The road is designed in such a manner that every driver who intends to overtake it must be mindful of the terrain, road signs and markings. No matter how urgent (s) he may want to forge ahead of the vehicle the driver has to determine through signage and road markings if it wouldn’t be improper to do so under the circumstances. This would prevent unnecessary collisions with other vehicles who may be caught off-guard in their correct lane of travel. Places like curves, corners and blind rises by their nature are very prohibitive to drivers that can execute overtaking. The other side of the road would be obscured for they would have been overtaker making it difficult for them to see ahead. As a matter of fact, such accidents as loss of control, head-on collisions mainly and smashes from the back have been realized because of wrongful overtaking. Those drivers who never take caution when they overtake are reckless and bring a lot of grief in traffic to innocent drivers and their passengers in their rightful spaces on the road,
Complacency, recklessness& speed
Most drivers commit this traffic crime under the aura of complacency. Wherein they realize the place may be inopportune to do; the driver believes in the ability to take risks. Some would take a long queue of vehicles simply because they are impatient and cannot trail behind everyone else. That kind of motorist is certainly not informed of the situation ahead. In his quest for safety, they are apt to unceremoniously dive back unto the slow traffic and an accident may be realized. Others place so much trust in the power of their vehicles that they have horsepower able to outrun other vehicles. In all these escapades excessive speed is recklessly employed so much so that when there is a crash fatality is almost always guaranteed. This kind of overtaking is not only a fatal error but shows very little respect for life and other people using the road. The errant driver himself/ herself may not be spared from ill-fate orchestrated by their bad driving when they overtake.
Correct and safe way to overtake
Before anyone undertakes the process of overtaking, they must first ensure that the place is conducive to doing so. This is an area that is not a corner, a curve or a blind rise. The broken line on the road also assists in indicating if it is safe to overtake. One must also check for income vehicles and in the event, there is none the process may be initiated. Check your mirrors for following traffic wherein the driver shall indicate his intention to inform the overtaken vehicle. It would be proper to check the mirror again if no other vehicle has emerged and overtaken, that would be followed to check the interior rear- view mirror if no vehicle has juxtaposed itself and is on a blond spot. In the absence of one, overtaking should be executed swiftly by engaging the correct gear and employing the right speed. Once overtaking has taken place the motorists should quickly revert to their correct lane.
Take aways