Around here I have overtaken a car doing 38mph along a 60mph country road.... on the straights, in the corners they slowed to 30mph. When I overtook them, I did it on the longest straight (about a mile) with clear view there was nothing coming, I did it from a sensible distance back and did not exceed 60mph before pulling slowly back in about 6 car lengths in front of them. I remained out longer to aid the car behind me overtaking, letting him, "Come on out, it's still safe". The person I was overtaking however blew a fuse, the started holding the horn down and flashing the lights, waving their arms at me and then again the car behind me. I'm convinced there are some of the older generation who drive at 40mph. Just everywhere. 40mph past schools, 40mph on the country roads and 40mph on the motorway. Anyone going faster is obviously a hooligan.

I had no idea that you flash before overtaking! If some one flashed me and then over took me I would take that as I had done something wrong, and I think most people will.

I would add that if someone isn't planning on overtaking a car ahead, please leave the space for someone from behind who might want to overtake both of you. It is safer for others to overtake one by one instead of two cars at once (especially if the straights are not long enough to overtake both cars). Don't close the gap if you are not going to overtake. I've seen so many examples where people drive close to each other but don't overtake even if the person ahead is driving below the speed limit. And then someone loses patience and tries to dangerously overtake a line of cars with no gap between them to go back to the lane if needed.

It’s always good to see Ash using lights/horn as they are supposed to be used. I’ve adopted the horn technique to alert people who I think may not have seen me, short ‘friendly’ beeps, but the problem I find is that a lot of people take light flashing/horn use as a trigger to get all ragey. A pity.

“Half the distance that I know is clear.” You can’t stress this point too much, Ashley; I’ve lost count how many people think they have all the distance. As for overtaking strategy, the first thing I consider is the car(s) behind me and whether or not their driving style suggests they are in more of a hurry than I am. Also, I never ever follow another car in an overtake even if that means I miss the only opportunity. As always, a indispensable packet of invaluable info Ashley. Keep up the great work.😌

Definitely don't flash your lights. Ashley's videos are generally superb but unsure why he keeps suggesting people do this. Regardless of whether you're officially suppose to do it, it will almost always be perceived as road rage, which is dangerous.

On the flip side, pull in once in a while! I was driving on some 'fun' roads and a load of MX5's come up behind me...I pulled in when I could, got a few beeps and a thanks as they passed and we all continued happy Likewise I was approaching some car in the distance, enjoying the roads, and they pulled in a parking spot, I continued passed then they pulled out again...I thanked them and it just makes driving so much better!

Do you ever worry that actions you're taking to alert other drivers is being read as hostile. Flashing lights before overtaking in this case, but often using the horn correctly is interpreted wrongly by other drivers.

I tend not to overtake as I find it quite stressful, so I found this video quite useful. It also reassured me that in most instances it's best not to overtake another vehicle.

Joking aside, one of the things I find disappointing on the roads these days is how many drivers think that overtaking is bad, full stop. I do overtake carefully, when its safe and worth it - but all too often the person being overtaken takes exception, flashes you, or speeds up during the overtake to try to foil you. Sad .....

I’ve been taught 2 second gap while planning the overtake. 1 second gap is your overtake position. The overtake position gives you a safe distance to carry out the manoeuvre but most importantly, the thinking distance to abort if required. I have however, been trained to Road Craft therefore, it may be different in the ADI world when teaching students etc.

