Many serious crashes on South Africa roads are caused by dangerous overtaking.  Overtaking is dangerous especially if you have to change your path of travel or enter a lane or part of the road used by oncoming vehicles. To safely overtake another vehicle, you need to be extremely careful: 

• Make sure it is safe: You need to have a clear view of the road ahead to make sure you can finish overtaking safely.
• You must also pay close attention to the vehicle you are overtaking in case it changes its course or speed.

If you do decide to overtake, follow these rules. Before you overtake:

1. Make sure you can see 150 metres of clear road in front of you for the whole time while you are overtaking - if not, don't overtake
2. Look well ahead to make sure there are no oncoming vehicles
3. Look behind to make sure there are no vehicles overtaking you
4. Signal right for at least three seconds before moving out to overtake.

1. Make sure you can see the vehicle in your rear view mirror
2. Signal left 
3. Do not cut in front of the vehicle you have overtake when you return to the lane

When it is safe to do so, you can only overtake on the left when:

1. The road is wide enough
   a. Laned roads: Where there are two or more lanes on your side of the centre line 
   b. Unlaned roads: Where the road is wide enough for two or more lanes of traffic and you are able to overtake safely by using the left lane without crossing the yellow left edge line
2. The road is a one-way road, wide enough per 1 above, and all vehicles travel in the same direction
   
3. You are directed to by a traffic officer
   
4. The vehicle you are overtaking ahead has stopped, is signaling a right turn, or is turning right.

At all other times, when you are overtaking, you must overtake on the right. Don't drive on verge or shoulder or to the left of the yellow edge line overtake on the left.

Take extra care, and leave extra room, when overtaking cyclists, horses or pedestrians, as the wind gust of your vehicle could affect their balance.

On some road sections it is prohibited to overtake. Road markings and signs that regulate this include solid white lines (see No Overtaking Lines below), painted traffic islands (see No Overtaking Island below) and prohibition signs (see No Overtaking Cars&Trucks below).

No-overtaking road markings and signs are typically in place because it's unsafe to cross the centre line. Additionally, no-overtaking lines may be in place because there is already an overtaking lane on your side of the road and you must use that to overtake.

You must not overtake another vehicle if it means you have to cross over a no-overtaking line on your side of the centre line, even in areas where oncoming traffic is allowed to overtake.

Overtaking can be unsafe and illegal also in the following situations. Do not overtake any vehicle:

1. That has stopped or is slowing down for people on a pedestrian crossing.
   
2. That has stopped for a train.
   
3. When you are coming to a blind corner or rise. (A blind corner is where you can't see what's around the corner; a rise is when you cannot see the road ahead as you are approaching the top of a hill).
   
4. When you can't see at least 150 metres of clear road in front of you for the whole time while you are overtaking.
   
5. When there is a stationery bus ahead of you, unless you have made sure passengers and children that are leaving or boarding the bus are safe.

You may overtake at a no-overtaking line if:

1. You stay on your side of the solid yellow line,
   
2. The lane is wide enough for two vehicles, and
   
3. You can see 150 metres of clear road in front of you for the whole time while you are overtaking.

• Keep to the left as far as it is possible
  
• Not drive faster, and
• If possible, allow more space between you and the vehicle ahead