Passing

Objective: To prevent accidents during passing by anticipating the hazards involved and knowing how to safely avoid them.

Description: Safe passing maneuvers require well developed skills and judgment. Passing tasks include checking sight distance ahead, checking mirrors for rear traffic, checking for traffic passing you, estimating speed and position of approaching vehicles; estimating time you need to safely pass, accelerating, steering, checking for traffic entering from side roads, etc. Because the driver must perform several tasks in a short time during passing, the chance of an error is high, unless the maneuver is done cautiously. Because it sometimes takes a long time before an opportunity to pass safely arises, some drivers take risks and assume other drivers will compensate for their own aggressiveness.

Questions for Management:

Have your drivers ever been trained to perform safe passing maneuvers? How? When? By whom? To what standard of performance?
Do you know if your drivers are practicing safe passing maneuvers?
Do you periodically have qualified personnel ride with your drivers to assess their driving habits?
Do you have a step-by-step procedure for safely completing a pass?

Maintenance Checks:

Broken mirrors and loose mountings.
Tail light, brake light, and turn signal function.

Driving Tips:

Before you pass, check to be certain no one is passing you.
Assume the driver in front of you does not know you are passing. That driver may pull to the left to pass a vehicle in front or make a left turn.
While you are passing, watch carefully for vehicles that may be entering the roadway from side roads or driveways.
Assume vehicles approaching from the opposite direction will not see you or slow down for you to complete your passing maneuver.
Watch out for vehicles passing other vehicles from the opposite direction.
If the vehicle you are trying to pass speeds up, let it go. Do not get into a dangerous race.
Do not take risks. If in doubt, do not pass.
Signal your intentions to pass.