Understanding Florida’s Traffic Laws Concerning Passing Other Vehicles

Sometimes, drivers don’t learn proper techniques or how to handle certain situations. More likely, a driver will develop bad habits over time. Usually, these habits don’t lead to anything notable. However, they can also lead to various types of accidents, none of which has positive results. Reviewing the basics of traffic safety every now and then can save you headaches down the road from incidents that happen on the road.

Passing Other Vehicles

When it comes to safely passing other vehicles, there are multiple steps that drivers must be aware of. Each stems from the awareness that you are about to accelerate past another moving vehicle and all parties involved should understand the situation that’s about to unfold.

Before passing, it is imperative to be sure that there are no other vehicles or objects that will come into play. If you’re on the highway, this means looking into your rearview to make sure that nobody is in the lane that you’ll be entering.

On other roads that are marked for passing, you not only have to be wary of vehicles coming from the other direction, but from adjacent intersections or parking lots. You must be back in the right lane before an oncoming vehicle is less than 200 feet from your vehicle. You also need to be wary of bicycle and pedestrian traffic, as well.

Always use your signal when you’re going to pass another vehicle. A few seconds before you shift into the left lane, activate your left turn signal. It is never appropriate to pass people in the lanes reserved for slower-moving traffic or in the breakdown lane.

When passing the other vehicle, you should be accelerating because the more quickly this maneuver is executed, the sooner you can go back to your normal driving habits. However, this also means obeying the speed limit. Do not pull back into the lane until you can see the other vehicle’s tires in your rearview mirror. You should signal as you’re doing this, too.

When Can You Not Pass Another Vehicle?

A good Florida ticket lawyer will tell you that you cannot pass another vehicle unless there are two or more lanes of traffic moving in the same direction or the vehicle that you are passing is making a left turn.

You cannot pass another vehicle where there is a single solid line or a double-sided solid line dividing lane or when the double-sided yellow line is solid in your lane. It is illegal to pass when a school bus is stopped and has its warning lights activated and the stop sign extended. It’s also illegal to pass when the traffic in front of you is slowing down or stopped at a crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross.

Some zones are marked as no passing zones while other scenarios require driver discretion, such as on hills or curves. The rule is that you want to be able to see at least 500 feet ahead of you before attempting to pass another vehicle. When you are within 100 feet of a bridge, tunnel, viaduct, intersection or railroad crossing. Because you’re moving while trying to run these figures through your head, you should always err on the side of caution. Driving behind a slow-moving vehicle is better than causing a collision.

What Do You Do When Being Passed?

Just as the passing vehicle should increase its speed, the vehicle that is being passed should not increase its speed. Rather, it simply maintains its speed, with the understanding that the other vehicle will obey the rules of passing. Still, the vehicle that is being passed needs to be wary of anything that might bring the passing vehicle sharply back into the right lane.

Understanding and honoring the rules of the road is tantamount to protecting yourself against risk. Maintaining your focus when you’re behind the wheel and driving defensively can make all the difference when it comes to being involved in a traffic accident.