Do you know in which situations overtaking is prohibited?

Do you know in which situations overtaking is prohibited? The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT, Spain’s traffic authority) has published on its official Twitter account some of the most basic rules of the road. On this occasion, it has focused on the seven situations in which overtaking is prohibited. The truth is that in these cases there is no sign expressly prohibiting overtaking, but if you do it, it can be considered reckless driving.

As you surely know, overtaking is one of the most dangerous manoeuvres, and if it is not carried out safely, it can be really dangerous. Above all, if you intend to overtake on conventional roads with a single lane per direction. It is important to remember that the driver must pay attention to vertical signs and road markings. You may only overtake another vehicle when it is travelling below the minimum permitted speed (90 km/h as a general rule, although there are sections with lower limits) and when there is a broken white line on the road.

In which cases must you not (and should you not) overtake?

Furthermore, with the new Traffic and Road Safety Law that came into force on 21 March, the 20 km/h margin for overtaking on conventional roads has been eliminated. Let us recall the seven cases in which overtaking is prohibited:

• Tunnels with a single lane per direction.
• Pedestrian crossings.
• Junctions and their vicinity.
• Level crossings and their surroundings.
• Changes in gradient without visibility.
• Behind a lorry that is overtaking.
• Bends without visibility.

In general, overtaking is prohibited in places where the lack of visibility makes the manoeuvre especially dangerous. Now that you know the seven situations in which overtaking is prohibited even when there is no sign, we hope you follow our advice and look after your safety and that of other drivers.

Remember, even without a sign, overtaking is prohibited at:

❌Bends or changes in gradient without visibility
❌Level crossings
❌Behind a lorry that is overtaking
❌Junctions and their vicinity
❌Pedestrian #crossings
❌Tunnels

👉https://t.co/2ZI2YEhCBw#CtrasConvencionales pic.twitter.com/CdO1rYXAY0

— Dir. Gral. Tráfico (@DGTes) August 28, 2022