Good point at around <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="170">2:50</a> about seeing the vehicle you've overtaken in both the middle and left mirror before moving back in. I find far too many drivers quite needlessly cut in too early after an overtake. This has become so commonplace now that it's practically become the norm. So much so that if one actually does it properly, it's almost as though anyone behind thinks you are not going to move back in....and no doubt labels you as a lane hogger. I often find myself having to cover the brake when someone moves in too early, as I begin to wonder if they are about to brake test me in some kind of crash for cash attempt. Plus, my view ahead is restricted until the overtaker moves ahead further, especially if it's an SUV or van. It's even worse when someone cuts in when the road surface is wet, sending spray onto my windscreen (and headlights). It also increases the risk of a chipped windscreen / paintwork / headlights etc from loose debris. I find it quite unbelievable that so may drivers do this and think it's perfectly normal. I've also seen YT video whereby if a vehicle cuts in too early on a modern HGV, it sets off the autonomous braking & an audiable alarm. In addition to the dangers of doing this, it must be extremely frustrating for an HGV driver to experience this repeatedly on a journey, Yet it's something that could so easily be avoided if the overtaker were to simply pull further ahead before moving back in to the left.

Good advice, but be aware that flashing headlights/using the horn either prior to or during an overtake is now actively discouraged in police driver training UNLESS it benefits the situation, which on most occasions it doesn't. An example would be if the driver in front appears distracted. Otherwise, the risk of confusing the situation outweighs the potential benefits. This from a class 1 driving instructor...

Thank you ashley for this video..made me realise that 90% of the overtakes i have done were generally not worth with the power of hindsight..Unfortunately pressure from tailgaters etc sometimes makes us overtake with no need.

I find it bewildering and frustrating that some motorists get extremely offended at being overtaken, especially when they are driving much slower than the speed limit and it is a good, wide, clear road. I've been flashed and gesticulated at for safe and legal overtaking manoeuvres and even had the overtaken vehicle speed up and tailgate me. Anyway, a good demonstration, as always, of patient overtaking and thought process.

Autocar published a guide to overtaking about 20 year's ago, which I have always followed, and found it very helpful, and a non stressful way to make progress when the the circumstances present themselves. Glad to Ashley see doing the same, would have been mortified if I had been doing this wrong all those years!

Tip: if you are moving slowly and you are holding a lot of traffic on a busy road, pull over when it's safe, like a layby or even a side road (if you can turn around, which is useful to cyclists), to avoid frustration as drivers may overtake if its dangerous. This also applies to cyclists. <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="255">4:15</a> would be useful for cyclists as they are very flexible, but not tractors.

I overtake people sometimes as practise , usually when it's quieter and I know the road layout, as I noticed a while ago I would forget a shoulder check which used to annoy me as I could easily wipe out a bike and ruin a whole lot of everything . So sometimes I'd go to overtake but complete a personal check list which has now become 2nd nature to me. The greatest barrier drivers face, especially in England, is the perceived arrogance of an overtaking driver as opposed to a driver who is able to perform more advanced driving techniques to aid their own and others progress on the road . Side note: Mentioning the distance from the car infront, I always see queues of drivers behind farm vehicles mainly because the 1st vehicle following is within 4 meters of the large farm vehicle and can't see . That extra space gives time to speed up and see further down. Good vid as always Ash !

Ok, having watched this I feel pretty happy that I wasn't being overly cautious and that many people are just making risky overtakes.

I was taught to drive by an ex police advanced driver. And the most important thing they said was to make it that you are on the wrong side of the road for as little time as possible. Anticipate the conditions use the 2 second gap to get up to speed in a lower gear and make the pass, and be prepared to bail out and slow back down. But this apparently is no longer the case as most idiots now sit as close to the car/lorry in front. Then just pull out in a high gear with no momentum and take an age to try and get past

Look were you go. It's so often excluded from car training. You want to move left, look left. It's really simple. When moving back in, look left. Not just the mirror, but the blind spot. "How could there possibly be something there? That's an unnecessary check.", trust me, some day you WILL find someone or something has appeared there. Less so on fast flowing roads, but 100% every single time I move left or right I check my blindspot and in urban environments, commuting in/through the city, there is something there every single morning.

