Overtaking other vehicles is one of the most dangerous
driving manoeuvres. Many road crashes, some of them causing deaths, are the
result of insufficient care when overtaking. There will be times when you toss
up in your mind whether to overtake or not. If in any doubt, don’t!
No doubt
Overtaking always involves risk, whether you're on a
multi-lane city motorway or a single lane country road.
So the number one rule is: if you have any doubts about the
safety of overtaking, don't do it.
To the right
You must overtake on the right unless you and the vehicle
you want to overtake are travelling in marked lanes on a multi-lane road or the
vehicle you want to overtake is waiting to turn right and giving a right turn
signal – in these cases you may overtake on the left side if it is safe.
Judging when it’s safe
This is the difficult bit, particularly for new drivers. Country roads can be tough: speeds are high and the road may be unfamiliar to you. As a new driver, it’s best to be extra-cautious about how much road you need to overtake. Forget about the line of traffic behind you and be patient.
Ask yourself: do I really need to overtake? Remember, as a Learner license holder, your maximum speed is restricted (80 km/h for Learners and 90 km/h for P1 drivers). And it doesn’t matter what license you have, you cannot go above the speed limit to overtake.
- You must not overtake unless you have a clear view of any
approaching traffic and you can complete the manoeuvre safely with plenty of
margin for error.
- Don’t begin to overtake when approaching a crest in the
road, a curve or any other situation where your view of the road is limited.
Remember that even on a straight stretch, a dip in the road can conceal an
oncoming vehicle.
- On country roads, look out for signs indicating that there
are overtaking lanes ahead. These offer a safer place to overtake but care is
still required, particularly when traffic is heavy.
- Be sure to look carefully ahead at what is happening. A
vehicle ahead of the one you want to overtake might be stopping or stopped at a
pedestrian crossing, intersection or railway crossing. Also watch for vehicles
waiting to turn right.
- If the road narrows ahead there might not be enough room to
safely overtake.
- Check side streets and other lanes to ensure nothing will
enter your space while overtaking.
- Don’t overtake a vehicle that is slowing down, it may be
slowing to make a right turn into a street or driveway.
Crossing the line
You can't overtake across a solid (continuous) line, unless
the line closest to you is broken. But remember, just because a line is broken
it doesn't mean it’s safe to overtake. You have to judge the circumstances for
yourself.
When you’re ready to
overtake
- Check your mirrors.
- Signal that you’re going to change your position for long
enough to give sufficient warning to others.
- Check your blind spots before turning your wheel to move
out.
- Overtake and pull back into your lane with plenty of space
between you and the other vehicle. You should be able to see the vehicle you
have overtaken in your rear vision mirror before you change lanes to move in
front of it. You must also check your blind spot to pull back in.
- If you're overtaking on a country road at night (a situation
that requires extreme caution), then you need to think about your lights. You
may find it necessary to put on your high beam when you draw level with the car
you’re overtaking so you can get a good view of the road ahead.
Flashing
When you overtake another vehicle, you’re allowed to briefly
flash your high beams immediately before starting to overtake.
If you're being
overtaken
- Don't increase your speed. This will make the situation more
risky for everyone on the road.
- Keep left and allow reasonable space for the overtaking
vehicle to pass and move back into the lane.
- Keep within your lane.
Stay left
If you’re driving on a multi-lane road, you should stay in
the left lane unless overtaking. If the speed limit is over 80 km/h or there is
a ‘Keep left unless overtaking’ sign then you MUST keep left.
If there are three lanes and the left lane has many vehicles
travelling at a slower speed than you, stay in the middle lane. After you have
passed them, you should return to the left lane. The right lane is generally
reserved for overtaking so move out of it as soon as it is safe.
Bikes of all kinds
Allow motorcycles as much space as a car when overtaking.
If you’re overtaking a bicycle rider, give them at least one
metre of space to the side in a 50 km/h zone. If the speed limit is higher, you
need to give the cyclist more space.
Dodgy overtakers
Country driving requires special care. The higher speed
means that when things go wrong, it usually happens very quickly.
The FRSC has some good tips on avoiding dodgy overtaking
behaviour by other drivers. They encourage drivers to look far ahead up the
road. This will allow you to position the car correctly for the road conditions
and alignment and to see potential problems before you have to deal with them.
An impatient driver in a line of oncoming traffic is a
potential danger. The driver might be poking his or her car across the
centreline, looking for the slimmest opportunity to overtake and potentially
endangering everyone else on the road. If you see this, you should slow down,
keep an eye on the dodgy driver as he or she approaches and move as far to the
left as you safely can.
Mythbuster
Many people believe you are allowed to go above the speed
limit to overtake as long as you drop back again after the manoeuvre. This
isn’t true – you cannot break the speed limit at any time!
Large vehicles.
Overtaking these is more difficult. You
should
- Drop back. This will increase your ability to see ahead and
should allow the driver of the large vehicle to see you in their mirrors.
Getting too close to large vehicles, including agricultural vehicles such as a
tractor with a trailer or other fixed equipment, will obscure your view of the
road ahead and there may be another slow-moving vehicle in front
- Make sure that you
have enough room to complete your overtaking manoeuvre before committing
yourself. It takes longer to pass a large vehicle. If in doubt do not overtake
Not assume you can follow a vehicle ahead which is
overtaking a long vehicle. If a problem develops, they may abort overtaking and
pull back in
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