It has often seen on road, while overtaking people usually are in hurry and end up ignoring the road rule, which may result in fatal accidents.
Braybrook driving lessons must have told you to position your car always on left side of your lane for safe driving. They also must have told you to keep your car on the left unless you are trying to overtake any vehicle ahead of you.
However, often many people misunderstand this important road rule while driving. Let us therefore discuss in this article about overtaking.
Following are few things that you must remember while overtaking any car.
While overtaking drivers must:
- Never go over your speed limit
- Provide signal by using indicator much in advance, so that other drivers can get the sufficient warning
- Don’t forget to check mirrors
- Offer way to other traffic on the lane where you are trying to move into
- Always overtake from right unless the other vehicle is also waiting to turn right, or any vehicle is stationary, or in case you and other vehicles are travelling in the marked lanes. In such instances, you can overtake on left side if you find it is safe
- Never overtake/pass any other vehicles on school crossings or any pedestrian
- Always keep yourself within your lane.
- Ensure that the road ahead is fully clear and there is enough space to successfully overtake
- Keep sufficient space between other vehicles to avoid collision
You must never overtake:
- Unless there is clear view of surrounding traffic else you should avoid overtaking.
- If any vehicle coming to stop or any vehicle which has stopped at pedestrian crossing, railway crossing or intersection.
- Across an unbroken line, unless line close to you has broken
- If road is narrow
On roads with speed limit is above 80 km/h you should not drive in right lane unless:
- You are overtaking
- You are turning right
- You are legally making a U-turn
- A left lane is available and must turn with left sign or any left-lane traffic arrow
- Marked lanes are little congested
- Avoiding an obstruction
- Right lane is special purpose lane
- Left lane has slow vehicle trying to make left turn
When you are overtaken you must:
- Never increase your speed
- Position at left and allow enough space for overtaking vehicle for passing and move into the lane
- Position within your lane
Both single and multi-lane overtaking will involve risk and need extreme care. In case, you have doubts, prefer to avoid overtaking and wait till it is safe.
Car drivers should offer bicycle riders minimum a metre space
There is rule for minimum passing distance that will help ensure bicycle riders as well as motorists remain safe while sharing our roads. Every driver needs to respect the space of each other to make sure all who are on the road stay safe.
If you are passing any bicycle rider should allow a minimum distance of:
- One metre when speed limit is maximum 60km/h or less
When speed limit is above 60km/h then maintains 1.5 metres distance.