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DRIVING - LANE DISCIPLINE

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Print this page DRIVING - LANE DISCIPLINE

Position when moving off

A driver must generally drive as near to the left hand side of the road as is necessary to allow approaching traffic to pass and following traffic to overtake on the right (without danger or inconvenience).

When it is necessary to move from this normal left hand side of the road, as for example when overtaking, turning right or when passing pedestrians, cyclists or parked vehicles, make sure it is safe to do so.

When it is necessary, check in your mirror to ensure another vehicle is not approaching from behind, give a clear signal to warn traffic in good time of your intentions and proceed with your manoeuvre.

Traffic Lanes

"A driver should not drive from one traffic lane to another without good cause, and without yielding the right of way to traffic in that other lane". It is clear, therefore, - where traffic lanes are provided, drive in them. If you have good cause to change lanes, check in good time that the way is clear and indicate before moving over.

At the approach to some junctions the lanes are marked with arrows which indicate the direction(s) which traffic in a particular lane should take. You must obey the arrow markings unless it is not possible for you to do so without causing danger or inconvenience to other traffic or pedestrians.

Overtaking

Do not overtake unless you can do so without risk to yourself or to others. You should be able to see that the road is clear for a sufficient distance to enable you to overtake. Be particularly careful of hills or dips in the road, bends, bridges, road narrowing or pedestrian crossings. Note also the rules regarding roadway markings (continuous and broken, single and double white lines) referred to earlier.

You must also check your mirror to ensure that another vehicle is not approaching from behind intending to overtake too.

• Where zig-zag markings are provided on the approaches to Pelican or Zebra Crossings or Pedestrian Lights you must not overtake within the areas marked by these lines.

• Before overtaking check that the way is clear, check in your mirror to ensure another vehicle is not approaching from behind, give your signal in good time, move out when it is safe to do so, accelerate and overtake with the minimum of delay. When you are well past, signal and gradually move in again making sure not to cut across the vehicle you have passed.

• Extra care should be taken when overtaking a vehicle displaying a "LONG VEHICLE" sign. This means that the vehicle is at least 13 metres long and you will require significant road length to pass it.

• Normally you must overtake on the right but overtaking on the left is permitted -
  • When the driver ahead has moved out and given a right turn signal and you intend to go straight ahead or turn left.
  • When you intend to turn left and have signalled this intention.
  • Where traffic is moving slowly and the vehicles in the lane on your right are moving more slowly than the traffic in your lane.

DO NOT ACCELERATE WHEN YOU ARE BEING OVERTAKEN.