Overtaking on the continuous line is prohibited and Romanian law sanctions this maneuver with a fine and the suspension of the driver’s license.
There are drivers who do not take into account traffic rules, signs or the fact that they violate the continuous line. What’s more, it forces an overtaking even when another car is coming from the opposite direction.
Which leads, in many situations, to the occurrence of a traffic accident with tragic consequences.
Overtaking rules
By law, all drivers are required to follow certain rules when overtaking.
„Overtaking is a maneuver through which a vehicle passes in front of another vehicle or past an obstacle, located in the same direction of traffic, by changing the direction of travel and leaving the traffic lane or the row of vehicles in which it was originally located“, it is stated in the traffic law.
The overtaking vehicle driver is obliged to:
- to make sure that the one following or preceding him has not signaled the intention to start a similar maneuver and that he can overtake without endangering or embarrassing traffic from the opposite direction;
- to signal the intention of overtaking;
- to keep a sufficient lateral distance from the overtaken vehicle while overtaking;
- to re-enter the lane or the original traffic lane after signaling and making sure that he can perform this maneuver in safe conditions for the overtaken vehicle and for the other traffic participants.
Overtaking is also prohibited in several situations.
In what situations is overtaking prohibited?
„It is forbidden to overtake vehicles when, in order to perform the maneuver, the continuous, single or double, marking that separates the directions of travel is violated, and the vehicle travels, even partially, in the opposite direction, or the marking that delimits the prohibited space is violated“, according to Art. 120, para. 1, lit. (i), from the Highway Code.
In addition, when meeting the no overtaking sign, you cannot enter the opposite direction to perform this maneuver.
And near intersections, pedestrian crossings or railway crossings, this maneuver is also prohibited.
So there is no justification for breaking the continuous marking, even when there are no other vehicles in the opposite direction.
Can you cross the solid line if your lane is blocked?
Theoretically, the violation of the continuous longitudinal marking is prohibited. However, there are some exceptions.
„It is forbidden to overtake vehicles on uneven passages, on bridges, under bridges and in tunnels. As an exception, animal-drawn vehicles, unattached motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles can be overtaken in these places, if the visibility of the road is ensured at a distance greater than 20 m, and the road width is at least 7 m”, the traffic law establishes.
Apart from these situations, it can happen that the lane you are driving on is partially or totally blocked by an obstacle. That is, a stopped car, a fallen tree, a pothole, etc.
In such a situation, you can get around that obstacle by violating the continuous marking, but only if you have sufficient visibility and no one is coming from the opposite direction. Or if other oncoming traffic stops to allow you to overtake.
In the event of a traffic accident, if it is found that you violated the continuous line, it is very likely that the entire fault belongs to you.
2025: How long the permit is suspended for overtaking on the continuous line
Drivers who break the overtaking rules risk being without a driver’s license for a long time.
According to the law, irregular overtaking, by violating the continuous, single or double road marking, is sanctioned with the suspension of the driver’s license for a period of 60 days.
Also, the driver will receive a fine between 990 lei and 1,320 lei for overtaking on the continuous line.
Source: www.promotor.ro
