Speeding up when being passed

[Dryce]

There are occasions when I do longer m'way or dual carriageway trips on cruise. Usually set it about the limit - or lower if the traffic is generally moving a bit slower.

Anyhow I used to get annoyed by passing people who then a short distance later would pass me and then later I'd pass them.

Most irritating though is that when passing slightly slower drivers a proportion of them speed up as you pass them. Why?

It seems to happen (I've been experimenting!) when you pass with less than about 5mph speed differential when there isn't a lot of traffic about. Around 50% of the time the car on the inside will speed up a little just as you start to overlap. A % will keep level or actually pull ahead.

If you put a small burst of speed on to get past and pull in and let the car settle back on cruise then the levellers will generally fall back - implying they've dropped their speed back to where it was. A few will sped up and pass you (likely as not to be passed again later).

WHY! ?

I'm sure it has to be down to people's system of reference. If there isn't much traffic about then being passed slowly changes how they subconsciously reference or measure their own speed.

 

[Meldrew2]

Most irritating though is that when passing slightly slower drivers a proportion of them speed up as you pass them. Why?

I guess some drivers progressively slow off as they drive along the motorway, and being passed by another car makes them realise they have slowed down, so they speed up again.



.

 

[BTB 500]

My observations are exactly the same (I do a lot of off-peak motorway driving, and frequently use cruise control). I think your explanation is very likely.

The passing/re-passing thing is usually people who aren't on cruise control subconsciously speeding up & slowing down for hills & bends (even very slight ones).

 

[Sorry Pete]

This does happen a lot, and I agree that the monotony of traveling on empty roads causes people to dip their speed, only to realise they've done so when being passed.

 

[BTB 500]

When I'm in the Vito I have a sneaking suspicion that some people simply don't like being overtaken by a van. I often have to resort to a dab of throttle to get past in a timely manner ... once I'm past they generally do drop back, even after I've let the speed drop back down to the CC setting.

 

[jeffwebb]

I doubt it's any consolation but the same thing happens in Spain. I think some people have a problem maintaining a regular speed especially when the terrain is hilly. I suppose that's where cruise comes into its own. I'm often overtaken by people on the motorway here and then find they've pulled in front of me and slowed down because there's an incline. Oh well

 

[Stratman]

Some drivers do not like being "hemmed in" by a vehicle that, to them, is taking a long time to pass. It removes on of their escape routes should evasive action be required.
If I was in lane 1 approaching a slower car (or lorry) and being slowly overtaken by a car in lane 2 I would certainly give it a burst and move out into lane 2 to pass the lorry.

 

[whitenemesis]

Experienced this a lot. I've termed it "the bow wave effect"

 

[Dryce]

If I was in lane 1 approaching a slower car (or lorry) and being slowly overtaken by a car in lane 2 I would certainly give it a burst and move out into lane 2 to pass the lorry.

Most thoughtful drivers would speed up to give the car on the inside some room. I certainly put on a burst when I realise the car inside will be hemmed in.

However in the situations I was originally refering to there was minimal other traffic and no issues with vehicles ahead in lane 1.

 

[Beetnik]

Always have an 'escape route' i.e. somewhere to go if the route you intend to take becomes unavailable. So someone passing me a couple of mph faster than me is taking away my escape route and I react accordingly.

 

[Dieselman]

Always have an 'escape route' i.e. somewhere to go if the route you intend to take becomes unavailable. So someone passing me a couple of mph faster than me is taking away my escape route and I react accordingly.

How do you achieve that on a busy motorway?

 

[Rory]

A few will sped up and pass you (likely as not to be passed again later).

I regularly do long motorway journeys with the cruise set at 70ish and find the above happens a lot.

Commonly people are in the middle lane so I pass them, pull over to lane one and then they speed up and sit next to me. We them approach a truck in lane 1.

Must admit I generally blip the throttle, pull in front of them, pass the truck and then settle in lane 1 again.

 

[Dieselman]

Commonly people are in the middle lane so I pass them, pull over to lane one and then they speed up and sit next to me. We them approach a truck in lane 1.

That happens all the time to me. People speed up then sit on the rear quarter so you can't pull out...??**@@**

 

[stevesey]

What about those you pass you and then slow down.

Had one tonight - they were sat in lane 2 gaining on me fairly slowly as trundled along in lanes one and two. Eventually they passed, only to slow once they were only just passed. As we were appoaching a lorry I had to immediately move out to lane 3 to pass them both. I then drew away and never saw then again as they'd slowed down by about 5mph (not junction nearby either). Had crusie on all the time so my speed was constant throughout.

Rather that and a "Bow wave effect" I think this is a kind of suction effect (one that especially applicable to middle lane hoggers). They take a default stance that they are overtaking the car ahead (in lane 1) so their speed increases, then after passing they notice that they have sped up and slow back down.

Sometime they won't even have got fully past, so you are left with the choice of a partial undertake, or having to slow and go out around them.

 

[Dieter]

Hi,

I must admit to taking both the Stratman and Dryce approach depending on my situation. It can be infuriating when someone creeps up on you to overtake as you are approaching a lorry etc. as you are either 'forced' to brake or accelerate else you end up 'boxed' in. Whenever (possible) when I am the 'overtaker I shift a lane (to right).

Another situation akin to this is the middle lane hogger who will follow you for miles (at the appropriate distance) but never overtake...but as soon as you pull over (to lane 1) they speed up/want to overtake etc....weird!

 

[whitenemesis]

As Dieter comments

Another type commonly encountered on the motorway.

Overtaking slow traffic I'm in lane 2 and a car approaches behind very quickly and then sits on my tailgate until I pass the traffic and pull back to lane 1 at which point the car accelerates past.

All the time lane 3 is completely clear!!

Why slow up behind me? Why not overtake? And WHY DRIVE SO CLOSE !!!

 

[rf065]

Why slow up behind me? Why not overtake? And WHY DRIVE SO CLOSE !!!

'Cause your car is shiny & looks nice!

Russ

 

[EDZ649]

When people do it to me I just match their speed for a bit, have a look over at them, smile and then boot it!

Why do I do it? Because I can!

 

[LTD]

When travelling up and down the M74 I tend to find that a few cars settle into a group and swap over positions every few miles - a bit like cyclists do.

I've put it down to keeping the attention focused.

 

[bluevenetian]

Driving at 70 mph and being overtaken by someone driving at 71/72 mph, whether on cruise control or not, is massively annoying. The slow trundle past as if the driver is on autopilot always worries me. Just how quick will they be in reacting should an emergency occur?
If you are overtaking, then my view is "Get on with it!"
Personally I don't think cruise is particularly well-suited to Britain's roads and levels of congestion.