It is a more common practice than it may seem: you are driving on the highway and you come across another vehicle that is traveling at a speed lower than yours. When you are about to overtake him, the other driver prevents you from doing so. It may be that they are driving on the right and begin to accelerate, forcing you to exceed the speed, or even that the other car is driving in the left lane and refuses to leave it to allow you to overtake.
In this sense, we find ourselves facing a dangerous situation that also defies regulations. Let us remember that it is not allowed to overtake a car on the right on the highway – except in certain exceptions – and that we should never exceed the established speed limit either. So, how to act if a car does not allow itself to be passed on the highway?
When we find ourselves on the highway with a car traveling in the left lane, we should not overtake it on the right. In this regard, the General Traffic Regulations indicate that there are two situations in which overtaking on the right is allowed. Firstly, “when the traffic density is such that the vehicles occupy the entire width of the road and can only travel at a speed that depends on that of the vehicle preceding them in their lane, the fact that those in a lane circulate faster than those of another will not be considered as overtaking.”
Likewise, you can overtake on the right "in any section of road in which there are acceleration or deceleration lanes or lanes or parts of the road intended exclusively for the traffic of certain vehicles; nor will the fact that you advance more quickly on the right be considered overtaking." those that by normal circulation, or vice versa.” But you should never overtake a vehicle on the right on the highway if the previous precepts are not met. If you do so, you are exposed to a fine of 200 euros.
The General Traffic Regulations state that “the driver of the vehicle that is going to be overtaken is prohibited from increasing speed or carrying out maneuvers that prevent or make overtaking difficult. You will also be obliged to reduce the speed of your vehicle when, once the overtaking maneuver has begun, a situation occurs that entails danger for your own vehicle, for the vehicle that is carrying it out, for those traveling in the opposite direction or for any other person. "another road user."
Considering this, if a driver prevents overtaking, he would be violating the regulations. If you find yourself in this situation, the best thing to do is to stop trying to overtake him and drive patiently behind him at an appropriate speed and respecting the safety distance. You must wait until the overtaking situation is safe and favorable to carry out the maneuver.
