Knowing when it is safe to pass and when it’s not can save your life. Here are Top Driver Education’s rules of the road for passing.
Never Pass if…
- …the car in front of you is already going the maximum speed limit. If you have to speed in order to pass the car in front of you, you could still get a speeding ticket.
- …there’s a line of cars. First, you should never pass more than one cars. Second, if you’re following the first rule, you’ll only be one car ahead in the pack which won’t make much difference in the long run.
- …there’s inclement weather. If the other drivers on the road are moving more slowly, there is likely a reason for it. If you speed up and go to pass someone in the snow, you could hit black ice and cause an accident. You could also hydroplane if it’s raining. Not to mention, during inclement weather conditions you have a shorter sightline to see if there are oncoming vehicles.
- …you’re in town. The infrastructure in town is such that cars are consistently turning, changing speed, and entering the roadway. With all that going on, it is extremely unsafe to try to pass while in town.
- …you’re approaching an intersection. When coming up on intersections you don’t have the visibility to see if cars are turning to enter the roadway. If you merge into the left lane to pass and a car is also turning into that lane, you could cause a serious accident going full-speed.
- …there’s construction. When you’re driving in construction you need to be twice as cautious to make sure you’re not endangering construction workers. With so much going on, you should never pass in construction.
- …there’s frequent oncoming traffic. Never pass unless you can see a fully clear road ahead.
- …there’s a truck you can’t see around. If you can’t see around a truck, you should never pass since you can’t ensure that the roadway is clear.
Top Driver is one of the leaders in driver’s education, with simulation courses and intelligent teaching strategies. Visit us online at topdriver.com or call (888) 471-5418 today!