How To Overtake Safely

A driver may want to overtake if he catches up with the vehicle ahead of him. Overtaking cannot be avoided at certain times due to the presence of slower vehicles on the road. When overtaking is done wrongly, it can be dangerous and can lead to road traffic accident. To overtake safely, you must take into consideration certain factors before and when overtaking. The following tips can help to overtake on the road safely.

• Check to ensure that the road is clear and then look at your mirror to make sure that no vehicle is trying to overtake from behind.

• Keep a reasonable distance between your car and the vehicle you are about to overtake. In other words, don’t drive too close or too far from the vehicle ahead. Driving too close can obscure what is in front of the vehicle which can be dangerous. On the other hand driving too far from the vehicle ahead before overtaking may make you miss your chance of overtaking which can lead to road accident.

• Hold the steering wheel of your car with your too hands.

• Ensure you give enough warnings to the driver of the vehicle ahead before overtaking. You can do this by pressing the horn or flash the light of your car.

• Before returning back to your original lane, ensure that there is enough distance between your car and the vehicle you have overtaken. You can use your mirror to check this.

• Don’t follow a vehicle that is overtaking or in the process of overtaking other vehicle as it can be very dangerous.

Causes Of Overtaking Accident

Overtaking when done wrongly can lead to road traffic accident. Accident caused as a result of overtaking has been known to be very disastrous in terms of injuries and deaths. When a driver attempts to overtake and he does so wrongly, he may come head to head with an on-coming vehicle which can cause them to collide. When such accident occurs the impact is always grievous. Several factors are responsible for overtaking accidents; below are some of them.

• Overtaking too early without checking thoroughly to ensure the road is clear.

• When the vehicle you are about to overtake increases it’s speed or does not want to give way.

• When you do not consider overtaking distance before overtaking especially when overtaking long vehicles.

• Overtaking at wrong conditions or areas such as zebra or pedestrian crossing, narrow roads, slippery roads, etc.

• Overtaking without checking the traffic behind your car. The vehicle behind you may want to overtake your car which can lead to road accident.

• When a vehicle develops mechanical fault during the process of overtaking.

• When a vehicle you are trying to overtake also wants to overtake or change direction. This may be as a result of insufficient signal before overtaking or when the driver is absent minded.

Should Drivers Overtake At Night?

Driving at night generally is hazardous due to poor visibility. Drivers driving at night can overtake, but they should do so with extra care so as to avoid road traffic accident.
It is not easy as a driver driving at night to determine the speed at which the oncoming vehicle is travelling, this makes it difficult for the driver to take decision on whether to overtake or not.
However, the beam of light from the oncoming vehicle can help the driver determine the distance of the vehicle and judge if it is safe to overtake or not.
Overtaking at night is easier in areas with street lights. These street lights help to increase visibility and make overtaking easier. However, you must be thorough sure the road is clear and safe before overtaking.