Some of the most gruesome road accidents occur when one car is attempting to pass another on a two-way road. The usual situation involves one driver becoming impatient with the car in front, and instead of waiting for a safe opportunity to pass, the driver will attempt to pass without proper visibility of the road ahead, and soon finds that there is simply not enough time to get back into the right lane before meeting an oncoming car. Without a doubt, accidents that involve unsafe passing are entirely preventable, and learning not only a little patience, but how and when you can safely pass will go a long way in helping to avoid horrible accidents in the future.
Making sure that you have enough room to pass the car in front and return to the right lane on a two-way road can involve some estimation, but by and large, the rule is that you must be able to return to your lane before coming within 200 feet of the next oncoming vehicle. If you don’t feel that you can pass the car ahead of you and return to the same lane before 200 feet of the oncoming vehicle, then don’t pass at all! Although this rule is simple and can save lives, some people are simply impatient and take huge passing risks anyway. If you are one of these people, then you should seriously think of the consequences of taking such enormous risks, and ask yourself, is cutting a few seconds or minutes off of your journey really worth the risk of losing your life or the lives of those in the car in with you? The answer of course is no, and although learning to become a more patient driver can be difficult, it can be achieved! For more tips on how to become a safer driver, please enroll in an online defensive driving course from DefensiveDriving.com®. Read more about how to stay safe on the road at: http://www.defensivedriving.com
