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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

SimonJT · 11/03/2020 06:05

Anyone over taking should do it in a timely manner while remaining at/under the speed limit of the road.

If I had a car with poor acceleration I would go down to 3rd/4th gear to solve that issue, indicate, check blind spot, accelerate to the desired speed, check blind spot again and the road in front before pulling out. So many people drive too close to the car in front before over taking.

Some people do pull out to over take without checking behind them properly. I was nearly hit a few weeks ago, I was over taking a Panda and a lorry on a two lane dual carriage way, the panda pulled straight out in front of me and the driver seemed completely unaware of my car, they were so slow they failed to over take the lorry and pulled back in behind it! If they had pulled out just a couple of seconds later they would have caused a really awful collision.

Original poster

BowermansNose · 11/03/2020 06:55

I think there are a few things here. I think technically I was in the right, but for safety reasons I could have let the aggressive driver go first. However I’m not sure I agree, as some seem to be suggesting, that more powerful cars should be given priority.

OP posts:

Windywuss · 11/03/2020 07:31

I think although you knew he was likely to want to overtake, if nob car didn't indicate before you did then tough shit. He was wrong. I agree that those drivers cause a problem. I think it is a reasonable assumption that the car in front will want to overtake. If you pull out as nob car did, you are basically trying to beat them to it.

Dangerous and unnecessary. I don't think you did anything wrong. I had this before too. It really shook me.

ErrolTheDragon · 11/03/2020 08:54

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.

No. The nob driver also knew the OP wanted to overtake, he should have been patient. What the heck was the point of him beeping when she was in the middle of overtaking, just not as fast as he wanted?

The OP did nothing wrong. She overtook safely. She may have known the car behind probably wanted to overtake too but that doesn't mean she had to assume he would pull out and beep at her after she'd started her manoeuvre.

OtherVoicesOtherRooms · 11/03/2020 09:14

Errol
Exactly.
It's not the OP's responsibility to make sure that the car behind her makes a safe decision.
If he/she decides to follow and overtake hot on the OP's heels, it's their responsibility to make sure there is enough time/space to do so.

MrsMcKitty · 11/03/2020 09:29

I'm all for allowing wankers to overtake if they want and get lost.
On occasion I will exercise my perfectly legitimate right to overtake before an impatient idiot if it safe to do so.

YWNBU

Alsohuman · 11/03/2020 09:49

I’m not sure I agree, as some seem to be suggesting, that more powerful cars should be given priority

I’m suggesting dangerous wankers should be given priority to get them out of your hair. Not the same thing.

Sojo88 · 11/03/2020 10:11

I don't think YWBU at all - you were stuck behind a slow car so why on earth did this impatient driver behind you think that they had the right to overtake before you? They had no reason to assume you were slow or wouldn't overtake as soon as you got the chance. Besides which, I would've expected them to overtake you once you'd both passed this slow car anyway.

I don't think someone should be given priority just because they're incredibly impatient and rude. You were in front, so long as you indicated in good time you didn't do anything wrong.

cologne4711 · 11/03/2020 10:23

However I’m not sure I agree, as some seem to be suggesting, that more powerful cars should be given priority

I agree. Their drivers can learn some manners, patience, and wait their turn. They're only going to be held up for a few seconds.

champagneandfromage50 · 11/03/2020 10:34

So you overtook a car driving at 40 in a 60 zone and despite overtaking they were still behind you. You couldn't have been driving at 60 yourself if you could still see them for your journey.

MsPeachh · 11/03/2020 10:42

Think you were technically in the right OP, and no it would not be you at fault if he rear-ended you.

potter5 · 11/03/2020 10:58

You did nothing wrong. He shouldn't have beeped you.
What a twunt!

AlexaAmbidextra · 11/03/2020 12:05

The point is so often missed on these driving threads. It’s all well and good being technically in the right in these situations but being in the right is precious little comfort when you’re lying in intensive care. Sometimes you just need to do the sensible thing for your own safety, even if it means giving way to someone who’s doing the wrong thing.

Alsohuman · 11/03/2020 14:56

So true @AlexaAmbidextra. And that’s what a defensive driver course teaches you.

elessar · 11/03/2020 15:33

By the sounds of it you were technically in the right, however it sounds like it took you a very long time to overtake and that is not necessarily the safest or most sensible manoeuvre, particularly when you know somebody impatient is behind you.

If you know your car is slow to accelerate then as other posters have said, you should have had enough gap between the car in front to accelerate in your lane and only pull out for the very short time to get in front of the car you are passing. And you should have dropped your gears, probably to third, in order to build up your speed more quickly.

You have said that that's what you did, but by your description it sounds like you took a long time to overtake, which shouldn't be the case if you overtook appropriately.

If you were then going 20mph faster after the overtake, you shouldn't have been able to see the slow car for a 'long time' afterwards.

So yes - other driver firmly in the wrong from your account - but it does sound like there might be two sides to this story.

MyNameHasBeenTaken · 11/03/2020 16:14

At the time you pulled out to overtake...
Did you KNOW the car behind was in full working order, the driver was in full health and awareness and they wanted that exact moment to overtake?
No?
How could you know all those details?
You were in front, you indicated, you went.

mathanxiety · 11/03/2020 18:57

Errol the OP says she indicated for a few seconds. That could be two seconds or it could be ten seconds, and the number of seconds counts for reaction time for the second overtaker.
I indicate (for a few seconds) and move out, while the car behind me tries to overtake both me and the car in front.
It sounds as if they both pulled out at the same time or virtually at the same time.
If s/he had begun accelerating prior to pulling out, as you do in order to get past two cars safely on a limited stretch of clear road, then sudden slowing down would have been necessary when the OP pulled out.

If s/he had forgotten that they only had rear indicator lights and had been indicating for a while then they may have been pretty annoyed at the OP pulling out even after indicating.

I can see that they are itching to overtake both of us...My car doesn't have the greatest acceleration
These two elements are very important and should have been part of the OP's decision making process.

Auntiedotty · 11/03/2020 19:11

Is this a reverse, OP? I was in a very similar situation yesterday except I was the second car in the line and the car behind me overtook me and the bus infront of me in a 30mph zone at rush hour. I did use my horn!
If not then that is a coincidence.

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