Wide overtakes seem to be increasing

[TwoStews]

A version of a similarly titled thread...

I've noticed a real trend recently of drivers giving much more room when overtaking, but often with little or no regard to oncoming traffic.

Rather than wait, I'm seeing drivers cross over into the other lane when passing me, but whilst there is clearly oncoming traffic in the other lane. This has resulted in numerous close shaves, much horn-sounding, sudden breaking and serving back into the lane just inches in front of me.

I've also witnessed wide overtaking on the brow of a hill, or on a blind corner.

I'm all up for motorists giving a wide berth, but not if it risks a potentially serious collision that could easily wipe me out along with it. A fair few incidents recently have left me wincing, thinking the worst was certainly going to happen!

I've commuted by bike for years, including throughout lockdown and am sure this is a recent development. I used to witness either patient, safe overtaking or impatient close-passing, but only rarely the combination of the two!

Am I imagining things, or has anyone else noticed similar?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

This sounds like a post from a parallel universe.

It's not that I don;t believe you - just seems like something I haven't seen

I have to say - the problem of close passes is very much less when I ride than the publicity seems to say

but being SO aware of the cyclist that they actually risk a collision with oncoming traffic seems unlikely

but then different areas of the country seem to be vastly different

I mean - some places have chippies that don;t serve curry sauce with chips - how weird is that!!

 

[mjr]

Oh I've had some stupid wide overtakes resulting in cars stopped nose to nose in the other lane. Although not as good as a safe overtake, that's infinitely preferable to being close passed.

I've not noticed an increase in them.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I had a car driver do such a wide overtake they ended up on a different road

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I rarely get close passes, but do get the odd one now and again, overtaking into oncoming traffic is rare, but it does happen now and again, and both have been happening for years, one other question thats almost never asked in these threads is how do you define a close pass? I'm sure we all differ slightly as to what we consider a close pass.

 

[HLaB]

I seem to be seeing both extremes, close passes and stupidly wide passes both increasing. I could be wrong but it seems to me that with the stupidly wide passes, the driver has been extra cautious and waited that bit longer for the road to be clear. Annoying drivers behind who take it out on me with a close pass 🤯

 

[ColinJ]

one other question thats almost never asked in these threads is how do you define a close pass? I'm sure we all differ slightly as to what we consider a close pass.

Any pass that scares me is too close! That is a function of speed and trajectory.

Somebody who cautiously passes me slowly and parallel even on a narrow road is okay. Somebody who shoots past me at high speed and swerving back in as he (it's usually a 'he'!) goes past is NOT!

I had one driver overtake me way too close at what I estimate was 70+ mph. That was bad enough, but his mate was chasing just behind him and was even closer. The shockwave from the close pass blew me sideways off the road... I was shaking after that one.

This was WAY too close!!!

I'd read about the dangers of the A682 between Barrowford and Gisburn and wasn't looking forward to that stretch of road. Sure enough, I saw some dodgy driving and was almost shoved off the road by a couple of way-too-close overtakers.

I stopped in Gisburn to top up my drinks bottle and a group of older cyclists pulled over next to me. One of them appeared to be having some kind of fit but in fact he was apoplectic at what had just happened to him.

A farmer towing a livestock trailer had decided to overtake the cyclists on a blind bend. A vehicle had suddenly appeared coming the other way so the farmer swerved in to the left and his trailer had side-swiped the old guy, knocking him off his bike onto the verge. Fortunately, he suffered no more than cuts and bruises, but the farmer didn't stop to establish that. He either didn't notice what he had done or he didn't want to accept responsibility for it and just drove on, leaving the cyclists to untangle the old rider from his bike.

 

[PaulSB]

I'm in agreement with @ebikeerwidnes and @dave r close passes, poor overtaking whatever one wants to call it has been around for years. I don't feel it's increasing or that common. Yes some come by a bit close and fast which results in a curse or gesture but that's about, nothing to impact my pleasure.

I can only recall two bad ones; during 2020 lockdown a Porsche driver overtook myself and a friend at such speed and closeness we wobbled in the air wash. Once on a club ride a woman who had been trying to push by a group of 14-15 suddenly saw her opportunity, passed half of us and turned immediately left in to her drive.........I made a diversion in to her driveway to discuss her manouevre.

Overall I feel we see an ever increasing level of caution and courtesy from drivers.

 

[TwoStews]

It's the fast, but wider overtaking that I've noticed. Drivers are obviously thinking they want to give me a bit of room, but don't want to wait so just chance it a bit by either thinking they can get past ahead of the oncoming traffic, or they hope that the cars coming the other way will budge over a bit to let them squeeze through as they occupy a small portion of the opposite lane.

This is all in rush hour, where I'm convinced people are a bit less patient post-lockdown having got used to uninterrupted journeys into work.

Maybe it's me who's getting wider?! The old rain jacket did feel a bit snug when I had to don it for last night's return leg 🤔

 

[annedonnelly]

I'm seeing a lot more lovely wide overtakes but NOT into oncoming traffic. I suspect that because there's been less traffic on the roads due to Covid people feel they don't have to wait so long behind me and so are prepared to overtake nicely. Or perhaps it has something to do with the signs that the county council put up in the summer about overtaking cyclists.

I make an effort to wave a thanks to all the good ones - and the ones who have to sit behind me without opportunity to pass.

 

[DaveReading]

I think the problem is that some drivers imagine they are overtaking a stationary object and estimate that they will have plenty of time/room to get back onto the LHS of the road.

It's the same issue with pedestrians crossing in front of you, not realising just how fast a bike is capable of travelling.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I think the problem is that some drivers imagine they are overtaking a stationary object and estimate that they will have plenty of time/room to get back onto the LHS of the road.

It's the same issue with pedestrians crossing in front of you, not realising just how fast a bike is capable of travelling.

I suspect thats part of it, some drivers don't understand how quick we can move or how much the speed difference can be between two different cyclists, they have a picture in their mind of us sailing serenely along at 10-15mph and get caught out by people that move a bit faster.

 

[Drago]

Still no shortage of loons round herenin rural Poshshire, but the average overtake has become mucu more considerate and better spaced, no doubt down to my years long campaign of cheery waves at thoughtful motorists. No need to thank me.

Im not sure its the same in town though, where its dog eat dog.

 

[Norry1]

I do notice a fair few wide passes - many are fine, but as you say, some are really dangerous due to oncoming traffic.

The other thing I notice, often with older drivers, is that they can be obsessed with not crossing the double white lines, so they squeeze past us cyclists with inches to spare to make sure they stay within the lines.

 

[gbb]

IME bad overtakes area rarity thankfully, trouble is when you get a really bad one it tends to stick in your mind.
I always try to give an slightly exaggerately wide overtake to impress on those behind me...space is important to a cyclist.
You'll always get a fool, its inevitable but thankfully, i always found it rare.

Close passes in town are another thing. I used to cycle commute daily in rush hour traffic. Invariably its travelling at sub 30 mph, a close pass of a slow car in queued traffic was quite normal (width of lanes, i'm in an adjacent cycle lane...a car could easily drive within say 18 inches of me and it wouldn't bother me, the speed differential was maybe 5mph...nothing really). But there lies the danger, a car driver maybe doesnt realise the difference between a safe 5mph close pass....and a stupid 40 mph close pass. Opposite ends of the same scale, its recognising the difference.

Wide wide passes, who knows what goes on in an individuals mind, every incident is different.