I had a scary overtake once: I drove behind a big truck driving around 5-10mph on a limit of 30mph. Everything was okay for an overtake, but what I did not think about was that the road was just getting a downward inclination of a few %. Behind myself was a few card. I started my overtake normally, but just as I start the cars behind close in, the truck starts to accelerate to 30mph and I get vision of a few cars on the opposite lane in the distance. As I tried to hold myself to the speed limit of 30mph, I could not overtake that truck. I could also not get back to my side as there were cars there now. In order to prevent a collision with the oncoming car, in my mind I had to accelerate to about 50mph to get past that truck. No crash happened as the oncoming vehicle saw the overtake from a distance and stopped to let more space. Looking back the other alternative would been to brake and wait for a spot to get back to my position but a few spots behind in cars. But in that situation, as it had never happened to me before and I was still a new driver, the only thing I was thinking in my mind was that "if I don't speed over the speed limit, then a crash will happen". *So... be careful even when everything checks out to be ideal for an overtake*

First Road is really hard to perform a safe overtake, I know it well. Glad to see that I adopt a reasonable approach to overtaking in that I don't change lane until I can see the car in both left and middle mirrors. that being said, there is always something to learn from your videos! 👍

I do tend to make decent progress on country roads, especially those I am familiar with. So I do my fair share of overtaking, I am in an older fairly light 1.8 na petrol car these days, after downsizing from a 2.0 TDI Insignia. So I do miss the mid range grunt. Let me be clear, I don't make risky overtaking manoeuvres, just normal safe ones that are well sighted and judged. On occasion I have overtaken multiple vehicles with care and issues. The thing that surprises me the most is how little other road users do overtake, even those that tend to speed. Overtaking really is a lost art these days 😞

very good. also the white lines can aid you. long with small gaps = dodgy. small with long gaps = ideal. Following the excellent tutorial by Ashley, of course.

Excellent demonstration. I rarely find it worthwhile to overtake inside a city as we'll all meet again at the next traffic lights. This is a much more complicated maneuver than the parking one we all get tested on to get our licences; go figure.

Although my boy racer days are a distant memory I feel safer to overtake when driving a vehicle with decent power/torque...... It enables you to accomplish the manoeuvre in a shorter distance and time. Of course, there are a few vehicles that just cannot be used to overtake anything; such as the Citroen 2CV. Those have a zero to 60 time - best measured with a Sundial 😁. Knowing your vehicle's capability counts for a lot. I've nearly been involved (as a passenger) in one or two close calls by a driver of limited abilities who very nearly caused a head-on collision and we are talking bare centimetres between ☠ or survival. I never travelled with that bloke again. Stay safe everyone 👍

Also bear in mind that if you're north of about Sheffield the car you're overtaking will change down two gears and accelerate hard as you try to get past. Leave extra room and anticipate the likely performance of their vehicle when planning the move.

Surely if you flash your lights at the vehicle ahead you are alerting them to an issue or worse? I don't understand why you flash your lights before overtaking. I've never heard of that before.

French version : Drive up the car in front's backside. Wait until there's no gap, then overtake at the last second, barely missing the back bumper of the car you're overtaking then cutting in quickly whilst speeding off at light speed. ;)

Nicely done, I find most roads, especially with hedgerows that block view, aren't too suitable for overtaking and I'm waiting behind slower drivers for a long time. Always a bit exciting making an overtake but perhaps that's the boy racer in me.

Never, I repeat *never* , overtake a Dutch car! The drive like, er... Dutch people, meaning they are highly dangerous drivers to overtake. Kind of lethal. They'll trap you behind them, driving 20mph below the speed limit and common speed for the road, and race you off the road as soon as there's a straight section. And you won't realize it until you're side-by-side with the driver, looking in his smiling face as he put his lead foot to the ground. He'll kill you, if he can. I know, I was almost killed by an evil Dutchman in car and caravan. It was supposed to be an easy overtaking, but ended up being a 1 mile long high speed overtake through a highly visible turn. By the time I realized he would drive me off the road, my options was limited to a risky hard breaking or to put the hammer down and overtake him doing about 80mph. At the end of the second straight, I past an oncoming car with less then a car length to spare. And the evil grin of the evil Dutchman behind me faded as he realized he wouldn't get a kill this time...

