Driving fast technique/s

We have a ton of awesome mountain roads here in CO. The problem with mountain roads (when one is out for a drive) is that for major stretches, there is literally nowhere to safely pass.
I find that if I get stuck behind someone with no way out, I'll stop in the middle of the road (with a safe view behind me in the mirror) and wait until another car shows up which is usually a minute or two. Now I have a nice distance between me and the next car and lots of full speed driving until I make up the 1-2 minute head start.
Does anyone else do this or something else to minimize time stuck behind slower drivers?
Disclaimer: This is in no way an endorsement of violating the posted speed limit.

 

Try driving very early in the morning. Few people out early. Passing is part of the game, just do is safely.

 

Yes. Even early in the canyons above LA, I'll pull off and watch my mirror to time a gap so I can carve some turns.

Beau LeBlanc

 

Yes, early morning is by far the most fruitful time.

 

Same as others have commented, i take mine out early in the morning, plus the bugs and critters that splatter on your windscreen are still sleeping.

 

In Germany it is early SUN mornings.

All good people are in church or still asleep.

 

I'm up for a good pace on a mountain road. I tend to stick to roads and loops I know well. I do pass sometimes. It is only when I know that stretch very well or have a good point where I can see for a long distance. I think a good pass should take roughly 5 seconds. If I were the car traveling towards me I would want to see that car tucked back in their lane and give me 5-7 seconds to then cross paths.

Questions I ask myself:
How far can I see?
How much distance / time will it take me to pass this car? (If over 3-5 seconds, I stay)
Is there a car coming? If so, how far off? (Unless this is a long straight or some type of bend I can see what's coming, I stay)
If there is a car far off in the other lane, can I be back in my lane and still have 5-7 seconds before we cross paths?
Is the car in front of me moving at an acceptable rate? (If they are really going way under the limit and all the conditions above are good I go. If not, just back off and enjoy life and the fun I just had catching up to this guy. I barely pull over to wait)

If there is any doubt, I don't go. If I feel very very very comfortable, I go for it.

Alex Roy, who broke the NY to LA record said something along the lines of "I would rather the other driver say there's some ***** instead of I'm calling the cops on that *****."

It's not just you and your car. Think about the person / family and their entire life story that is coming the other direction. Their life is probably worth more than your few seconds.

If you want to go faster than that, go to the track. Otherwise be patient.

 

All the above makes sense, and I have often pulled over to let slow traffic get ahead. That being said, judicious application of the throttle to tap into the extra 100 or more RWHP
(thanks to Norwood) makes passing a lot easier in my '84 QV.

The main reason I wanted to chime in was draw attention to the other forms of 'traffic'...

Any hunter will tell you that critters have their ways and specific times of day that they are active/inactive. Roads serve purposes for critters and they will sometimes congregate because of the heat radiated or to feed. This will vary greatly by geographic location and time of year, but you really have to be switched on to this...

As may be apparent, I speak from experience in 'spirited' driving on two-lane blacktops in rural Texas (a few years ago now). I learned some valuable, not to mention costly lessons in other cars (Porsches, etc.) before taking my 308 out for long runs. Definitely a good idea to plan such runs around all manner of 'traffic'...

To echo Spencer's sound advice, the last thing you want to have happen when passing is to encounter a very fast car coming in the opposite direction. This can dramatically reduce the time you have to pass. The corollary is true: If you are driving 'at speed', someone coming the other way may decide to pass, thinking that he/she has sufficient time while you are rapidly closing the gap.

 

I find it is better to leave a large gap to the car in front, anticipate your overtaking opportunity and use the distance between you and the car in front to do your acceleration so you are already at a greater speed before you pull onto the wrong side of the road. This minimizes your time to make the pass and gives you better visibility of the road ahead. Anticipation is the key and if you don't know the road you have to be looking a ways ahead to identify a straight section. You also need to be ready to abort the run if it does not look safe. More often I just sit back and enjoy the drive.

 

Same with Texas. It's just us heathens out here God.

Also all the Sheriffs are directing traffic at the church parking lots.

 

Same here; but should you be living in the country, then you would have to do your best to take care of various animals, big and small. I have a friend who has had a collision with a wild hog in his 328; repairable, but scary.

Rgds

 

Cameras are out even on Sunday, but they are exceedingly rare and usually near villages where folks "touring" are known to stray from the "Letter of the Law."

YES.

Animals are a BIG issue on the B-Roads here and they NEVER cross at the "Animal Crossing Areas" marked specifically for their use and safety.


It is like they cannot read or flat out refuse to.

And ticketing them for J-Walking is useless



Blind turns and hills MUST ALWAYS be executed at or below the suggested speed. There are plenty more which have a good field of view ahead. A friend (the guy who converted a belt-timed 308 into a chain-timed 308) met a (John) Deere in his TR once in this fashion (blind curve/hill) on an early SAT morning years ago coming out of a farmer's field.

Everyone to include the Deere was fine. The TR was DOA.

 

+308!! Well put!

Ruben

 

Living in the Austria mountains, you have to go early or late to avoid tourist traffic, farmers on tractors...or senior citizens driving 45 km/hr.
6:30am or after 7:30pm....
Animals are an issue too. Particularly cows on some of the better mountain roads close by.
But one good drive on one of these roads is enough of a fix to make up for those days your stuck behind a camper van from Holland for 30 minutes. Set your alarm and go early to avoid the bug splatter....

 

True that... My Great Uncle rounded a bend at Le Mans and plowed into a flock of sheep that were in the middle of the road the afternoon before the race. He spent most of the night re-building the front end of his Bentley... Did pretty well the next day though...

Best,

John Duff.