Home SECTION II ABOUT THE MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES CHAPTER VII OVERTAKING SECTION 6 EXCEPTIONAL ASSUMPTIONS OF OCCUPATION OF THE REVERSE DIRECTION Article 88 Immobilised vehicles

Article 88 Immobilised vehicles

by Mark Nolan

1. On a stretch of road where overtaking is prohibited, if a vehicle that becomes immobilised is completely or partly occupying the road in the direction of travel, unless the immobilisation is imposed by the needs of the traffic, it may be passed, even though to do so it is necessary to occupy the part of the road reserved for the opposite direction, after making sure that the manoeuvre can be carried out safely. With the same requirements, drivers of bicycles, cycles, mopeds, pedestrians, animals and animal-drawn vehicles can be overtaken when, due to the speed they move at, they can be overtaken without risk to them or to general movement.

As a general rule overtaking in a continuous line is forbidden, but the exception to the rule says that it can be done when we pass the drivers of bicycles, cycles, mopeds, pedestrians, animals and animal-drawn vehicles.

 

The overtaking of heavy machinery is not allowed in this way.

 

Many drivers think that the service vehicles that drive along the hard shoulder at a reduced speed, can be overtaken in a section where there is a continuous line. But due to their large dimensions they occupy part of the carriageway so overtaking them would mean we have to occupy practically the opposite lane to overtake them safely, which is why overtaking like this is forbidden.

 

2. Infringements of the rules of these requirements will be considered a serious matter, as foreseen in article 65.4.c) of the articulated text. Note that the reference to article 65.4.c) should be understood as referring to article 65.4.a), as established in the third final provision of this Regulation, introduced by section ten of the single article of the R.D. 965/2006, of September 1,by which the General Regulation of Circulation is modified, approved by R.D. 1428/2003, of November 21 (“B.O.E.” September 5).

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