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="345">5:45</a> - Over this end of Europe it is more like "act now, regret later". Meaning that most overtakes I am subjected to are dangerous, and on top of me cooperating in a successful overtake I need to brake or veer outwards so that the one committing the overtake could finish it. This is what really grinds my gears. That now, I need to do my own overtake from another car's POV, which would be somewhat interesting as one can get experience in how another car behaves. But there is the human side; I do not know how the other person reacts. That is the biggest risk, one that I loath the most. Being transparent, calculating, taking measures before taking risks is the golden standard many don't seem to get. We can all get by and reach our destinations, without killing one another.

Been driving for 17 years. Only realised now we can overtake other than just Motorways.

A Clean overtake will not affect any other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists etc so shouldn't be seen as a negative, just someone whose progressing their journey.

Things you must think about when overtaking. The speed of the vehicle your overtaking. The speed of your vehicle and are you up to doing the most dangerous manouver you will ever attempt. The speed of seen or unseen vehicle. If your overtaking legally at 60mph, and an oncomming vehicle is doing 60mph The combine speed is 120mph. The oncoming vehicle will be on you alot sooner than you think. Finally the most import thing you must consider. "Do you really need to do it"

Always calm, collected and controlled..... which is a shame because I reckon you'd be really good at Road Rage 🤣 Great stuff as usual

I often find that these days with the shear volume of cars on the road that there is little to no advantage on overtaking 'slower' vehicles. It's often the case those who are in a rush and overtake (most of the time quite dangerously), I and other slower vehicles catch up to them due to an even slower vehicle up ahead, i.e. a lorry, tractor, etc. and/or we come upon a more built up area such as a village, town, etc.

I tend not to overtake anymore because ive only been passed my test just over 8 months ago and when i came to a situation where i wanted to overtake a lorry ( something i never did while learning) i tried overtaking in 5th when i should have definitely change down to 3rd. During my overtake i noticed a car came around the corner of a roundabout and i was very close to a collision. I lucky passed both the lorry and oncoming car without a hit, it shook me up has it was my first overtake and i messed it up, i was braking hard while on that same roundabout the oncoming car justed left. I definitely learned from my mistake and think twice about overtaking, i don't do it any more unless i absolutely have too.

Tell me I am wrong, but if I am planning an overtake on a stretch that I know and there is a car behind me also itching for an over-take, I will put my indicator on for three blinks, to show to the car behind that I have an intention to overtake and that I'm not just sitting behind the slow moving vehicle. This helps them plan too.

Good advice from Ashley. I would add if you are not intending to overtake then do not tail gate the vehicle in front because that forces the person behind you, who wants to progress, to overtake 2 or more vehicles in one go.

I would only use my indicators if I have someone who needs to know. The position of my vehicle tells the vehicle I'm overtaking, what my intent is (which is also a Blue Light technique incidentally), and naturally because I am leaving that vehicle behind I don't need to indicate to pull back in. I would indicate to pull out if the vehicle because appeared to have a similar intent by their position in the road or proximity to me, because they 'do' need to know. The way I was taught was indicate if there is someone you need to indicate too, your observations (Information in IPSGA), give you that information. Information, Positions, Speed, Gear, Acceleration. So for the overtake, Information = Mirrors, left right checks and 'have I the space to complete the move in the distance I can see to be clear doubled?' Position = good view to plan the overtake which can be slightly over the centre line to improve visibility as long as your initial visibility is enough to ensure that is safe. Speed is the speed you are accelerating from in this case. Gear is ensure you are in the right gear to accelerate, then accelerate round the vehicle. We even use this for corners, as Accelerate is 'using your accelerator to manage your speed' so in a corner would be a constant speed using a small amount of accelerator to balance the car. Incidentally as advanced drivers we have two positions, off hand I can't remember the first position's name, but following is a good name and is about 4 seconds back. It's signalling to the vehicle ahead we have no intent of overtaking. Contact is about 2s back and indicates to the vehicle ahead we intend to make progress, if on a blue light run our position then indicates HOW we are doing that progress. The Following and contact positions can be used in normal driving and I love the 4s gap for following as it gives more space to use accelerator sense to adjust speed which is smoother than jumping on the brakes all the time.

