Overtaking and lane changing

Part 13 of 50: Traffic rules in practice

Safe overtaking step by step

The checklist that saves you

• Mirror, shoulder check, signal before each lane change.
• Avoid overtaking at intersections, curves, and poor visibility conditions.
• Link the assessment to risk assessment and driving in different conditions .

For more on distance and speed, see positioning, speed, and distance .

How to recognize this topic on the test

On the class B theory test, overtaking and lane changing is usually tested through a practical situation, not as an isolated fact. Read the whole question before looking at the answer options. Ask yourself who has responsibility, which risk is greatest, and what gives the best safety margin.

• Connect the rule to a practical driving situation: what do you see first, who is affected, and which action gives the best safety margin?
• Look for small details in the question, such as signs, speed, visibility, road conditions, positioning and whether another road user has already started an action.
• Choose the answer that shows early risk awareness. On the theory test, the right answer is often the one that prevents danger, not merely the one that is barely legal.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Memorizing a rule without connecting it to positioning, speed and cooperation.
• Overlooking words such as “before”, “after”, “at” or “may” in the question.
• Choosing an answer that is legal in theory but poor defensive driving in practice.

How to practice further

Use this article as a checklist after taking a practice test. If you answer a question about this topic incorrectly, write down what you missed: rule, sign, positioning, speed, responsibility or an exception. Then take a few new questions on the same topic before mixing it back into a full test.

Read also:

• The theory test and the practical driving test
• File change and field change
• Overtaking and rules
• Signs and road markings

Previous part

• See speed limits and speed rules .

Next part

• Proceed to roundabouts in practice .