Overtaking

Leave a safe distance between you and the vehicle you intend to overtake.

Use the appropriate parts of the MSM/PSL routine. For example

Mirrors Check behind to verify the speed, course and position of traffic behind you.

Position You should be able to move out smoothly to the right without making any sudden movements.

Speed Make sure you’re going fast enough or can accelerate quickly enough to overtake without blocking any vehicle coming up behind.

Look Look ahead and use your mirrors to check whether there’s anything preventing you from overtaking safely; for example, a lane closure ahead or traffic coming up much faster from behind in the right-hand lane.

Try to anticipate whether the vehicle ahead will move out to overtake.

A quick sideways glance into the blind area might sometimes be necessary before you change lanes.

Remember LADA

• Look
• Assess well ahead
• Decide – don’t rush
• Act – only when you’re sure it’s safe.

Mirrors

You must use your mirrors regularly and be aware of drivers around you. Remember that vehicles coming up in the right-hand lane are likely to be moving faster than you are. Watch out particularly for motorcyclists, as they’re more difficult to see. Watch for vehicles returning to the lane you intend to use.

Signal

You should signal well before you start to move out. This gives drivers behind you plenty of time to anticipate what you intend to do and could influence any manoeuvres they’re planning.

Pulling out

Check your mirrors again, and take a quick sideways glance into the blind spot, before pulling out smoothly into an overtaking lane. Overtake as quickly and safely as possible. Be aware that, for a period, you’ll be in the blind spot of the vehicle you’re overtaking.

Moving back to the left

Pass the vehicle and signal, if necessary, before moving back to the left as soon as you’re sure it’s safe to do so. Don’t cut in too soon in front of the vehicle you’ve just passed.

Look well ahead for any vehicles about to move into the lane that you intend to join. Allow plenty of room. Finally, make sure your indicator signal cancels properly.

Overtaking on the left

Never overtake on the left, unless the traffic is moving in queues and the queue on your right is moving more slowly than the queue you’re in.

Overtaking on busy motorways

If you come up behind traffic moving more slowly than you are when you’re overtaking, be patient and

• don’t intimidate the driver ahead by flashing your headlights and driving dangerously close behind
• wait until the vehicle ahead can move safely to the left, then proceed.

Defensive driving

Let faster traffic pass you. If other drivers are breaking the speed limit, don’t add to the danger by trying to enforce the legal speed limit.

Don’t move to a lane on the left to overtake.

Never use the hard shoulder to overtake – unless directed to do so by traffic signs at roadworks, by police officers or by traffic officers in uniform.