Yes it did make sense, thanks very much.

I can't disagree with anything you say, but I do know that most drivers will interpret flashing lights or horn sounding from someone overtaking to be an act of aggression. They'll assume they've annoyed you in some way, and if they've done nothing wrong, it might trigger them into an aggressive response. I realise you're doing things correctly, but most people seem to drive like racing drivers prior to overtaking: They hang on the rear of the car in front, with a slight rightwards positioning, and wait for a suitable clear run ahead, at which point they hammer it and race off into the distance to try and vindicate their decision to overtake. By leaving a gap in front, drivers behind will assume you have no intention of overtaking and overtake you to occupy the two-second gap you've left between you and the car in front. There's a lot to be said for adopting a zen-like chill and being happy driving slightly slower than you might otherwise have driven behind a slow vehicle.

Admit it, you just don't like being behind silvery coloured cars!🤦🤣😸 My only concern over flashing the headlights is that it alone is enough to trigger a "hothead", then what began as a simple overtake now becomes a perceived challenge by the hotheaded driver you're overtaking. It's a bit of a toss-up between safety in alerting the other driver to your presence, and triggering them into a challenge to a duel.

The overtaking culture in Malaysia has always been about going back into the lane by being too close to the car that has already been overtaken. Generally, I would do it only if the car I'm overtaking is only visible in the side mirror in its entirety. I would like to do it when the car is visible in the rear view mirror but would leave too much space for speeders to take my intended lane as they see me as "holding them up" (as I mostly stick to the speed limit). In the future, I might save footage from my dashcam to send to you, Ash, if only to show you the difference in driving cultures despite our driving laws being similar.

Can I ask why you flash the lights when doing the overtake? Given that you say to try and avoid flashing as it can be confusing to other road users.

That seemed to me to be a very slow overtake of the Mazda - as long as you feel you've been seen and intentions are clear to the car you're passing, surely it's safer to complete the manoeuvre with a bit of speed and get back in lane. On that subject of power or speed, I can see why some new drivers are involved in serious accidents, they do not have the power to safely overtake things (I know surroundings and awareness are key here). My mother was hit in her Mini, so it's in for repair, the courtesy Corsa given had NO oil in, so they wanted it taken back to be swapped after I heard the engine knocking as damage had already been done, as we sadly lost my gran last week, she asked if I could take it up and collect the other car... 1.2 75 bhp... SCARY - especially when used to a 250bhp Focus ST estate.

I'm saving fuel much more than I used to so overtaking doesn't happen very often for me these days. One thing I do when it becomes necessary, that wasn't mentioned, is pay attention to the length of the lines in the road. As far as I'm concerned, overtaking on the longer lines (not solid, which is illegal), is a no-go. Sometimes it's obvious why they're there, but equally, sometimes it's an unseen hazard. Short lines don't necessarily mean it's clear of course, there are all the other considerations, but with overtaking, I'm looking for reasons to _not_ overtake rather than reasons to do it. Never be afraid to abort the acceleration run if something crops up or becomes marginal; it means you've made an error in planning but no need to compound it. Some drivers react very badly when overtaken, even if it was perfect in every respect.

Good video but I never flash when overtaking, and no one ever flashes me. If they did I'd be a bit confused to be honest as no one else does it. Are they pointing something out in my driving? Is there an issue with my car?

Thanks Ashley for high lighting the need to leave room BEFORE pulling in after an overtake. It completely P's me off when I am overtaken then the other vehicle pulls in too soon robbing my stopping distance.

