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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to overtake, before another driver?

118 replies

BowermansNose · 10/03/2020 12:45

I don't think technically that I was, but I'm sharing for thoughts.

I'm driving along a single carriageway 60mph stretch of road and there is a car in front doing about 40mph in front of me and so I get stuck behind him. A car arrives from behind me, and I can see that they are itching to overtake both of us.

We then enter a straight bit of road where I have a good long view where I see I can overtake safely. I indicate (for a few seconds) and move out, while the car behind me tries to overtake both me and the car in front. My car doesn't have the greatest acceleration and the car behind starts beeping at me. I manage to overtake and the car behind can't, so he goes back in line. I carry on my journey and I can see for a longtime that the overtaker to be is stuck behind the slow car.

Was I unreasonable to overtake, knowing there was a car with greater acceleration behind me who wanted to overtake both of us?

OP posts:
MintyMabel · 10/03/2020 15:00

I just don't think there's anything in the highway code that says more powerful cars should be given priority, which is what you're suggesting

The correct thing to do when overtaking is increase the gap between you and the car in front, accelerate to the speed you want to overtake at and then pull out to pass. You didn't do that you pulled out at 40 and then sped up.

You stated you knew they wanted to overtake and made a manoeuvre which obstructed them. The Highway Code is clear on that.

There is also no rule in the Highway Code that says the first car has the right to overtake before any behind them can do so.

MintyMabel · 10/03/2020 15:03

Exactly, which is what I did.

No you didn't. Not according to your post. Your car accelerates slowly, you overtook him slowly accelerating.

Alsohuman · 10/03/2020 15:15

You’re so convinced you’re in the right, OP, I honestly wonder why you bothered starting this thread. I wouldn’t have done what you did if I could see the more powerful car was “itching” to get past. You did. Neither is right or wrong.

Original poster
BowermansNose · 10/03/2020 15:17

The correct thing to do when overtaking is increase the gap between you and the car in front, accelerate to the speed you want to overtake at and then pull out to pass. You didn't do that you pulled out at 40 and then sped up.

But I did accelerate to the speed I wanted to overtake.

You stated you knew they wanted to overtake and made a manoeuvre which obstructed them. The Highway Code is clear on that.

But I only obstructed him in the sense that every car is obstructing him by being physically present on the road, driving legally. I didn't pull out to block him, which is different.

No you didn't. Not according to your post. Your car accelerates slowly, you overtook him slowly accelerating.

It was in response to the earlier point that I accelerate as fast as I can, where one "puts one's foot down".

OP posts:
mambanumber5 · 10/03/2020 15:54

Impossible to say op as none of us were there. However, how did you know he wanted to overtake you if he didn't indicate and hadn't pulled out before you started your manoeuvre?

People that overtake slowly are dangerous btw.

Itsmum2000 · 10/03/2020 16:15

Well, yeah he seems to be a Dickhead driver but I don’t think you should have overtook knowing he was doing that right behind you.

You would fail if you did that On a driving test

TooTrueToBeGood · 10/03/2020 16:16

And if you’re overtaking, you’re overtaking. There’s no particular speed at which you must do it so that you don’t annoy arsey other drivers.

Bollox. As long as you are in the wrong lane you are a risk both to yourself and other drivers. If you are overtaking you should do so as fast and efficiently as the conditions and law allows.

RozHuntleysStump · 10/03/2020 16:21

if you can’t overtake in a timely manner then let others pass.

ErrolTheDragon · 10/03/2020 16:27

YANBU. The other driver was completely out of line. I used to drive a small car on an A road which often had agricultural vehicles on it, I got bloody sick of drivers of more powerful cars overtaking me while I was speeding up and indicating, often as not meaning I had to brake and then not have room to overtake. It's selfish, dangerous,arrogant bullying.

redcarbluecar · 10/03/2020 16:56

If the other driver was already indicating when you pulled out, maybe you could have waited. As it seems clear that he didn’t indicate at all, I can’t see how you could be in the wrong, unless you slowed down to 40 and just pootled along next to the other car. Which I don’t think you did either.

Intelinside57 · 10/03/2020 17:18

Sometimes it's a matter of do you follow the Highway Code or do you follow common sense? If you can see someone behind you driving like a tit and clearly wanting to speed past you (and we do get those feelings, even before they indicate or not) it's often just safest to let them go first. Especially if, like Op and me, you know you are driving a little car that lacks acceleration. Yes, first to indicate should be first to overtake, but defensive driving is a valid approach to safety.

randomsabreuse · 10/03/2020 18:08

Actually I like to use annoying slower car as a buffer between me and aggressive twat driver...

