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It's not though.
As part of my Bike Safe course, i was followed by a Police bike for 6 hours and given pointers and tips when we stopped roughly 5 or 6 times. During those, i was encouraged to increase my speed when overtaking beyond what i was already doing.
By the end of the day, i was overtaking at 50 in a 40 etc, whilst being followed by a Police bike. It certainly drew a few odd looks from drivers I was passing.
Passed the course with distinction though...
If someone is doing 45 in a 50 for no need, it's better to pass that person at 60mph than 50mph so that the maneuver is made as quickly as possible. Obviously you'd then return to an appropriate speed.
Soul-
It is though. Pretty sure hippy is right. I looked this up when I went through a speed camera overtaking a lorry one time. If you can't overtake at the speed limit, you aren't supposed to overtake.
However you are right that it's safer to overtake as quickly as possible in many cases, and the police know that. Certainly when I overtook that lorry my main concern was getting back into my lane ASAP. I think it's more a case of them allowing you to skirt the law slightly for your own safety.
Edit: I didn't get a speeding ticket, apparently there's no film in any of the cameras along the A1 or something
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Has that excuse ever worked for riders caught speeding during an overtake?
In Oz, where they're a lot stricter on speeding, the cops would simply say "if you couldn't pass them while remaining under the speed limit you shouldn't have passed them.
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If someone is doing 45 in a 50 for no need, it's better to pass that person at 60mph than 50mph
Sorry, but that's bonkers. If someone's driving 5mph under the maximum speed limit for the road and you can't overtake them without exceeding the speed limit, surely the safe thing to do is to drive at the same speed? The idea that they're being somehow dangerous or unnecessary by not driving as fast as they legally can baffles me.
frankenbike
hippy
AlexD
ftfy