Passing

Many serious crashes on our roads are caused by dangerous passing.

To safely pass another vehicle, you need to be extremely careful. You must have a clear view of the road ahead, to make sure you can finish passing safely. You must also pay close attention to the vehicle you’re passing, in case it changes its course.

Passing on the right

Passing on the right can be dangerous, especially if you have to:

• change your path of travel
• enter a lane or part of the road used by oncoming vehicles.

Before passing, always ask yourself, ‘do I really need to pass?’ Don’t pass just because you’re feeling impatient with the vehicle in front – that’s often when crashes happen. 

If you do decide to pass, follow the rules below.

Before you pass:

• make sure you'll be able to see at least 100 metres of clear road for the whole time you're passing – if not, don’t pass
• look well ahead to make sure there are no vehicles coming towards you
• look behind to make sure there are no vehicles passing you
• signal right for at least 3 seconds and check your blind spot before moving out to pass.

Passing on the right

Before pulling in front of a vehicle you've passed:

• make sure you can see the vehicle in your rear-view mirror
• signal left for at least 3 seconds.

Passing on the left

You can only pass on the left when:

• there are 2 or more lanes on your side of the centre line and you're able to pass safely by using the left-hand lane
• you're directed to by a police officer
• the vehicle you're passing:
  • has stopped, or
  • is signalling a right turn, or
  • is turning right.

At all other times, when you're passing, you must pass on the right.

No-passing line

On some sections of road there will be a solid yellow line painted on your side of the centre line. This line is called a no-passing line. 

No-passing lines are usually there because it’s unsafe to cross the centre line to pass, because features like hills and curves make it impossible to see if there’s oncoming traffic. 

Sometimes no-passing lines are marked because:

• there’s already a passing lane on your side of the road and you must use that to pass
• the road is multi-laned, so you don't need to cross the no-passing line to pass.

You must not pass a motor vehicle or animal-drawn vehicle if it means you have to cross over a no-passing line on your side of the centre line. 

If you see a broken yellow line on your side of the centre line, that means that a no-passing line is about to start. 

While you may come back over the broken yellow line to finish passing, you must not cross it to start passing.

As shown in the picture above:

• you may come back over the broken yellow line between A and B to finish passing
• you must not cross the solid yellow line between C and D.

You can pass at a no-passing line if:

• you stay on your side of the solid yellow line, and
• you can see 100 metres of clear road in front of you for the whole time while you're passing, and
• the lane is wide enough for 2 vehicles.

Passing without crossing the no passing line

Passing without crossing the centre line

Passing on a 3-laned road

If there's no solid yellow line on your side of the centre line, you may use the centre lane to pass as long as:

• there are no vehicles in that lane, and
• you can see 100 metres of clear road in front of you for the whole time while you're passing.

Don’t use the centre lane to pass if there's an oncoming vehicle in the centre lane.

Passing on a 3-laned road

Passing a cyclist

You should allow at least 1.5 metres between you and a person riding a bicycle when passing. If you can’t pass safely, slow down and wait behind the cyclist until you can. 

Sometimes a rider may want to move to the centre of the lane to keep safe. This is called taking the lane. You can use a flush median to pass a rider as long as you can do it safely. 

Using a flush median to pass a cyclist

Situations when riders may take the lane are:

• on roundabouts
• turning right at intersections
• turning left at intersections
• when the road is too narrow for motor vehicles to safely pass them
• when parked car doors might unexpectedly open in their path. 

Cyclist taking the lane at an intersection

You may see a sharrow marking in these situations. 

The sharrow road marking shows where riders are likely to ride in the centre of the lane for safety. You should slow down and follow the riders until the road widens and you can pass safely, or use another lane to pass them.

Sharrow road marking

Where you must not pass

Remember, it’s against the law to cross over a no-passing line on your side of the centre line to pass another vehicle. But this isn’t the only situation where you mustn’t pass. There are other situations where passing is both unsafe and illegal. 

Don’t pass any vehicle that’s stopped, or is slowing down, for people on a pedestrian crossing.

Illegal passing near a pedestrian crossing

Don’t pass any vehicle when you’re coming to a blind corner or curve. A blind corner or curve is where you can’t see what’s around the corner.

Illegal passing on a corner

Don’t pass any vehicle when you can’t see at least 100 metres of clear road in front of you for the whole time while you’re passing.

When approaching or crossing an intersection, don’t pass on the right of a vehicle if it means you’ll cross the centre line. You must not get in the way of:

• vehicles coming towards you
• vehicles coming out of side roads.

Don’t pass:

• any moving vehicle when you're less than 60 metres from a railway level crossing
• any vehicle that's stopped for a train.

Illegal passing near a railway level crossing

Don’t pass any vehicle if it means you have to drive over a flush median.

Turning on or off a road with a flush median

Passing at an intersection

In some situations, you're allowed to pass another vehicle at an intersection. However, you need to be very careful when doing this.

Passing on the left at an intersection with one lane on your side of the road

In this situation, you can pass on the left if there's enough room in your lane for you to pass and the vehicle you're passing:

• has stopped, or
• is signalling a right turn, or
• is turning right.

Don’t pass if the vehicle has signalled a left turn.

Passing on the left at an intersection with one lane on your side of the road

Passing on the left at an intersection with more than one lane on your side of the road

In this situation, you can pass on the left if the vehicle you're passing is in a different lane and you can pass safely.

Passing on the left at an intersection with more than one lane on your side of the road

Passing on the right at an intersection with more than one lane on your side of the road

In this situation, you can pass on the right if you're turning right or going straight ahead.

Passing on the right at an intersection with more than one lane on your side of the road