Please remember every aspect of the topics I cover in my Blogs can not be covered or addressed within a short Blog. What I give are some points.
When is it not permitted to overtake?
• When you cannot see the road for a good distance ahead. Eg. On approach to a humpback bridge, a dip or series of dips, a brow of a hill, approaching a junction, or any type of crossings.
(In other words, think of the safety of both you and other road users)
What is the procedure when someone overtakes you?
Hold your speed, don’t accelerate and keep as near to the left as safely possible.
Can I overtake on the left?
Yes but only in the below situations.
• When you intend to turn left and have signalled.
• When traffic in both lanes is moving slowly but the right lane is moving slower than traffic in the left lane.
• When the vehicle in front has signalled to turn right and has moved towards the centre of the road or into a right lane.
What checks must I do before overtaking?
• Check it is legal to overtake for example, obeying road linage and markings.
• Check that you have enough distance to overtake and get back on your own side safely and without cutting in on the vehicle you are overtaking.
Procedure for overtaking;
Check Road ahead is clear to overtake
Glance in left mirror
Glance in rear view mirror while signalling right
Glance in right mirror
Check blind spot (blind spot on right)
Move out, accelerate and overtake without delay. (when moving out to overtake veer gradually rather than swerve).
When you have overtaken the vehicle make sure you have given good clearance before moving back in.
Glance in rear view mirror
Glance in left side mirror
Check blind spot (blind spot on left)
Then veer back in gradually to your own side of the road and again without delay.
The procedure looks like a lot has to be done but all steps should run into each other smoothly and without delay.
When you do not intend to overtake the vehicle in front, hold back, leaving a sufficient space for following traffic to overtake you.
NOTE
Never follow a vehicle that is overtaking. Allow the vehicle to overtake and return to their own side before you overtake.
Never break the speed limit to overtake.