The decision to overtake is made early but may never present itself. View is everything and most drivers fail to use the road space that is available to them. Nearside, offside, through the other vehicle's windscreen, looking under the vehicle etc can all provide valuable insight into traffic conditions ahead. Things such as hedgerows, telegraph poles can all provide information as to where the road MIGHT go - telling you that there could be a straight after the next bend - that COULD be an overtaking opportunity - although as many a police advanced driver discovered there are roads where the telephone poles disappear into fields - squeaky backsides at high speeds. My key observation here is your distance from the vehicle ahead - I'd be looking to close the gap in anticipation of performing the overtake thus minimising the time taken to pass - but that's how I was trained

When you’re learning you don’t get much practice at overtaking so I’ve had to learn the hard way and from my mistakes. Things I’ve learned is when you know it’s 100% clear don’t hesitate, the earlier you overtake the better. Know how powerful your car is and overtake in third gear (my car pulls in 3rd). Never overtake on bends or over hills. Can you overtake in 4th gear? Does it have to be 3rd?

I was a bit confused by this one. Surely overtaking is a simple thing. It's probably one of those things that is more complicated than you think.

This was an eye-opener for me, all this time I've been following the car in front bumper to bumper, overtaking in fifth gear, two miles per hour faster than the ones I'm overtaking. It's been a bit tricky on those pesky blind bends and corners, never seen a accident in my rear view mirrors, at least not since I had them removed from the car by an oncoming lorry.

What reference point would you use for pulling back over to make sure your 2 seconds ahead Ash?

On a motorbike i was told to: Look ahead, Look behind, Life save, Move to the other lane to have a clear View of trafic ahead, if ok to overtake turn on indicator start overtaking, if not come back to lane if overtake, when Overtaking give space , and only pul back into lane when i can see the full overtaken vehicle in the mirror.

If somebody deliberately accelerates from driving constantly at less than 40mph, to block me as I'm overtaking (on a 60mph road) is it permissible to kill them?

I was surprised Ashley was even considering an overtake on Catchdale Moss Lane in the first part of the video. Although a country road, it’s very winding, narrow, busy and almost always too short to make an overtake worthwhile. Leading to a dual carriageway, you know there’s a opportunity to much more safely get ahead later. Glad to see it wasn’t attempted. As a nearby resident, I’m aware of a lot of heavy crashes and fatalities on that particular road.

In my experience , safe , responsible overtaking very often results in being tailgated by an impatient , aggressive meat - head . This may not be a problem for seasoned motorists but I feel sorry for new drivers who could be doing everything right but feel intimidated by this .

Ashley I find your gear choices interesting. I guess it is different for each car, but some would criticise you drive in too high a gear at a normal speed in order to save fuel. A few times you said you were dropping into fourth, I would've only been at fourth at that speed anyway. But I can't tell from behind my keyboard. It's worth a reminder to other drivers not to sit in too high a gear as you will be labouring your engine too much, especially if aiming to accelerate anytime soon. Not to mention it will mean you have less control of the car when it comes to braking too. The best way I measure it in my car (320i) is sitting between 1500-2000 rpm on flat ground. But more like 2000-2500 on slightly inclined or declined roads. 2000-3000 on steeper roads. Once you're used to it you just know by the sound of the engine without looking at the rev counter. I'm sure Ashley knows his car well and was in control but thought it was worth a reminder to other drivers of manual cars.

I've given up overtaking during the day. Due to the 'worth it' part which I didn't seem to hear you explain during the video. Between 7am-7pm its just often on the more major A-roads not worth the overtake as you can always gurantee. Your going to get stuck behind another slow mover. Or stuck at the lights where the vehicle you overtook catches you up.

If the car in front is going too slow you must, check the mirrors, use lower gears to overtake, then indicate, move out keeping correct separation distance. Don't make any rash decisions so when safe to do so ram the car in front briskly up the arse, and guide the spandex hero on the bike into the hedge.

based on my experiences on the A1/A1(M) and various motorways (the only places I can regularly do overtaking), either modern cars are severely underpowered, or people drive them as if they're 44 ton wagons; so many drivers of relatively small vehicles take absolutely ages to pass the vehicle they're overtaking

Overtaking on left with 2 lanes in your side (undertake). How would you do it?

