Better overtaking

As a passenger please mildly sound a note precaution to your driver before beginning your journey. Obviously there are hot headed individual on the steering who drive dangerously with dangerous vehicles.  This is evident in their overtaking manner. Overtaking is not a bad thing to do on the road.  In fact it is a good […]

As a passenger please mildly sound a note precaution to your driver before beginning your journey. Obviously there are hot headed individual on the steering who drive dangerously with dangerous vehicles.  This is evident in their overtaking manner. Overtaking is not a bad thing to do on the road.  In fact it is a good thing which helps in avoiding slow movement and disrupting traffic. It is just that the manner used to overtake may often be wrong.

Lets have it at the back of our overtaking is one of the most hazardous manoeuvres to master. Even the most experienced driver may commit total blunders at times. There are two basic rules for overtaking. One is that you must be able to see clearly and also been by everyone else involved. The second is that other drivers most know what you intend to do before you do it.

Safe overtaking requires the use of your mirrors, indicators and gears. This means you will often engage in change of course and speed. This needs anticipation and good judgement of speed and distance.

Acceleration is more important for safe overtaking than high speed. If you are at your top speed you cannot overtake, it is really a stupid move to even attempt because your car can only go slower. So take note ACCELERATION is used to overtake not top speed. Also remember if you attempt you are left with nothing to correct the anticipating speed of the oncoming traffic. This applies to the use of dual carriage ways. Another noteworthy fact is that powerful cars accelerate faster from 0- 100km/h in under seven seconds while the less powerful may often take sixteen.  You do yourself no good if you don’t allow fast traffic to pass. You gain nothing if you delay others because they definitely pass the traffic 50 feet in front of you. Another thing to avoid is overtaking a fast moving car uphill unless it is a long, straight, gradual with a dual carriageway. Cars coming downhill are less able to slow down or stop quickly.

Preparing to overtake: Before overtaking let’s imagine we are on Clinton highway to Lokoja where dangerous overtaking always occur and you are approaching a vehicle. The first thing is prepare to overtake. How do you that? The first thing is to move from a following distance to an overtaking distance and take care not to confuse the two. Even experienced drivers get this wrong at times.

FOLLOWING distance is the gap between two vehicles travelling on the same direction, when the driver of the second vehicle has no intention of overtaking. Such a case the vehicle is maintaining a steady distance from the vehicle in front.

OVERTAKING distance is the minimum distance needed for safe overtaking. It is governed by the view ahead and this in turn depends on the width and speed of the vehicle in front, the width of the road and the density of traffic.

Other factors you need to look at are the acceleration of the car being driven (does the sprint swiftly or does it drag).  The other factor is if the road has a gradient.

The next thing to look at is your POSITION as the driver. Overtaking begins from the moment you can see the both sides road clearly with the traffic. Then move closer to the centre of the by approximately two feet and concentrate on the oncoming traffic. Bear in mind the vehicle you are approaching it may be wider than your so pulling back may give you a better view but it require a lot more anticipation.

This may be before the gaps occur. By the time you indicate to the oncoming traffic, make sure you are in the RIGHT GEAR. The right gear for overtaking is the one that allows the manoeuvre to be made with both hand on the steering wheel free of an change in gear once it gas been started.

Except on long, straight multi-carriage way roads it is advisable to drop down at least one gear. The gear selected must be one that can accelerate pass the vehicle in front and back to the right side of the road safely. Overtaking is done in the minimum time possible. This is done by anticipating selecting the right gear and building up speed so that the vehicle in front can be overtaken when the observed gap in the oncoming traffic makes it possible.

At night overtaking is even more difficult and making assessment as well. If you are not sure (I mean really not sure) then don’t overtake. If you must, then use signals courteously and intelligently for warning other driver of your intentions.

With all this advice you could safely overtake on the highway please drive carefully within the country. Remember others will still like t see you tomorrow. I wish you journeys mercies and glad to be of help to you. I still remain the one and only in your motoring world. So be careful and drive safely.