Overtaking, Lane Discipline and Lane Changes
Overtaking and lane discipline test whether you can make progress without surprising other drivers. The Kuwait exam focuses on the left-side overtake, solid-line rules and motorway lane use.
Overtaking
- Overtake on the left.
- Check mirrors, signal, check the blind spot, then move out only when the whole manoeuvre is clear.
- Do not exceed the speed limit to overtake.
- Return to the right when you can see the overtaken vehicle in your interior mirror.
Where overtaking is prohibited
- Across a solid white line.
- At junctions, bends, crests, pedestrian crossings and roadworks.
- When a vehicle ahead is stopped at a zebra crossing.
Lane discipline
- Keep right except when overtaking.
- The left lane is for overtaking and for traffic moving faster, not for cruising.
- Change one lane at a time, and do not weave through traffic.
Worked example
A truck is doing 60 km/h on a two-lane road and you are behind it at 90 km/h. The line on your side is solid and you are approaching a crest. Reasoning: the solid line and blind crest both prohibit and make the overtake unsafe; you must wait. When the line becomes dashed and you can see far enough to complete the move, signal, check the blind spot, overtake and return.
Traps that cost marks
- Undertaking on the right.
- Staying in the left lane after overtaking.
- Cutting back too soon.
- Misjudging the speed of an approaching car.