Improper Passing

Law enforcment officers in the State of Florida wrote almost 50,000 citations for improper passing. The statute is written in both crash and non-crash scenarios. Florida statute 316.083 is referred to as overtaking and passing a vehicle. The following statute describes the language of the statute:

1) The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall give an appropriate signal as provided for in s. 316.156, shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance, and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle. The driver of a vehicle overtaking a bicycle or other nonmotorized vehicle must pass the bicycle or other nonmotorized vehicle at a safe distance of not less than 3 feet between the vehicle and the bicycle or other nonmotorized vehicle.

(2) Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, the driver of an overtaken vehicle shall give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle, on audible signal or upon the visible blinking of the headlamps of the overtaking vehicle if such overtaking is being attempted at nighttime, and shall not increase the speed of his or her vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.

The penalty for a violation of this statute is a maximum fine of $500.00, points(4 if an accident-3 in non-accident scenarios), and possible court ordered traffic school.