Are you sure you know how to overtake safely and how important it is for your safety?

Safe overtaking is probably one of the most important factors in making sure we stay safe while driving. Unfortunately, for many reasons we will mention below, many drivers ignore or ignore the basic rules of safe overtaking.

In many cases, this results in serious accidents, possibly fatal. ( Find out here about Greece's position in deadly traffic accidents in the EU. for the year 2019).
The way we drive reveals a lot, and one of them is how much we respect ourselves and the lives of others. Therefore, every time we drive and want to overtake a car, we must keep in mind and apply all the rules faithfully, in order to be sure that the ending will not be bad.

In today's article we will explore the reasons why most drivers do not apply the rules of safe overtaking, what are the conditions to overtake someone, as well as the cases in which it is forbidden to overtake.

As mentioned above, there are several reasons why most drivers do not follow the basic rules of safe overtaking. One of them is rush, as many drivers rush to their destination and ignore the driving rules that will keep them safe.

A second very important reason is superficiality, which is also responsible for a large portion of road accidents that occur daily. Some drivers are frivolous when driving, and this is extremely dangerous as it can cost lives. Also, some drivers have inexperience, and this is also one of the main reasons why some do not follow the rules of safe overtaking.

Finally, one of the main reasons that not all drivers follow the rules of safe overtaking is that they overestimate their potential.
This is probably the most common cause of violations, as many drivers believe that, due to years of experience, they can predict everything.
And this, of course, is extremely dangerous for themselves, but also for those around them.
If we add to this the consumption of alcohol ( Learn Now 5 Alcohol Drinking Tips That Will Make You Think Before You Drive ) then we have an explosive mixture on the road.

In any case, whatever the reasons why some drivers do not follow the basic rules of safe overtaking, we should all be very careful and know exactly the right ways and conditions in order to overtake another vehicle. .

But what are they?

First of all, we should mention that making a safe overtaking is not only a matter of experience, but also of knowledge. Every time we go to overtake a vehicle, we must keep in mind and apply the following rules.

• We check that there is NO relevant signal on the road that prohibits overtaking.
• Make sure there is a dashed dividing line between the strips. The dashed dividing line indicates that another vehicle is allowed to pass at this point on the road. Conversely, if there is a continuous line between the two lanes, then overtaking is not allowed for any reason and under any circumstances.
• We check that there is great visibility for a large part of the road at the point where we will attempt to overtake.

• We check that there are no turns after the point where we will try to overtake.

• We make sure that there is no other vehicle that seeks to overtake our vehicle the moment we start overtaking.
• We make sure that there is no other vehicle that seeks to overtake the vehicle that we want to overtake.
• We give a timely signal with the turn signals that we are getting ready to overtake the other vehicle and use the lights to alert the driver, even if it is day.
• We remember that overtaking is ALWAYS and ONLY from the left.
• Maintain overtaking time as soon as possible. We can achieve this with strong acceleration, which we achieve with a smaller gear ratio. Many times, depending on the speed of the car, we need to lower at least one gear in our transmission to increase engine speed and achieve more torque, to get the best results and achieve a better and faster overtaking.
• We always keep the right distance from the vehicle we want to overtake, taking care not to be too close or too far from it.
• After the overtaking is completed successfully, we need to use the right turn signal in order to alert the overtaking vehicle that we are returning to our lane again.

These are the basic rules we must ALWAYS follow to make sure we have a safe overtaking.

However, there are some cases in which it is forbidden to overtake another vehicle, and it is very important to know them in order to drive safely.

The cases, therefore, that it is forbidden to overtake another vehicle are the following:

1) At the intersections.

2) At the roundabouts.

3) At the railway crossings.

4) At pedestrian crossings.

5) Within residential areas.

6) When we are behind a bus, especially if it is a school, inside or outside a residential area.

7) When the vehicle behind us started to overtake us.

8) When the vehicle in front of us started to overtake its vehicle in front.

9) Where the marking prohibits it.

10) When there is a continuous dividing line between the strips, and not dotted.

In conclusion, it is very important, first of all, to be aware of all the conditions in order to make a safe overtaking. If we follow all the steps mentioned above accurately, then we are more likely to eliminate the chances of car accidents while driving.

It is very important to take care of ourselves and other drivers while driving. Let us not ignore and let us not overlook the right ways to make a safe overtaking.