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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.
AlexD-
Colliding with an oncoming car is bad, so people want to minimise the amount of time they're in the wrong lane, hence they go faster than the speed limit during the overtake.
What is supposed to happen is the lorry driver doing 10 mph below the speed limit pulls over to allow the long queue of people behind him to pass. But unfortunately they are incentivised to never stop by their employers.
(On the very rare occasions that I drive these days, if I'm behind someone slow I sit and wait, like you suggest, after the speed camera incident I mentioned above.)
frankenbike
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.