Overtaking

Remember that you willl be on the other side of the road when you are overtaking another vehicle. This in itself conductive to danger, unless you are on a dual carriage way with two or more lanes.

Recommended procedure for overtaking:

- Keep reasonably well back of the vehicle in front, especially if it is a truck which obscures your vision. This will enable you to see ahead for on-coming vehicle.

- Assess the distance, speed and type of on-coming vehicle(car, lorry, tractor, etc)

- Engage lower gear to gain acceleration and glance at the rear view mirror to ensure that no other vehicle is overtaking you.

- Use the horn(daytime) or the flash the lights(night time) to make the vehicle aware of your presence and manoeuver

- Overtake as quickly as possible. Be decisive and accelerate hard to hasten the manoeuver and return to your lane

- Only return to your lane by giving enough room and not impede the overtaken vehicle in any way

- Once in your lane glance at the rear view miror to check whether anyone is trying to pass you if the road ahead is still clear

Do Not:

- Swing out to see if the road ahead is clear

- Attempt to overtake around bends or brow of hills

- Overtake in a high gear, unless you are on a highway ad travelling reasonably fast

- Overtake slowly with gentle acceleration

- Swerve in early, endangering the vehicle you have just overtaken

- Stay too long on the opposite lane. A vehicle may come onto it from a side road or lane. Silently pass the vehicle ahead which may not be aware of your overtaking manoeuver.( unless you flash lights at night)