I can't go faster than the car in front of me, so they can crawl up its bumper and not mine...

Most annoying ones are impatient dickheads who overtake me plus annoying slow person in the 40 limit, (hence me not overtaking as I actually obey village limits unlike most of the population) then continue down the NSL road
at 50. Had one of those at the weekend

redwinefine · 10/03/2020 18:43

According to Highway Code, you need to make sure 'road users are not beginning to overtake you'. It doesn't sound like you're sure. Also, if he was trying to overtake both of you, it sound like he was pulling out. YABU

Itsmum2000 · 11/03/2020 00:44

Why didn’t you just wait until he had overtook? Yes he seems like a dangerous driver but you made the situation more dangerous by doing overtaking yourself knowing full well what he was doing.

If he had of crashed into you, it would have been your fault whether or not he was overtaking appropriately or not.

And you’d fail if you did that on a driving test.

It is easy to happen but just be more careful in future and always check behind you before you overtake

OnlyLittleMissOrganised · 11/03/2020 03:57

Dont worry OP BMW drivers and also a lot of Audi drivers buy something extra called the T-W-A-T pack. It causes them to drive like aggressive idiots. It sounds like you were in the right. However the car was probably already up your arse end so I probably would have let it overtake then pulled out after it. Just to let the aggressive driver go. I always say if you want to be an idiot and try and kill yourself go right ahead! I'll keep safe.

Ignore those bashing you maybe you touched a nerve with how some of them drive hence they are questioning you!

DropYourSword · 11/03/2020 04:35

Can’t say this makes much sense with some of your updates.

You say they didn’t indicate or pull out until after you did, but maybe you should have known they were aggressive idiot driver that wanted to overtake you both. It just doesn’t quite add up

JoshArcherStoleMyTractor · 11/03/2020 04:52

OP over took at the speed limit, why would you go faster than that? As for the person who said she would be at fault if the Audi rear ended get, erm no that is literally never the case even if you drive like a twat and randomly slam on your brakes, it's always the fault of the person who drives into the back of the car in front for not leaving stopping distance.

AlexaAmbidextra · 11/03/2020 05:00

Next time though, get the number plate of the driver if they act like that. Then phone 101 when you can and let them know. They will keep an eye out for them and have a chat with them if they find them.

Do you really think so?

mouldyoldonkey · 11/03/2020 05:13

I don’t think you were necessarily in the wrong OP, however I drive a little Citroen C1 and always wait until anyone behind me who looks like they might want to overtake has done so before I do it myself as I know my car will do it quite slowly.

And in response to a PP who said overtaking slowly is dangerous: if you have enough driving experience you should be able to gauge wether the road is clear enough for you to overtake at the speed you know your car will do it.

shittingmysel · 11/03/2020 05:23

I would have let the faster car go first.
Not unreasonable just annoying lol

MaggieAndHopey · 11/03/2020 05:35

If I'm overtaking I always try to get past quickly (within reason). I really don't want to spend longer than necessary on the wrong side of the road. My car has shit acceleration so I drop a gear when I overtake, but I'm surprised how many people don't.

OtherVoicesOtherRooms · 11/03/2020 05:35

It was the kind of car that didn't have indicators fitted as standard,

GrinGrin
I tend to go a bit slower still when I get one of these tailgating me.

Although your description of the car made me laugh, It's not just Audi/BMW/Merc drivers...
I had someone in a bloody Nissan Micra beeping it's crappy little horn at me the other day because I didn't overtake the car in front (on blind bends).
It couldn't overtake two cars in one go so was stuck behind us.
The world is full of knob heads! Grin

OtherVoicesOtherRooms · 11/03/2020 05:36

BTW, YANBU. He/she should have waited.

lazyarse123 · 11/03/2020 05:50

You were in the right op. Some drivers think they own the road. Btw round here it's Audis that don't have indicators fitted as standard.

mathanxiety · 11/03/2020 06:01

I accelerate as fast as I can, where one "puts one's foot down".

But you knew that 'as fast as I can' in your car isn't all that fast, and you knew before you decided to overtake that the driver behind you had a faster car and wanted to overtake, so you should have let him overtake first.

You can be technically right according to a very strict reading of the rules of the road but driving dangerously, without enough sensible regard for the traffic conditions all the same.

It is always wiser to drive defensively and let the impatient, aggressive driver off on his merry way.

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