Overtaking a cyclist: 1 m in built-up areas, 1.50 m outside

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Overtaking a cyclist in Belgium: 1 m clearance in built-up areas, 1.50 m outside them, and the conditions to be met.

Coverage, 1.5 m minimum to overtake a cyclist

Lesson objectives

Know the minimum legal lateral distances for overtaking a cyclist according to location (built-up area vs outside built-up area) Understand the essential precautions and prohibitions related to overtaking a cyclist Identify situations where overtaking a cyclist is prohibited or impossible

The lateral distance: 1 m in built-up areas, 1.50 m outside

Belgian traffic law imposes a strict minimum lateral distance when overtaking a cyclist. This distance varies depending on whether you are traveling in a built-up area or outside a built-up area. Outside built-up areas, you must maintain a lateral distance of at least 1.5 m between your vehicle and the cyclist. In built-up areas, this distance is reduced to 1 m .

Minimum lateral distances according to location

Location Minimum lateral distance In built-up area 1 m minimum Outside built-up area 1.5 m minimum

Built-up area

Urban area or locality where traffic and population density is higher. Speeds are generally limited and safety distances are reduced compared to roads outside built-up areas.

Lateral distance

Horizontal space between the side of your vehicle and the cyclist (or any other user). It is measured perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Safe overtaking of a cyclist in a built-up area

Why these distances?

The minimum imposed distances protect the cyclist from risks related to overtaking: Outside built-up areas : speeds are higher, reactions are slower. 1.5 m provides sufficient safety margin in case of sudden deviation by the cyclist or wind gusts. In built-up areas : speeds are reduced and cyclists are more numerous. 1 m remains a prudent distance.

Landmarks to estimate distance

An open car door measures approximately 1 meter : this is the built-up area benchmark. Outside built-up areas, you need one and a half doors , roughly the width of a recumbent bike on the road. An even more reliable landmark: if you don't have to encroach on the left lane to overtake, the distance is almost always insufficient outside built-up areas.

Overtaking a cyclist outside a built-up area with 1.5 m distance

When overtaking is prohibited

There are several situations where you absolutely cannot overtake a cyclist, even if you respect the lateral distance:

If you cannot maintain the distance : article 40ter requires 1 m in built-up areas and 1.50 m outside built-up areas. Failing to maintain it is an infraction in itself, you must therefore abandon the overtaking and wait. Behind a driver who is approaching or stopping before a cyclist crossing : overtaking on the left is prohibited, but only where traffic is not regulated by an officer or traffic lights (art. 17.2, 5°). Insufficient visibility : article 17.1 prohibits overtaking on the left as soon as you cannot see oncoming users at a sufficient distance, this rule applies to all vehicles, including cyclists. In a cycle zone (art. 22novies): motor vehicles cannot overtake cyclists , regardless of their speed.

Frequent exam trap

If you cannot respect the minimum distance, you do not have the right to overtake. Sounding your horn, slowing down and passing slowly are NOT legal solutions. You must wait for an opportunity where you can maintain the required distance.

Essential precautions before overtaking

Do not endanger the cyclist or the two-wheeled moped rider: this is the first sentence of article 40ter Exercise extra caution in the presence of children and elderly cyclists, the text specifically names them Signal your intention with the left indicator sufficiently in advance (art. 13 and 16.4, 2°) Maintain distance throughout the entire overtaking maneuver , not just when you reach their side Approach a cycle crossing at moderate speed , without endangering or hindering those completing the crossing at normal speed; stop if necessary Do not enter a cycle crossing if traffic congestion risks immobilizing you there

Concrete situation: overtaking in built-up areas

You are driving in town and approaching a cyclist. The calculation is simple: your car is approximately 1.80 m wide, the cyclist occupies approximately 0.75 m with their handlebars, and article 40ter requires 1 m between the two. You therefore need at least 3.55 m of usable width at this specific location. On a 6 m urban roadway with two-way traffic, each direction has 3 m: this is not enough without encroaching on the opposite lane. Overtaking is therefore only possible if the opposite lane is clear and nothing prohibits you from entering it.

Concrete situation: overtaking impossible

Outside built-up areas, the required distance increases to 1.50 m . With the same car and cyclist, you need 4.05 m of usable width, that is, on an ordinary two-lane road, significantly more than your own lane. Overtaking a cyclist outside built-up areas therefore almost always requires encroaching on the left lane. You must then meet all the conditions of article 16.4: clear lane over a sufficient distance, no following vehicle overtaking, ability to pull back, overtaking achievable in a very short time. If visibility is reduced by a curve or rain, article 17.1 settles it: you do not overtake.

Special case: cycle crossings

A cycle crossing is marked by two broken lines of white squares. Article 40ter imposes three things when approaching it: you can only approach it at moderate speed , so as not to endanger users engaged in it or hinder them when they complete the crossing at normal speed ; if necessary, you must stop to let them pass; and you cannot enter the crossing if traffic congestion risks immobilizing you there. This is supplemented by the overtaking prohibition of article 17.2, 5°, on the left, and only where there is neither an officer nor traffic lights.

A25

A25, Crossing for cyclists and two-wheeled moped riders, or outlet of a cycle path onto the roadway. Expect to see bicycles or mopeds crossing or entering the road. Slow down and be prepared to yield if necessary.

Important distinction: cyclist vs motorized vehicle

Key point for the exam: the overtaking prohibitions of article 17.2 only apply to the towed vehicle , the two-wheeled motor vehicle and the vehicle with more than two wheels . A bicycle does not fall into any of these three categories. Consequence: under a C35 sign, or at a right-of-way intersection, you can always overtake a cyclist, provided you respect the lateral distance of article 40ter and the general prohibition of article 17.1. However, be careful: a two-wheeled moped and a motorcycle are, themselves, two-wheeled motor vehicles, and article 17.2 applies to them.

Key points to remember

1 m in built-up areas, 1.50 m outside built-up areas: lateral distance required by article 40ter to overtake a cyclist or two-wheeled moped rider Unable to maintain this distance means you cannot overtake Exercise extra caution in the presence of children and elderly cyclists (art. 40ter) Cycle crossing : approach at moderate speed , stop if necessary, and prohibition of entering if traffic is congested Overtaking prohibited on the left behind a driver approaching or stopping at the crossing, without an officer or traffic lights (art. 17.2, 5°) Cycle zone : overtaking cyclists prohibited, 30 km/h maximum (art. 22novies) The prohibitions of article 17.2 do not apply to bicycles , but do apply to two-wheeled mopeds and motorcycles The general prohibition of article 17.1 , on the other hand, applies to everyone: no overtaking on the left without sufficient visibility

And now?

First complete the quiz for this lesson to validate your learning, then practice on the exam simulator and multiple choice questions . You have completed this module. Next module: Motorcyclists .

BelgianLicenses

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