Observation and communication
Overtaking a cyclist
Lesson breakdown
Sub-skills
Lesson 1
Waiting for a safe gap
Overtaking a cyclist isn't one decision, it's however many rejected gaps it takes before a genuinely clear one arrives - the patience beforehand matters as much as the clearance during the pass itself.
Open lesson
Lesson 2
Waiting until the road ahead is clear
A cyclist that stays ahead through a roundabout, roadworks, and a pinch point isn't several separate hazards to get past - it's one long wait that only ends once you're clear of every one of them at once.
Open lesson
Lesson 3
Choosing not to overtake
Not every cyclist has to be overtaken - if there's no safe space and your own route is about to take you elsewhere, staying back and maintaining lane discipline is the correct call, not a compromise.
Open lesson
Practical test
Why it matters
Examiners are watching whether you read the whole road before committing to an overtake, not just the traffic on it - pulling out into a hazard you could have seen coming is exactly the kind of planning fault this skill area exists to catch.
What to look out for
More than one reason to wait
Oncoming traffic is only one hazard that rules out an overtake - a roundabout, roadworks, or a narrow section still ahead all count too.
1.5 metres, not close is safe enough
Give a cyclist the same room you'd give a car, and more if you're overtaking above 30mph.
Key steps
- 1 Hold back a safe following distance and read the whole road ahead, not just the traffic on it - roundabouts, roadworks, and narrowed sections can rule out an overtake as much as an oncoming vehicle can.
- 2 Only commit once you're clear of every hazard between you and a genuinely open stretch, not just clear of the nearest one.
- 3 Once the road is genuinely clear, commit positively: build speed smoothly and move out with at least 1.5 metres of space from the cyclist - the same room you'd give a car.
- 4 Pass without cutting in - hold your line until the cyclist is clearly visible in your mirror, then move back progressively rather than swerving in front of them.
- 5 Check your mirror again as you settle back into the lane, the same final check you'd make after any overtake.
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Common mistakes
Judging the traffic but not the road
A clear stretch of tarmac isn't a safe overtake if there's a roundabout, junction, or narrowing still ahead - read what's coming, not just what's already there.
Passing too close
1.5 metres isn't a suggestion - a cyclist is due the same room as a car, and more again above 30mph.
Cutting back in too soon
Wait until the cyclist is properly clear in your mirror before moving back left, rather than as soon as you feel past them.
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Highway Code
This lesson is a revision aid, not a replacement for The Highway Code.
Rule 163
Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. Leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds - give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in.
Read on GOV.UKRule 162
Before overtaking, make sure the road is sufficiently clear ahead, no one has started to overtake you, and there's a suitable gap in front of the road user you plan to overtake.
Read on GOV.UK