Andrew English's column

A rash overtaking manoeuvre by an oncoming driver causes Andrew to ponder over road stats

23rd February 2007

I was probably contemplating the world shortage of brown Kiwi boot polish as I rounded the corner and saw the pantechnicon coming in the opposite direction. And just as I was thinking what a lovely old-fashioned name for a removal lorry 'pantechnicon' was, my thoughts were shattered with an: "Oh my gawd..!" The Ford Mondeo screamed out from behind the van, straight into my path. Its middle-aged driver saw me and simply continued his overtaking manoeuvre.


	Get it wrong when you are overtaking and there is a fair chance you will not be around to talk about it later on

With a closing speed of 80mph, there was nowhere to go. I flinched and swerved, putting two wheels into a ditch before veering back on to the road, narrowly missing a telegraph pole. Grinding to a halt, my heart was doing triple time. The grim reaper had swung his scythe and I could still feel the draught of its passing.

I thought of my wife and children at home a few miles away. There would have been no farewells, no telling her how to set the central-heating clock, no last hugs. That would have been that - another road-death statistic. As I thought about it, I became so angry. What an unthinking fool, how dare he?

I considered giving chase, but realised that I would have to drive twice as recklessly to catch him. I wondered when that Mondeo driver last read his Highway Code. Take paragraph 138: "Before overtaking, make sure the road is sufficiently clear ahead." Or paragraph 140: "Large vehicles. Overtaking these is more difficult. You should make sure that you have enough room to complete your overtaking manoeuvre before committing yourself. It takes longer to pass a large vehicle. If in doubt, do not overtake." I also considered how dangerous overtaking is. In 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available, these manoeuvres were a contributory cause in 13,909 accidents involving two and four-wheel vehicles - just under four per cent ofthe total in all manoeuvres.

Yet those overtaking accidents contributed to 216 deaths or about 7.4 per cent of all road fatalities. In other words, get it wrong when you're overtaking, and there's a fair chance you'll not be around to talk about it later on. A close friend died in just such a head-on accident a few years ago. The guilty party was an experienced driver who had misjudged a passing manoeuvre. My friend never stood a chance.

My point? Never doubt that overtaking is dangerous. The police spend weeks training their Class One drivers to develop sound overtaking judge-ment, and their motoring manual Roadcraft pulls no punches: "Overtaking calls for judgement and expertise, which can be acquired only by experience and practice. As skill and the judgement of speed and distance are developed, mistakes may be made. It is important for the driver to realise this and for him to make sure that his decisions err on the side of safety."

Couldn't have put it better myself. True words and sound advice. But isn't it strange that overtaking isn't part of the L-test, so the only way you learn anything is once you start driving? Then, of course, any experience you do gain is usually through your own mistakes.

I could fill another column observing that driver error is a cause in 66 per cent of all fatal and serious accidents, and that breaking the speed limit is mentioned in only 19 per cent. I might also tell you that road cameras can't spot bad overtaking nor a poor driver, yet they bring in a lot of cash for the Treasury. I could explain that training police drivers is difficult, costly, and takes huge commitment from senior cops and the Government. I could... But I won't. Sometimes I wonder whether anyone wants us to be better drivers, or whether they'd rather we kept those speed cameras flashing and the money pouring in.

Andrew English is motoring correspondent of the Daily Telegraph

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Andrew English's column

A rash overtaking manoeuvre by an oncoming driver causes Andrew to ponder over road stats

23rd February 2007

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Andrew English's column

A rash overtaking manoeuvre by an oncoming driver causes Andrew to ponder over road stats

23rd February 2007

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