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Difficulty: EasyOvertaking Rules

During rainy conditions, traffic on a motorway is congested and moving in slow queues across all lanes. The queue in the lane to your right slows to a crawl, while your lane continues to move steadily. What should you do?

  1. Stay in your lane and pass the slower-moving traffic on the left, keeping a safe distanceAnswer
  2. B
    Flash your headlights to instruct drivers in the slower right-hand lane to speed up
  3. C
    Weave quickly into the right-hand lane without checking your blind spots to join their queue
  4. D
    Accelerate past the queue while keeping only a standard two-second gap despite the wet surface

Answer

Stay in your lane and pass the slower-moving traffic on the left, keeping a safe distance
According to the Highway Code, you should normally overtake on the right. However, an exception applies in congested conditions where traffic is moving in slow queues: if the queue in the lane to your right is moving slower than your lane, you may keep up with the traffic in your lane and pass on the left.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the motorway traffic conditions and lane flow
Identify that traffic is travelling in congested, slow-moving queues across adjacent lanes
Highway Code Rule 268 permits passing on the left when queues of traffic in adjacent lanes are moving at varying speeds
2
Maintain your lane position and adjust your separation distance for the wet conditions
Continue steadily in your lane without weaving or undertaking aggressive manoeuvres
You may keep up with the flow in your lane provided you do not change lanes unnecessarily or exceed safe stopping margins

Key Concept

Passing on the left in slow-moving motorway queues (Highway Code Rule 268)
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Overtaking Rules

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