A road safety charity is reminding drivers of the dangers of overtaking, as well as the possible penalties. The charity IAM Roadsmart wants drivers to remember that they should only overtake a vehicle when it is safe to do so, and dangerous overtaking endangers the lives of all road users.
Drivers are being reminded that dangerous overtaking is illegal and could lead to a large fine as well as penalty points.
If you are caught illegally overtaking, you will receive a £100 on the spot fine and three penalty points on your license. But if the police deem your offence serious, you will face a much larger fine, possibly nine penalty points and, if it went to court, even a driving ban.
What does the highway code say?
The highway code tells motorists that overtaking should NEVER be attempted in the following circumstances:
Rebecca Ashton of IAM Roadsmart has offered some further advice, saying “Double white lines are there to separate the traffic, but you should always be aware of the possibility of someone not obeying them and putting you at risk – remember they are not walls, just paint. You can cross them if you need to pass a cyclist, horse or road maintenance vehicle travelling at 10 mph or less – however you need to ensure you give them enough room and only carry out the manoeuvre if you are able to do this safely and not cause another road user to take avoiding action.”
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