I’d wager that as well intentioned and “by the book” as the headlight flash is here, it’s more likely to be interpreted as an act of frustration than anything else which could cause the driver ahead to become enraged. Perhaps it has the desired effect either way, but do you risk retaliation?

First step in overtaking is to put on Bob Seger - Shakedown. Make sure to turn it off once the maneuver is complete.

Would also like to question flashing your lights. This is bound to alarm the driver of the car being overtaken and could distract them. Is it advised in the highway code?.

Good afternoon what to do when you come across the bike?

I don't often feel the need to overtake anything anything other than a bike or horse, but I tend to feel pressured to overtake a slow driver when a queue is building up behind me and I'm being tail-gated. I just don't want to deal with someone attempting to overtake multiple cars.

In my lower powered car, the technique is to start with the two second gap. Then floor it in the lowest gear that does not exceed the rev limiter. Do one last check as you are about 2-3 car lengths behind the driver in front, then pull out (or brake if dangerous and you need to abort) - watching your tachometer in the peripheral so you don't waste time bouncing off the rev limiter and shift up at the prescribed 6400 rpm on my car. Then wait until you're 3 car lengths ahead and pull back in.

Although Ashley didn't specifically mention it, holding back and keeping your distance drastically increases your field of view ahead. It also has the added advantage in that, if you anticipate an overtaking opportunity, you can start accelerating earlier to decrease the time that you're in the oncoming lane. A question, if I may. Do you think it is ever acceptable to break the speed limit temporarily, in order to complete an overtake more quickly?

I flash in bad weather conditions, particularly when passing trucks, they may not have seen me pull out with the indicator on due to the spray. Not normally in good weather tho

I'm wondering what the thought process is behind the flash of the lights. I find it's predominantly used as a telling off these days on the road and I wonder if it would potentially anger the driver you're overtaking, and force them to do something silly like speed up.

When you say flash your lights, do you mean headlights? Or indicators. Couldn't get what you meant

Especially, where are you going after you did the overtake? Quite often I see people overtaking when there's clearly not enough room in front of the car they're overtaking.

It's just a method of informing another road user that you are there. Consider a dual carriageway where you are doing seventy and approaching a line of vehicles doing sixty. There's a chance a driver ( ? German car not usually equipped with indicators) will suddenly pull out to overtake. Not a flash but a couple of seconds of main beam might draw his attention. Still be ready to slow down as apart from no indicators there may be no mirrors.

How do you deal with someone who, on a 60 limit road, does 35 through all of the tight bits but the moment there's a straight with a chance to overtake, they speed up to 60 preventing you getting past. This happened to me the other day, I just didn't overtake them but is there anything you can actually do about it? Edit to clarify: I shouldn't have said 'tight bits' they were doing 35 through all corners regardless of safety, most of which don't require any reduction in speed from 60, hence the 20 car queue behind them... also I do have a fast car but it means I would be significantly above the speed limit to overtake, not worth the points.

In the 80s and 90's I did many thousands of miles of European motoring. Use of the horn and a flash of the lights was the norm when overtaking. Doing the same in the UK unfortunately produces rage and aggression in a lot of drivers. I would never do it here.

For hidden junctions - sat nav can be useful for planning a potential overtake.

To me the most important part of considering an overtake is, 'Is it worthwhile'. If you look carefully at this video after Ashley makes the left turn the car he has overtaken crosses the roundabout about 5 seconds later, net gain 3 seconds. So was the overtake even worthwhile before the planned left turn?

You should be extra extra careful for bikers who may be catching up very quickly to the car behind you. A quick glance in your rear view mirror may not be sufficient. Bikers in general overtake much quicker than cars.

