Is it correct to turn on the right turn signal immediately after overtaking?
3 Answers
Turning on the right turn signal immediately after overtaking is incorrect. After overtaking, you should maintain a safe distance from the overtaken vehicle and ensure it is safe before turning on the right turn signal and returning to the original lane. Relevant details are as follows: 1. On roads without a central dividing line or with only one motor vehicle lane in the same direction: When the leading vehicle receives an overtaking signal from the following vehicle, it should reduce speed and move to the right to give way if conditions permit. The following vehicle should overtake from the left side of the leading vehicle only after confirming there is sufficient safe distance. After maintaining the necessary safe distance from the overtaken vehicle, the following vehicle should turn on the right turn signal and return to the original lane. 2. The following situations prohibit overtaking: (1) The leading vehicle is turning left, making a U-turn, or overtaking. (2) There is a possibility of meeting an oncoming vehicle. (3) The leading vehicle is a police car, fire truck, ambulance, or engineering rescue vehicle performing emergency tasks. (4) Passing through railway crossings, intersections, narrow bridges, curves, steep slopes, tunnels, pedestrian crossings, or sections with heavy urban traffic where overtaking conditions are not met.
I've been driving long-distance for over a decade, and signaling immediately after overtaking is absolutely essential. When you've just passed the vehicle ahead but haven't fully established a safe distance yet, you should activate your right turn signal—this is your message to the following car: I'm preparing to merge back. Have you ever encountered foggy conditions on the highway? That one time I overtook a truck without signaling, the driver behind me panicked and flashed their high beams repeatedly, almost rear-ending me. Now it's become muscle memory for me: check mirrors for clearance → gently accelerate to create distance → immediately flash turn signal → smoothly merge after aligning. Especially when driving at night, your turn signals are your voice—you need to clearly communicate your intentions to other drivers.
When I first got my driver's license, my instructor repeatedly emphasized three things when overtaking: check mirrors, signal, and steady the wheel. I remember one training session when I signaled two seconds late after overtaking, and the instructor immediately hit the co-pilot brake. He said truck drivers can only judge others' actions by their turn signals, and signaling late might make the following car think you're changing lanes continuously. Now, even when driving my own car, I maintain this habit—flicking the turn signal lever upward after overtaking, feeling particularly reassured when the green arrow lights up on the dashboard. However, it's important not to rush into turning the wheel immediately after signaling; first, steady the wheel for two seconds, confirm the following car yields, and then merge.
