Basic safety rules while overtaking other vehicles

On several occasions, many of us have been in that situation where we are stuck behind a slow traveller wanting to overtake but not really sure whether we can. In this weekend’s edition, we have put together a few tips to help the motoring public make a decision that could seriously affect their life and the lives of others.

To overtake someone, you have to consider several factors, which include visibility of the road ahead, a clear understanding of where other vehicles on the road are situated and how they may react to your move, depth perception and judgement and knowledge of how your vehicle responds to your inputs.

It’s important to know where to overtake as well as to assess the road you’re travelling on. A single lane road is the most difficult as these tend to be meaner, have oncoming traffic and feature several blind rises and corners, while dual-lane roads tend to be straighter and have the benefit of that extra lane.

Make sure that the stretch you overtake on is without any junctions, hasn’t got a solid line and where there is a straight piece of road long enough for you to safely complete the manoeuvre.

The absolute no-no’s of overtaking include overtaking on the left-hand side, where a vehicle has stopped up front, if there are pedestrians in the area, around a vehicle at a yield sign, where visibility is poor, when the road is congested, around a bend, over a hill or a blind rise, on a gravel road, at level crossings and near road construction sites.