Rules of the road when it comes to passing on the left

According to Tuning Up For Drivers, on page 102, passing other vehicles is a manoeuvre that should be used sparingly.

If you’re behind a vehicle that’s going well below the speed limit, you may want to pass. But if it’s not very far to where you plan to turn off, then passing may not be smart.

Do you really need to pass that vehicle ahead of you? It might be wiser to stay where you are until a better opportunity to pass presents itself.

A quick check of the Motor Vehicle Act finds section 159. It simply states a driver of a vehicle must not drive to the left side of the roadway in overtaking and passing another vehicle unless the driver can do so in safety. Of course, this means everyone's safety, not just that of the driver doing the passing.

Section 160 requires a driver of a vehicle must not drive to, or on, the left side of the roadway, other than on a one-way highway, unless the driver has a clear view of the roadway for a safe distance, having regard for all the circumstances.

Do you consider anything other than whether the oncoming lane is empty or not? Intersections and driveways could be the source of trouble as the drivers turning right from them tend to look to their left for conflicting traffic.

Also, the road ahead is straight, but it may not be flat. Vertical view obstructions, such as a dip in the road, can temporarily hide an oncoming car completely.

We also have to consider section 151, which tells us how to proceed depending on the lines painted on the road at the point where we wish to pass.

Each solid or broken line, or combination of the two, may permit or forbid passing on the left according to the type and colour of the marking. (Here's more information on the subject of lines.)

Once we have decided it is safe, we can see sufficiently far and the lines permit the movement, section 158 says a driver must pass on the left at a safe distance, and must not return to the right side of the highway until his or her vehicle is safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.

Remember the two-second rule? Don't tailgate prior to passing and when you move back to the right, don't force the driver behind you into a tailgating situation.

Before you move to start or complete the pass, according to section 151, you have to make the appropriate signal moving from one lane to another.

Finally, section 146 prohibits a driver from exceeding the speed limit in order to pass. If you must speed in order to pass the vehicle in front of you, it may be that you have chosen the wrong place to do it or you don't need to pass at all.

The pedal of choice to react to an unexpected situation could be the brake, not the accelerator.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.