General
- The general rule of the road is keep left, pass right.
- When overtaking, keep a clear space around your vehicle and the one you are passing (don't cut in).
- If overtaking a stationary object or vehicle (for example a bus), watch out for people who might walk out in front of it.
- Signal your intention to overtake.
- While preparing to overtake, don't encroach on the right of the road so that it is not safe for oncoming traffic.
You may not overtake when
- Forbidden to by no overtaking signs or road markings (solid lines).
- At a pedestrian crossing.
- Unless you can do it without going onto the right hand side of the road (in other words if the road is wide enough) or if it's a one way, you may not overtake when:
- You can't see the road ahead or oncoming traffic.
- Near the summit of a rise (coming up to the top of a hill).
- On a blind curve or corner.
Overtaking on the left
- You can never drive on the road shoulder or verge or to the left of the edge line to overtake.
- As long as you don't do this, you may overtake on the left:
- When the driver in front of you is turning right
- If the road is a one-way and wide enough for two cars (in an urban area)
- If the lane you are in is wide enough for two cars (in an urban area)
- If there is more than one lane going in your direction
- If traffic officer tells you to.
Being overtaken
- Keep as far to the left as is safe.
- Maintain a constant speed. Do not speed up.
- You may move onto the road shoulder if you are being overtaken under certain circumstances (see below).
Road shoulders
- The road shoulder is the section inside the yellow line on the left of the road.
- The only time you can drive on it is when:
- You are going onto the road shoulder to let someone pass, and
- There is only one lane going in each direction, and
- It is safe to do so, and
- You can see ahead for at least 150m, and
- It is day time (between sunrise and sunset).
Freeways
- If you're in the 'fast' lane (furthest right lane going in your direction) on a freeway and you want to overtake someone in front of you, you can flash your headlights at them.
- If you're in the fast lane and someone flashes you to show they want to overtake, move to the left as soon as it is safe to do so.