What is it with poeple not overtaking Tractors?

adolf hamster said:
damn straight, my overtaking procedure is i'll only upshift once i'm past the vehicle and able to pull in, or i've hit the redline and need a new gear.

people seem to be scared to give it the beans when necessary, and most cars are capable enough of safely overtaking a car doing a static speed.

i'll confess to generally overestimating the distance i need to pass something, but i guess that's a damn sight better than underestimating it
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3rd is geared nice and appropriately for overtakes, 40mph at 3200rpm its right where peak torque really starts and is 90 something at the limiter (It helps that the MX5 makes peak torque for a full 3500rpm even if it's only 200 odd ft/lbs)

A safe overtake is all about planning. Drop it a couple of gears, create a gap so you're already closing on the slower moving vehicle and you're already winning. With proper planning and looking ahead I could quite happily safely overtake in a 55bhp 1.3 golf
 
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dacads said:
Not everyone has a 2.0 turbo that pulls like a train
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I will overtake several times in a car with 120 bhp on a 13 mile commute. Most non petrol heads have no idea what revs mean and how they work. When my girlfriend passed her test she would never go above 4k untill I set her straight.
 
dacads said:
Not everyone has a 2.0 turbo that pulls like a train
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last time i checked you don't need a 2.0 turbo to go faster than 40mph, which is what the fastest tractors will be doing.

not saying a powerful car doesn't help, it does, but it doesn't make the task difficult let alone impossible if you're in a 1l micra.

i used to overtake people in the old mazda, 1.3litre with a whopping 40 decrepit horsepower, it just took a bit more planning than i have to do now.
 
dacads said:
Not everyone has a 2.0 turbo that pulls like a train
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As others have said, it's not about your power... and this is where a lot of road users (bikers especially) go wrong - They rely too much on power and forget about the Forward Planning and Observation... as evidenced by the OP's car up the tractor's chuff.

I managed perfectly good overtakes on a 125cc motorcycle weighing 24st (plus 13st of rider) with just 12BHP... In fact, that's one reason L-platers are restricted to 125cc, as you have no power and it forces you to develop the good habits of using FP&O.
 
Well here in norfolk, if your are like me and work in sticks you will be late for everything if you don't over take tractors.

To be honest every day i see people over take them and have close calls with the on coming traffic. People just don't think, they don't check and re-check that it is safe to do so. There are some roads around here that are not safe to over take on and some idiots still do.
 
I live rurally and most get passing business done without dragging it out. The worst is people following others on overtakes, and even worse is those who pass you to follow those in front of you overtaking becasue you hung back to make sure it's all clear.

I've had a few people take issue with being passed. The roads are just littered with self-righteous entitled prats these days. No matter what you do, someone else has an issue with it becasue only their way is the right way.
 
bobbyspangles said:
This. Tractors rarely travel far along roads so I'm usually happy to wait it out rather than risk overtaking. Plus they're often courteous enough to pull in from time to time if a queue forms.
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you've not met the ones round here then

we have a split, if it's an old battered massey or a new john deere they tend to be ok, but new massey's new hollands and the occasional fendt never pull in and tend to spend their time towing some quite large and menacing bits of kit for long distances.

*awaits flames from the blue/red teams*
 
A lot of nervous drivers around now. I see them all the time, 20mph under the limit, braking constantly, driving so close to the curb they clip it on corners. Then get triggered when you blow by them at 7000rpm.

They think they are being safe, but are actually making themselves an hazard for others.
 
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paradigm said:
What's that got to do with the price of fish?

I overtake things all the time in the Wife's 1.4 Polo (non-turbo).
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Indeed.

I frequently overtake tractors, just make sure they are aware I'm doing so, one of the easier things to overtake with a 55ft artic..... (13.6 litre Turbo) :D
 
I think I fall into this crowd. I was overtaking a tractor once and a vehicle pulled out from a junction ahead. I wasn't far from totaling them.

Now I'm like, super cautious about it.
 
MooMoo444 said:
I think I fall into this crowd. I was overtaking a tractor once and a vehicle pulled out from a junction ahead. I wasn't far from totaling them.

Now I'm like, super cautious about it.
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That's not because you were overtaking a tractor though, but because you were dangerously overtaking near a junction.
 
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