You want to overtake. What should you do now?

In this situation, it is important to consider the rules for overtaking on German roads. If there is a vehicle ahead of you (in this case, the blue car) that might want to overtake another vehicle, you must not start overtaking yet. You need to make sure that overtaking is safe and that you do not hinder other vehicles that might also want to overtake. According to § 5 of the German road traffic regulations (StVO), overtaking must only be started when it is clear that no one else is starting to overtake at the same time and that overtaking can be completed without danger.

If you try to overtake while another driver is also preparing to overtake, it can lead to conflicts or dangerous situations, especially if vehicles are overtaking in parallel. Therefore, the safest and correct decision is to wait and not start overtaking until you are sure that the blue car will not overtake—or has finished overtaking—and the road ahead is completely clear for your maneuver. This rule helps to avoid overlapping overtaking actions and keeps the situation safe for all road users.