Shocking crash footage shows the danger of trying to overtake on a tight country road

A SHOCKING video has revealed the risk of overtaking on a narrow road.

And the footage has prompted calls from safety experts to take greater care when driving in the country.

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Posted to Facebook group VOSA Watch Derry, the video shows a Ford Focus attempting to overtake a red van on a narrow road between Strabane and Clady in Northern Ireland.

Shockingly, the driver of the red van tries to overtake a third car without checking their blind spot and collides with the Focus.

The grey motor is then forced off the road and pinned against a large hedge, before slamming into another bush.

Thankfully, the driver is able to get control of the vehicle and comes to a stop in the middle of the road.

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It's unknown if anyone was injured in the incident.

But the footage has sparked calls for drivers to take greater care when overtaking.

Rebecca Ashton, head of driver behaviour at IAM RoadSmart, said: "It is vital to check your mirrors and blind spot when overtaking. The common sense approach is do not attempt to overtake unless you are sure you can do so safely and without causing risk or inconvenience to another road user.

"One way to avoid feeling the need to overtake when in a hurry is to make sure you always leave plenty of time for your journey, so you do not feel pressured to exceed speed limits or make risky overtaking decisions.

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"If you are planning a route which includes driving on single carriageway roads, you should consider allowing extra time for the journey. Isn’t it always the case that you get stuck behind something when you are in a hurry?

"If you are following a slower moving vehicle, the first thing you should ask yourself is … do I need to? Then can I do it safely? Have I observed fully and is it clear and safe for me to carry out the overtake?

"When driving a van good mirror check and blind spot check are extremely important, as you don’t have the luxury of rear windows to assist you when trying to check if it’s clear."