Overtaking safely
Take care when overtaking on NSW roads. If you have any doubts, wait until it's safer. Before overtaking, always check your mirrors and blind spots.
Care when overtaking
Be careful when overtaking. You need to accurately judge the space you need to pass another vehicle safely. If you have any doubts, wait until it’s safer.
Always give other vehicles enough room to overtake, merge or change lanes.
When you must not overtake
You must not overtake another vehicle:
- across an unbroken dividing line (single or double)
- when you do not have a clear view of approaching traffic, for example, before a crest or curve or if you have limited visibility
- when a vehicle is stopping or has stopped at a pedestrian crossing, intersection or railway crossing
- where a road narrows.
How to overtake safely
The faster a vehicle is travelling, the more distance and time you need to overtake.
Before overtaking another vehicle:
- check the road ahead is clear, with enough distance for you to safely overtake
- check side streets and other lanes to make sure nothing will enter your overtaking space
- check mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles and other vehicles
- indicate to warn other drivers you intend to overtake.
When overtaking:
- stay under the speed limit
- make sure there’s room to move back into the lane (you should be able to see the vehicle in your rear vision mirror)
- indicate when you move back into your lane.
Overtaking on the left
The only time you can overtake on the left is when the vehicle you’re overtaking is:
- waiting to turn right or make a U-turn from the centre of the road
- stopped
- travelling on a multi-lane road.
To overtake a vehicle turning right or making a U-turn from the centre of the road, you can:
- use the left lane
- drive on, across or outside edge lines for up to 100m
- drive in a bus lane, transit lane or truck lane for a maximum of 100m
- drive in a bicycle lane or tram lane for a maximum of 50m.
Overtaking long vehicles
You should take extreme care when overtaking long or oversize vehicles such as a truck or bus or a vehicle towing a caravan or trailer. You should allow more time to pass and make sure you can see the road ahead.
Do not overtake turning vehicle
Some long vehicles have a ‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’ sign. These vehicles may use more than one lane when turning right or left.
When a vehicle displays a ‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’ sign, you must not:
- overtake on the left when the vehicle is turning left
- overtake on the right when the vehicle is turning right, unless it’s safe to do so.
When a vehicle displays a ‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’ sign, you must not overtake on the left, unless it’s safe to do so and:
- you’re driving on a multi-lane road
- the vehicle is stationary
- the vehicle is turning right or making a U-turn.
Overtaking motorcycles
When overtaking a motorcycle, follow the same rules and give them as much space as a car.
Give motorcycles plenty of room when overtaking
Overtaking bicycles
When overtaking bicycles, you must allow a distance between you and the rider of at least:
- 1m when the speed limit is 60km/h or less
- 1.5m when the speed limit is more than 60km/h.
To overtake a bicycle, you should have a clear view of approaching traffic. Only overtake if it’s safe to do so. If necessary, when overtaking a bicycle you can:
- drive to the right of the centre of the road
- cross or straddle dividing lines (broken or unbroken, single or double)
- drive on flat painted islands and median strips.
Bicycles can overtake a vehicle on the left.
Overtaking on bridges
When there’s a ‘No overtaking or passing’ sign on a bridge, you:
- must give way to vehicles approaching in the opposite direction
- must not overtake any vehicle travelling in the same direction.
When you’re being overtaken
You must not increase your speed when the other vehicle is crossing a dividing line or the centre of the road to overtake you.
When being overtaken, you should:
- stay in your lane
- keep left
- allow room for the overtaking vehicle to pass and move back into the lane.
Keep left unless overtaking
On a road where there's a 'Keep left unless overtaking' sign or a speed limit of more than 80km/h, you must not drive in the right lane, unless you're:
- overtaking
- turning right
- making a U-turn
- not turning left and there's a 'Left lane must turn left' sign or traffic lights with a left arrow signal
- avoiding an obstruction
- driving in traffic that’s stopped or travelling slowly in the left lane
- driving a bus or a truck and the right lane is for buses or trucks only
- overtaking a slow vehicle making a left turn.
