Overtaking at speed can be a difficult at the best of times, trying to pass a vehicle with an abnormal load can be incredibly dangerous.
A clip shows how reckless behaviour can lead to extremely dangerous situations on our roads.
A video, posted REZA, shows an impatient driver (behind what appears to be a Honda Jazz) driving dangerously close to an abnormally loaded vehicle.
Keep your distance
The driver hovers near to the edge of the road and decides to overtake a heavy vehicle on a dirt road. The clips shows how the driver veers off the road and hits an embankment, crashes off road. GTP_Traffstats adds that the huge construction vehicle should've been escorted on the road.
View the clip below:
READ: Top 5 safety tips: Put the brakes on dangerous driving
GTP_Traffstats said: "Common sense is not Common amongst Drivers in South Africa. That type of Abnormal Load is also supposed to have escort Vehicles front and rear as would be stipulated on the authorising permit."
Arrive Alive’s Johan Jonck said: "We agree that this is one of the examples of a crash caused by impatience, poor following distance and carelessness with regards to overtaking.
Following Distance should be increased when following heavy vehicles. Show Patience and Share Roads Responsibly."
Here are a few driving tips for safe driving and following distance:
• Stopping to close to a vehicle at an intersection.
• Failure to ensure there is clear space before manoeuvring.
• Not observing and scanning for vehicles in the blind spot.
• Failure to ensure that there are always escape routes available and to adapt speed, following distance and position on the road when there are not.
• Inappropriate speed for traffic, road and weather conditions.
• Failure to observe the environment and traffic pattern and react predictively.
• Failure to use the correct lane for progress and visibility.
• Yielding at stop streets Not checking and assuming the right of way at intersections.
• Costing to a stop with the clutch engaged.
• Clutching before braking, coasting (where the driver engages neutral before coming to a stop), slipping the clutch, (engaging “half-clutch” for longer than is necessary; riding the clutch (when the driver rests the foot on the clutch) or when a driver brakes or clutches going into a turn or a bend.
•"Multiple vehicles overtaking.