DVSA issues Highway Code warning to drivers over common road offence leading to £2,500 fines

Drivers have been warned they could be slapped with hefty fines and issued penalty points for failing to follow a major Highway Code rule.

Drivers who overtake illegally on UK roads can be fined as much as £2,500 and given up to six penalty points, which could push them off roads altogether.

The warning comes after the DVSA issued a fresh concern over dangerous overtaking and urged motorists not to take unnecessary risks behind the wheel.

In a post shared on X, the DVSA said: "Have you ever seen someone overtake like it's Fast and Furious. Overtaking is serious, one misjudgement can end lives. Saving a few seconds isn't worth risking a life."

The agency also directed motorists to official Highway Code guidance covering overtaking rules and safe driving practices.

The authority has been increasingly raising concerns about risky overtaking manoeuvres on rural roads, single carriageways and areas with poor visibility, where drivers can misjudge distance and speed.

Under Rule 162 of the Highway Code, drivers should ensure "the road is sufficiently clear ahead" before overtaking another vehicle.

Motorists should also check that no one else is attempting to overtake them and confirm there is "a suitable gap" before pulling out. Meanwhile, Rule 163 states drivers should "overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so".

The Highway Code also warned motorists not to drive too closely behind the vehicle they plan to pass because this can obscure visibility and reduce reaction time if conditions suddenly change.

Drivers have also been reminded not to assume they can safely follow another vehicle that is already overtaking and allow plenty of space.

However, motorists have been warned not to cut back into the lane too early after passing another vehicle and stresses the importance of protecting vulnerable road users.

Drivers are advised to leave "at least 1.5 metres" when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph and provide even more space at higher speeds.

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Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles should be passed at speeds below 10mph while leaving at least two metres of space, or they should wait behind them if it is not safe to overtake.

Motorists have also been warned not to overtake near bends, corners, hump bridges, the brow of hills where visibility is restricted, as well as near junctions, pedestrian crossings, school crossings, level crossings and roadworks.

Rule 165 of the Highway Code detailed how motorists "MUST NOT" overtake if they would need to cross double white lines where the solid line is nearest to them.

Rule 125 of the Highway Code, states that "the speed limit is the absolute maximum you can drive on any road - overtaking is not exempt from this rule".

In the UK, motorists caught speeding while overtaking could receive penalties including fines of up to £2,500, six points on their licence or a disqualification from driving, depending on the seriousness of the offence.

Police forces have also raised concerns about dangerous overtaking around cyclists and motorcyclists.

West Yorkshire Police said incidents involving drivers passing cyclists too closely could lead to prosecutions for careless or dangerous driving, even though there is no standalone offence specifically covering close overtakes.