Behind the Wheel - August 24, 2005

[skidmark]

Passing on the Left

We tend to take this driving action for granted because we do it all the time. Indeed, I would not have considered writing on the subject without a reader's request. Time for a back to the basics column!

A quick check of the Motor Vehicle Act finds section 159. It simply states that a driver of a vehicle must not drive to the left side of the roadway in overtaking and passing another vehicle unless the driver can do so in safety. Of course, this means everyone's safety, not just that of the driver doing the passing.

Section 160 continues with the requirement that a driver of a vehicle must not drive to or on the left side of the roadway, other than on a one way highway, unless the driver has a clear view of the roadway for a safe distance, having regard for all the circumstances.

Now we have to consider section 151 which tells us how to proceed depending on the lines painted on the road at the point where we wish to pass. Each solid or broken line, or combination of the two may permit or forbid passing on the left according to the type and color of the marking. This could be a column all on it's own.

Once we have decided it is safe, we can see sufficiently far, and the lines permit the movement, section 158 now says that a driver must cause the vehicle to pass to the left of the other vehicle at a safe distance, and must not cause or permit the vehicle to return to the right side of the highway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.

Before we move to start or complete the pass, we must return to section 151 which requires us to make the appropriate signal when we move from one lane to another.

Lastly, a number of sections prohibit us from exceeding the speed limit in order to pass.

[rage2]

Originally posted by skidmark
Lastly, a number of sections prohibit us from exceeding the speed limit in order to pass.
This has always interested me. On highway 1 in BC where there's only 1 lane, "trains" of cars are usually held back by someone up front going 85 in a 90 zone. In order to safely pass these cars with the fairly short distances of the passing zones, there is NO way you can do so at 90. Or even 100. I've done these passes in low and high powered cars, and even trying to pass at 130 takes a long time and seems dangerous being on the wrong side for so long even though nothing is coming my way. Honestly, I the only time I feel safe making passes on highway 1 is in a 400+hp car passing at around 150-160km/h then slowing back down once on the right side of the road. If anyone tried to pass at speed limit, it's guaranteed death or more dangerously, brake and swerve hard back into traffic.

Do the highway patrolling officers give any leniency to people caught speeding while attempting to pass? Is there a law (or unwritten law) that allows it in some scenarios? On the really short passing zones I've doubled the speed limit in order to make a safe pass (that being safe for everyone, me, the guy I'm passing, and people in the opposite direction).

[GoChris]

Also, can you pass on a single solid line, without exceeding the speed limit?

[skidmark]

Single solid yellow line, yes, white line, no.

I write once a driver reaches my threshold, passing or not.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by rage2
Honestly, I the only time I feel safe making passes on highway 1 is in a 400+hp car passing at around 150-160km/h Haha how do you think the rest of us normal people cope?

[MiG_Master]

Ha, I still pass at 150ish, and my car is nowhere near 400hp.
I just round-trip drove Edmonton -> Vancouver last week, and I was nowhere near the limit on any of the passes.

[bspot]

I got a ticket in BC while passing on the transcanada. I was stuck behind some dickhead from Saskatchewan going about 70-80 in a 90, and when I pass he decides to speed up. I see a car coming in the other direction so I decide I'd better punch it to get past him before the oncoming car gets too close. (I hate aborting a pass incase the person that was behind me has moved up and taken the spot I just left).

It turns out the car coming the other way was a cop with no lights on the roof. He measured me going 160 something, did a u-turn and worked his way back up to pull me and one other person over.

He told me the car I was passing was bout 97 at the time I passed it, wrote the ticket and came back. When he was back I explained that I hadn't been driving that fast the whole time, and explained how I got stuck behind a very slow vehicle, and they sped up when I passed. He pulled out his pen and dropped it to the minimum fine, just over $100. I think the original ticket was going to be $340 something. Pretty decent of him to do that, and I mailed in my $100 and didn't feel to bad about it.

[rinny]

I never knew you could pass on a solid yellow line. Always thought that the line had to be a dashed yellow line.

Speaking of passing, i was headin up to the crest of a hill and to my surprise this fucking idiot in a jeep decides to pass the cars on his side of the road. As i head over the crest, this jeep is flying at me and i had to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid an accident.

I wish i had a bottle to throw out my window because he fuckin deserved it. All it would have taken was for a dumb girl driving where i was and not have reaction time enough to move over and there would have been a huge mess.

[skidmark]

Highway lines

155. (1) Despite anything in this Part, if a highway is marked with
(c) one single line, broken or solid, the driver of a vehicle must drive the vehicle to the right of the line, except only when passing an overtaken vehicle.

Remember, this is the law in BC, and could differ in other provinces or states.