, but if you go, under pressure, it's YOU that's at risk, not them.

I don't care how much they hoot. I won't go when I judge it to be unsafe. I will drop back though, increasing the gap between me and whatever is in front. If they want to nip inbetween us and then go on to overtake - let them.

Better still, if there is any opportunity to pull over, I will. Let them get on with wrapping themselves round a tree and leave me the hell out of it.

The number of times I have seen someone overtake recklessly and then avoid a head on collision by inches is shocking.

And they wonder why I didn't overtake?

HecateHarshPants · 25/07/2012 15:20

I see 'you feel it's safe' as your judgement. We all do it. We judge gaps, we judge the speed of the oncoming vehicle, we judge how fast our own vehicle can pull out and get round.

It is this that is meant by 'feel that it is safe'. It means judge it to be safe.

suzikettles · 25/07/2012 15:38

YANBU. I fairly regularly travel on a winding, hilly country road that has no safe place to overtake. There are some places that look more likely than others but if you're unlucky you'll kill yourself, your passengers and the occupants of the oncoming car you didn't see until it's too late.

Obviously the faster you can overtake then the better your odds. My car doesn't have much zip to it so I choose to take a bit longer until whatever in front pulls over.

People who don't know the road do sometimes get pissed off with the farm vehicles. Sometimes their impatience to get to where they're going costs lives.

Alameda · 25/07/2012 15:43

tough - I don't think it's a command to overtake, surely a signal that if you want to now would be a good time as there is nothing coming the other way? That's why I give the 'overtake' sign anyway

Slobby · 25/07/2012 15:44

YANBU to only overtake when you feel it's safe - and no-one should honk you.

However.....are you compromising your visibility by being to close to the tractor, and thus unable to see that it's safe to go when it is?

The reason I ask I see this happen everyday round my way - people are far too close to the slow moving bus / farm vehicle in front and can only see by 'peeking' and moving into the other lane briefly.

I overtake by hanging back which gives me a much better view, and then accelerating and moving rapidly into the other lane - a trick that is obvious to motorcyclists and works well in a car too.

If you are getting honked - and there's no excuse for that - you might not be taking opportunities to overtake that are reasonable.

tryingtonotfeckup · 25/07/2012 15:52

Slobby, I do the same thing, when I know the roads and where is safe to overtake, I hang back, leaving room to see and accelerate and go if it is safe. I get round as quickly as possible.

But if there isn't anywhere to overtake or it isn't safe I relax and go with the flow, tractor drivers are just doing their job, they aren't usually going that far and often pull in to let others pass. I also have had to brake sharply when someone coming the other way thinks it is safe to overtakes but doesn't have enough space and is driving straight at me. I often feel like turning round, chasing after them and slamming them up against a wall shouting how dare you risk my life and my childrens. Well in my dreams.

Toughasoldboots · 25/07/2012 16:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Avuncular · 30/12/2012 20:11

Yep I agree 100%. If you're not happy about the overtake, don't do it. But do allow that other drivers may be more competent/ experienced/ have better cars etc.

So DO leave enough space for them to overtake you safely when there is a potential opportunity. .... and this applies to anyone following you as well.

Unless there are double white lines or some other reason for not overtaking, then if you do not intend to overtake, signal this by allowing enough space for others to do so.

This is what I teach my learners .......

And if all this means you don't get there so soon - at least you're more likely to get there at all.

Being tooted at ...... well, that's life! If you really feel it's because you're doing something wrong then drop me a private message and we can discuss it!

LRDtheFeministDude · 30/12/2012 20:13

Did you know you've bumped a zombie thread from half a year ago?

I think the OP has probably moved on and doesn't want to 'drop you a private message'.

complexnumber · 30/12/2012 20:23

Doh!!!

Itsafreefuckingcuntry · 30/12/2012 20:42

YANBU. I hate overtaking.

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