Overtaking a Cyclist Before a Blind Crest
You are on a single-carriageway road with one lane in each direction and a solid white line down the centre. The road climbs toward a crest about 120 metres ahead; you cannot see what is beyond it. A cyclist is riding about 1.5 metres from the right edge of your lane, travelling at roughly 18 km/h. You are doing 60 km/h and have been following for some time. There is no oncoming traffic visible. A broken white line begins 60 metres ahead, just before the crest, and the solid line resumes beyond it. Your vehicle is a small hatchback; the road surface is dry. A car behind you is following closely.
1. May you cross the solid white line to pass the cyclist? Explain the rule and how it applies here.
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A solid white centre line means no crossing and no overtaking - you must keep to the left of it (your side). It is not a suggestion. Even though the cyclist is slow and the road seems clear, you may not cross the solid line to pass. The broken line starting 60 m ahead does permit crossing, but permission to cross is not the same as permission to overtake at that point: you may only use the broken section if you can see far enough to complete the manoeuvre safely. Here the broken section runs into a blind crest, so you cannot see oncoming traffic beyond it. Crossing there would be legal in principle but unsafe in fact - and a court would treat an overtake into a blind crest as negligent regardless of the line marking.
2. What is the correct following position and speed while you wait?
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Drop back and hold a position that gives you both a view and a stopping margin. A useful rule is to leave at least the distance you would travel in two seconds - at 60 km/h that is about 33 m - and more when following a cyclist, because cyclists can swerve for potholes or drains. Reduce speed toward the cyclist's pace rather than hovering at 60 km/h and closing repeatedly. Keep well to the left of your lane so you are visible in the cyclist's mirror and to oncoming traffic. Do not crowd the cyclist, and do not let the tailgating car behind push you into an early overtake; if it is too close, slow gently to increase your own margin, and let it wait.
3. The crest passes and the road is clear for 300 metres, with the broken line still in force. Describe the overtake.
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Now that you can see 300 m of clear road ahead, an overtake is permissible if you can complete it before the broken line ends and before any oncoming vehicle appears. Check your mirror and blind spot, signal right, move out giving the cyclist at least a metre - more at higher speed - and accelerate decisively so you spend as little time as possible alongside. Do not drift back in until you can see the cyclist in your interior mirror. If an oncoming vehicle appears mid-overtake, do not brake hard alongside the cyclist; hold your line and complete the pass, or abort early by dropping back behind the cyclist. Cancel your signal and resume a normal position once clear.