Why does everyone overtake on the left?

Status
Not open for further replies.
TrueTenacity said:
THIS is why we pass on the left...
Click to expand...

and hence break the law..

joelus said:
But what if it's a genuine emergency? You have no idea why the person is driving so fast and flashing hir lights - move out the way, if you can...
Click to expand...

perfectly understandable and in most cases I move over but I refuse when somebody puts my life at risk driving wrecklessly, impatiently and particularly when I am overtaking somebody else.
 
Nocturnity said:
Precisely. When we all obey the law 100% (stop dead at every stop street, stick to posted limits, even if it's 30km/h, overtake only on the right, always use indicators, etc.), we can complain about the "law breakers" all we want. If you break the law yourself, what makes you better? "My crime isn't as bad!" Bullsh#t!
Click to expand...

Tachyon said:
and hence break the law..
Click to expand...

last time i checked it was NOT illegal to overtake on the left in SA
 
I doubt there are many cars out there that can fit between a car in the fast lane and the concrete barriers / pavements... so what do you propose, break the law and pass on the left or ramming speed?
 
imajin said:
last time i checked it was NOT illegal to overtake on the left in SA
Click to expand...

It isn't. However, if the majority of road users would just realise the basic 'keep left, pass right' mantra aids the flow of traffic, it wouldn't be necessary either.

Overtaking, left or right, is legal as long as it does not constitute a dangerous or reckless manoeuvre.
 
TrueTenacity said:
I doubt there are many cars out there that can fit between a car in the fast lane and the concrete barriers / pavements... so what do you propose, break the law and pass on the left or ramming speed?
Click to expand...

"when safe to do so"
 
I overtake on the left because some fool is on the right going at the EXACT same speed as the person in the middle lane is. If people were more considerate and moved left and left the right lane empty, people would not be overtaking on the left now would they?
 
enigma243 said:
Ugh :sick: I'm not doing the whole "I ain't giving way to you, because my speedo says I don't have to" argument. The long & short of it is if I want to drive at 130km/h, it is my prerogative to do so; it is not yours to police me. You thinking that it is makes you a considerably bigger arse than what I am, and it leaves your action legally equally indefensible.

If it's safe for you to be in any lane to the left of you, you should be in it. If you aren't, you're a poephol.
Click to expand...

Maybe one day when you kill somebody by speeding and breaking the law we can have this conversation again..
 
If I want to do 120km/h in the right lane, and there are cars every 50m in the left lane doing 100km/h, should I then overtake a car, go back to left lane, overtake, go back to left lane, overtake, blah blah and so on? Changing lanes all the time is a higher risk for accidents than staying in the right lane at 120km/h. So should I accommodate one or two guys who want to speed, and thereby increase my risk of an accident (and also waste fuel by speeding up and slowing down all the time as I overtake each car)?
 
Tachyon said:
No but you will be speeding and hence be breaking the law..
Click to expand...

the law legally allows me to drive up to 132km/h ACTUAL speed (as measured on a GPS unit, for instance), whereas if you're going according to your speedo at 120km/h, you're probably doing an ACTUAL speed of 110km/h. which means that even though i'm still obeying the law, i'm driving at 22km/h faster than you. so, i can overtake you on the left without breaking any laws, meanwhile you're breaking the law by staying on the right when you're not overtaking.
 
so if you are driving 120km/h on the right lane does it mean you are driving slow? (after all it is the maximum speed limit) and yet you still get people passing left of you.
genetic said:
Because everyone drives slow in the right lanes. Keep to the left, then they won't overtake on the left. Logic 101.
Click to expand...
 
Tachyon said:
Maybe one day when you kill somebody by speeding and breaking the law we can have this conversation again..
Click to expand...

See, you make the mistaken assumption that there is a conversation to be had. There isn't. You're wrong. Read my last sentence again and if you still do not realise this, you are indeed a poephol.
 
Check your spedo meter. It needs a check up.
imajin said:
the law legally allows me to drive up to 132km/h ACTUAL speed (as measured on a GPS unit, for instance), whereas if you're going according to your speedo at 120km/h, you're probably doing an ACTUAL speed of 110km/h. which means that even though i'm still obeying the law, i'm driving at 22km/h faster than you. so, i can overtake you on the left without breaking any laws, meanwhile you're breaking the law by staying on the right when you're not overtaking.
Click to expand...
 
Slingshot said:
If I want to do 120km/h in the right lane, and there are cars every 50m in the left lane doing 100km/h, should I then overtake a car, go back to left lane, overtake, go back to left lane, overtake, blah blah and so on? Changing lanes all the time is a higher risk for accidents than staying in the right lane at 120km/h. So should I accommodate one or two guys who want to speed, and thereby increase my risk of an accident (and also waste fuel by speeding up and slowing down all the time as I overtake each car)?
Click to expand...

in that case you are clearly in the process of overtaking, so overtake away. i don't even get mad at fast lane hogs anymore. if they are really hogging, then i should be able to safely overtake them on the left without making a scene.
 
imajin said:
in that case you are clearly in the process of overtaking, so overtake away. i don't even get mad at fast lane hogs anymore. if they are really hogging, then i should be able to safely overtake them on the left without making a scene.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but I do get stuck on the principle of the matter in discussion.

Look, before all the self-righteous gits around here want to start tossing around accusations and melodramatic hypothetical, as they always do, realise this: We aren't talking about endangering yourself, or even inconveniencing yourself terribly, in order to let the flashy BMW past. All we're saying is, if the roads aren't congested and you can be doing the same speed you are doing to your left, do so. It helps everyone.
 
Nokkie said:
Check your spedo meter. It needs a check up.
Click to expand...

do you have a gps unit? next time you're driving, do 120 on the highway according to your speedo, and check what speed your gps says you're doing. even if your speedo is 100% calibrated (which happens but extremely rare), i'd still be driving 12km/h faster than you, without breaking the law.
 
I sometimes overtake on the left because I want to go past traffic and you either have a car in the middle and on the right doing the same speed forever and ever, or everyone is sitting in the middle/fast lanes and there's no one in the left lane.
 
Dude a Gps isn't accurate, its usually about 6km/h under the actual speed. if your speedometer reads 120km/h the gps will be reading 114km/h So in conclusion if you are driving according the gps, you are 6km/h to fast on avg.
imajin said:
do you have a gps unit? next time you're driving, do 120 on the highway according to your speedo, and check what speed your gps says you're doing. even if your speedo is 100% calibrated (which happens but extremely rare), i'd still be driving 12km/h faster than you, without breaking the law.
Click to expand...
 
So if I drive 120km/h I have to add 8% to know what my actual speeds are? then by law I should have gotten more than a 100 speeding tickets because 120km/h is not correct on my clock.
enigma243 said:
Get to know cars. Speedos over-read by 8-12% by design.
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X