How to Judge the Distance When Overtaking?
2 Answers
Methods to judge the distance when overtaking are: 1. When the lower edge of the rear wheel of the car in front aligns with the lower edge of the windshield, the distance is approximately 3 to 5 meters; 2. When the lower edge of the front car's bumper aligns with the lower edge of the windshield, the distance is about 2 meters; 3. When the upper edge of the front car's bumper aligns with the lower edge of the windshield, the distance is approximately 0.5 to 1 meter. Precautions when overtaking include: 1. Avoid forcing an overtake; if the car in front does not yield speed or lane due to certain reasons, do not force an overtake; 2. When there is insufficient safe distance ahead of the car in front, do not force a squeeze or push the overtaken car to yield; 3. Maintain a smooth overtaking path; 4. Shift to the left lane in advance before overtaking and delay returning to the right lane after overtaking, keeping the driving path basically parallel to the car in front.
When overtaking, I mainly observe the position of the vehicle behind me through the rearview mirror. If I can clearly see the entire front of the car, the distance is relatively safe; if the front of the car appears blurry and smaller, I need to be more cautious. I maintain a sufficient distance from the car I'm overtaking—for example, on the highway, I leave at least a three-second gap, which is the time it takes to count to three. The speed difference is also crucial. If both the car I'm overtaking and I are driving at 80 km/h, I accelerate to around 90 km/h, making the overtaking process quick and steady. At the same time, don't forget to check the blind spot by turning your head to ensure there are no motorcycles or suddenly appearing vehicles. Once you develop the habit, your judgment becomes much more accurate, as overtaking mistakes can easily lead to accidents—safety always comes first, no compromise. Always use the turn signal to alert others before overtaking; this is a foolproof method.
