14 HIGHWAY CODE Overtaking
Rules 162 169 Overtaking
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On congested roads, there are often few safe opportunities to overtake, so it’s important to get it right. Driving puts the advice of the Highway Code into practice
Overtaking is arguably the driving manoeuvre with the greatest potential for risk. As local councils decrease the speed limits of many out-of-town roads from the national speed limit to as low as 40mph in some areas, opportunities to overtake on single carriageway roads are becoming few and far between. So the majority of overtaking manoeuvres are being limited to dual carriageways and motorways, leaving many drivers uncertain of how to overtake in two-way traffic. The Highway Code gives advice on what you should and should
not do, with rules 162-169 covering information for all road types. Rule 162 applies regardless of the carriageway you are on.
Before you overtake you should make sure that the road ahead is sufficiently clear, make sure you are not about to be overtaken and there is a suitable space in front of the road user you plan to overtake. If we put this into a system of driving, it means observation should made towards the far ground, middle ground, near ground and behind. Think of casting a fishing line. The line will start behind you then you cast it out in front of you as far as you can then reel it in, before starting the process again. Probably the most important rule is R163: you should only overtake if it is safe and legal to do so. To that we should add ‘and necessary’. To carry out the manoeuvre safely we need to assess the speed and position of vehicles in front and behind. On dual carriageways and motorways we need to identify a gap into which we can fit to change lanes safely, but when driving on two- lane carriageways, planning often needs to start earlier, because following traffic will not have the option of making room for you by changing to a lane on their right. This could involve reducing speed a little to allow overtaking vehices time to pass. The road position needs to be near enough to the slower
vehicle in front, to gain a good view of the road ahead, but without tailgating. Remember the two-second rule
should be maintained throughout the manoeuvre and don’t get caught up in the red mist of overtaking at all costs. If you intend to overtake a large vehicle (R164) you will need to allow a minimum of three or four seconds following distance. Speed is the next consideration. Consider the speed limit for
the road you are travelling on, the speed at which you’re driving, the speed of the slower vehicle and the speed that you may need to reach in order to overtake and return to the left without cutting in. The gear selected needs to be powerful enough for brisk acceleration past the slower vehicle; sometimes this may involve changing down for extra power. If you are on a dual carriageway your speed must be sufficient to maintain a steady progress without baulking traffic in your intended lane (Rule 168/169/267). Looking to the far ground you should be able to identify any potential hazards such as junctions, bends, pedestrian crossings, hill crests or dead ground (a dip in the road which can hide traffic). Long hazard lines or solid white lines on your side of the road, often precede these hazards (Rule 165/166/167). On a dual carriageway/motorways you should make certain that the vehicle in front is not likely to change lanes for any reason. If it is – hold back. If all is still OK, make the final
check and use the mirror, signal, manoevre (MSM) routine.
driving | April / May 2011
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