I’d like peoples opinions on speed. I often find those drivers that go very slowly around the bends then when you think all the variables are aligned to go past they speed up on a straight section to say 50-55 mph. Of course you could pass at 60 but that feels potentially dangerous often I tend to complete overtakes without looking at my Speedo as all my focus is going on the view ahead for any changes to the conditions. I know here the answer will be if you can’t do it within the speed limit you shouldn’t be doing the overtake but at the next bend and 25 mph again it can be pretty frustrating on a longer A road trip if you are trying to make good progress.

People driving too slowly or unsure seems to happening a lot more often than it used to. I don't mind people generally being sensible and slowing down around corners if they aren't sure etc. But when the road is 60mph, it's a long clear open road and they're doing 30/40mph you have to question whether they should even be on the road at all.

Only criticism is failing to explain the slingshot technique, follow and advance position. I’m not 100% sure what car Ashley is in here however it seems to have a decent amount of power. The slingshot is typically winding the power on early so when the view comes, you can move onto the other side of the road with a substantial amount of speed on the car you’re overtaking. This allows you to get out and back in quickly. The follow position is the 2 second time gap however the advance (overtaking) position is a little closer. As you explained, there is typically no need to be in this position unless you’re a emergency services driver. I use this position in unison with the slingshot technique as it was how I was taught by my dad (dad is a Grade A advanced police driver). You never follow in this position however when overtaking you do take this position. Great watch as always Ashley!

Another big issue Ash, especially on duals and above is sliding back in way too close without a left shoulder check never mind a mirror check, before returning. [ Have you bought a speedo for your bike yet :) ]

Around where I live the council have made it impossible to overtake for mile after mile by changing all the road markings from broken centre lines to a hatched centre with solid lines each side effectively making a three lane width road into two single lanes, everyone's speed is therefore dictated by the driver of slowest vehicle on these roads.

I’ll switch your order to worth it, legal, then safe. Are you continuing straight on this road for a while yet? Can you pass on this section of the road? Is there anything like junctions or hills coming up? Are there any vehicles oncoming? Then get past quick and get back to your side.

A key point is the performance of your own car. There are overtakes I would do in my Exige I wouldn't even consider in the wife's Land Rover, or even my old Golf.

Greetings from the British Motor Show in Farnborough

Never heard of flashing whilst overtaking. I would find it a bit distracting, I'd rather be watching for a vehicle at high speed coming the in the opp. direction that be concerned about flashing headlights? Is this in the rules or is it not legally required?

A glance at the sat- nav can be a useful tool for mapping out the road ahead.

On unfamiliar roads I use satnav to look for bends and long straights to make my decision easier

25 years ago I always used to overtake on country roads. But they were empty then. Full now.

What shocked me once i was over taking a car which began to speed up, which then made the situation very dangerous as I then had to speed up so I wouldn't have a head on collision, even after I cleared the car he chased after me, clearly upset.

Usually by the time you can, or decide to overtake they decide to turn or speed up or the speed limit drops.

I imagine you would agree since having your Tesla that when in an EV (although I know not in this video), having full power of the car immediately available at any time without needing to select gears, makes overtaking easier and safer. I have definitely found that since switching to electric a few years back.

Hi ashley, i noticed on your previous videos that there was a scammer pretending to be you with your profile picture saying i “won” something and to text them. I think you should make a video to make people aware 👍

I've seen sometimes slower drivers pulling left into a hard shoulder to allow drivers to over take. I've mainly seen this on wider national roads with good wide hard shoulders. I've always thought this to be dangerous but interest to hear what more experienced drivers think of this

I'm sure you can relate to this from driving your Tesla, Ashley - but I find overtaking so much "easier" in an EV. Instant torque allows you to get up to speed very quickly - one of the pros of going electric! Shows the importance of considering vehicle performance. Overtakes that are safe in one vehicle may not be in another. On a more general note, I think we've all witnessed a dodgy overtake in our time. The "worth it" point is really key - it's likely to be the most risky part of everyday driving so is it worth taking that risk? If someone came the other way at the speed limit could you get back over in time?