Overtaking Safely

This seemingly simple manoeuvre accounts for many of the serious accidents on our roads.
Did you know it can take one and a half kilometres to overtake a commercial truck travelling at 100km/h? Overtaking Safely Often the problem with overtaking safely is a lack of familiarity with the road and area, especially if you are on holidays. Try these simple steps to help you with overtaking safely:

• Leave a gap between yourself and the car you are trying to overtake.  This gives you more time to build up speed to complete your overtaking, and gives you a much better view of the road a head.
• Make sure you are in the right gear to over take.
• Check that the road is clear and you have enough space to safely overtake (regulations vary from State to State).  Take the road condition and consider the environmental factors - is rain or fog restricting your view?
• Safely rejoin your lane as soon as you can. The less time spent on the wrong side of the road, the safer you are.

Remember, if you aren't sure, it's better to stay behind a slower moving vehicle than take a risk.