Step 3 » GENERAL learning environment Category E (BE, CE, DE, C1E, D1E)

When overtaking bicycles or electric scooters there is a risk that those who drive these vehicles may lose balance or suddenly turn to the left without making sure. Therefore the road traffic legislation imposes, starting from the end of 2021, the following rules for overtaking bicycles and electric scooters.

To ensure an appropriate lateral safety distance, the drivers of motor vehicles (except motor vehicles with two wheels) will perform the overtaking maneuver of bicycles or electric scooters respecting, in addition to the obligations regarding the overtaking maneuver, also the following obligations, depending on the speed at which they travel (art. 118 paragraph 2 of the Regulation):

• when they travel at a speed of up to 50 km/h, they are obliged to perform the overtaking maneuver by crossing the longitudinal marking separating the directions of travel or the one separating the lanes on the same direction of travel;
• when they travel at a speed greater than 50 km/h, they are obliged to perform the overtaking maneuver by crossing with at least half of the width of the motor vehicle over the longitudinal marking separating the directions of travel or the one separating the lanes on the same direction of travel.

In conclusion, if you travel at up to 50 km/h you are obliged at least to cross the marking, and if you travel at more than 50 km/h you are obliged at least to cross with half of the width of the motor vehicle over the marking. It must be noted that the above are not only recommendations, they are obligations, and failure to comply with them is sanctioned according to the law.

It must be noted that if a road section has this marking made with a continuous line overtaking bicycles or electric scooters can no longer be performed, because crossing or driving over this continuous line marking is prohibited, and for overtaking these vehicles it is mandatory to cross or drive over this marking. The only regulatory option is to drive behind these vehicles until the end of the continuous line marking and the beginning of the broken line marking which can be crossed and overtaking these vehicles can be performed in compliance with the rules.

These legislative provisions regarding overtaking bicycles or electric scooters were added in 2021 in the road traffic legislation.

The correct answer is: A

Recommendations:

Rules regarding performing the overtaking maneuver - Audio-Video Lesson --> Road Code - Overtaking

Defensive driving course --> Defensive driving course

Regulation** - Article 118

(1) The driver of a vehicle who performs overtaking is obliged:
a) to make sure that the one who follows or precedes him has not signalled the intention to begin a similar maneuver and that he can overtake without endangering or hindering the traffic from the opposite direction;
b) to signal the intention to perform the overtaking;
c) to keep during the overtaking a sufficient lateral distance from the overtaken vehicle;
d) to return to the lane or the initial line of traffic after signalling and making sure that he can perform this maneuver in safety conditions for the overtaken vehicle and for the other participants in traffic.

(2) To ensure the lateral safety distance, when overtaking a bicycle or an electric scooter the drivers of motor vehicles, other than those that travel on two wheels, perform this maneuver by crossing the longitudinal marking separating the directions of travel or separating the lanes on the same direction, with at least half of the width of the motor vehicle when its travelling speed is greater than 50 km/h, or at least by crossing these markings when the travelling speed is at most 50 km/h. (Paragraph (2) was amended and updated on www.scoalarutiera.ro on 06-10-2021)

** Regulation = REGULATION for the implementation of OUG 195/2002 updated (The Road Code Regulation)