Conflicting Information about overtaking parked cars

TheMonster

Doing test next week - have got conflicting advice on overtaking parked cars. First instructor a few years ago said to always indicate, current one says only indicate if there is someone to give a warning to:someone approaching or a car behind-there is no need if there is no-one around, he reckons it demostrates awareness of whats around you.

I am going to play safe and always indicate.

Slinky>

I have read that in advanced driving courses you are trained to not signal unless there is someone who can benefit from your signalling, But in an Irish driving test I would definitely always indicate if your overtaking parked cars.

Henry Ford III

If you are going to cross over the centre line, always indicate.

smarty

I would always indicate if I was changing my position on the road.

What if there is someone in the parked car, or in front of the parked car? You may not be able to see them, but they may be able to see you.

mik_da_man

And be v careful if overtaking parked cars with a gap between them.
I got conflicting advive on this - the lady who gave me a pre test told me as in rotr try to stay on the left hand side of the road.
ie if there is a decent gap between cars pull back in and out again for the next car.
I did this in my test and failed cause of it:(
The tester said I was "weaving" - he even knew what driving school I had gone for my pre test in and had a little diagram already drawn out to expain that I should have stayed on the wrong side of the road till I passed all cars.
then he said, with a grin, "I've failed a load of people this week from that driving school because of this":eek:

Idleater

Slinky> wrote:

I have read that in advanced driving courses you are trained to not signal unless there is someone who can benefit from your signalling, But in an Irish driving test I would definitely always indicate if your overtaking parked cars.

Yes, I would agree with this. That is what I was taught for the Advanced course.

Indicators and indicating do nothing other than signal intent. They do not confer right of way.

In certain circumstances, if there is no one that can benifit from signalling (you may actually cause confusion to other road users) then you shouldn't do it.

A good example is a car that is parked "on" a junction or directly at the top of a T junction. In these cases, signalling right would cause confusion and I would avoid it. That or signal very briefly, move out and then stop indicating.

That is all well and good for real life however the Test is not real life.

For the driving test, I would recommend signalling all intentions and making sure that you do not give conflicting signals.

If such a thing happens on the test, I would just pick one method and stick to it. Do it confidently and "without thought". That way the examiner will at least get the impresion that you know what you are doing.

L.

TheMonster

Thanks all and for the tip about passing multiple cars. Hopefully all goes well - my recurring nightmare is to get rearended in the test - has this ever happened to anyone you know - what did they do?

Slinky>

TheMonster wrote:

Thanks all and for the tip about passing multiple cars. Hopefully all goes well - my recurring nightmare is to get rearended in the test - has this ever happened to anyone you know - what did they do?

Its very unlikely that you will be rear ended, and even if you are it will be the other cars fault <unless youve done something incredibly stupid>

Try to get that worry out of your head or else you'll spend the test looking in the mirror to see if your about to be rear ended and will potentially end up rear ending someone else!

cargrouch

TheMonster wrote:

Hopefully all goes well - my recurring nightmare is to get rearended in the test

You'd want to be very eager to get that licence to go to those lenghts :eek:

*gets coat, leaves, mildly satisfied with opportunity for childish innuendo

TheMonster

cargrouch wrote:

You'd want to be very eager to get that licence to go to those lenghts :eek:

*gets coat, leaves, mildly satisfied with opportunity for childish innuendo

lol - bad use of language methinks

elexes

Henry Ford III wrote:

If you are going to cross over the centre line, always indicate.

bingo

Supercell

Imho its very random, wish during driving tests instructors were allowed to sit in like in other countries, at least it would ensure a fair and accurate assesment by the tester.

Wolverine_1999

What I would normally do is indicate right, to signal that I am changing position on the road to overtake the parked cars, cancel the signal while overtaking, and then indicate left to signal that I am changing position on the road after passing the cars. If there is more than 1 parked car being overtaked, you should still keep your position on the road before moving in after again.

gerrycollins

Henry Ford III wrote:

If you are going to cross over the centre line, always indicate.

this is what i was told as well in an advanced driving course but to turn off the indicator when you are over the line ie past the first/second car as to keep it on indicates that you are turning right

_Kaiser_

gerrycollins wrote:

this is what i was told as well in an advanced driving course but to turn off the indicator when you are over the line ie past the first/second car as to keep it on indicates that you are turning right

I'd be inclined to do this myself but I think, as is quite evident even in this thread, the problem is everyone's been told something different, the Gardai are no better, and the testers are the same.. there's absolutely no standardisation, "quality control" or independent assessment, and this I think is the main problem.

Victor

mik_da_man wrote:

And be v careful if overtaking parked cars with a gap between them.

Depends on the size of the gap.

TheMonster

issue is the size of the gap is subjective - there are no guidelines - what one tester will find acceptable another won't

mik_da_man

TheMonster wrote:

issue is the size of the gap is subjective - there are no guidelines - what one tester will find acceptable another won't

Very true:mad:

layke

Henry Ford III wrote:

If you are going to cross over the centre line, always indicate.

Otherwise don't. It's only if there is a car say parked on the road and hasn't pulled into the kerb.