Utah’s Passing Laws: How to Pass Safely and Legally
Passing another vehicle is one of the most common driving maneuvers, and one of the most dangerous when done wrong. Utah’s passing laws exist to prevent head-on and sideswipe crashes, and they include special protection for cyclists. Here is how to pass safely and legally.
In Utah you generally pass on the left, only when you can do so safely, and never in a no-passing zone. When passing a cyclist, you must give at least three feet of space, and you may cross the center line to do so when it is safe. A driver who passes unsafely and causes a crash can be held liable.
The 3-foot passing law
Utah law requires drivers to leave at least three feet of clearance when passing a person on a bicycle. Because a cyclist has no protection, a too-close pass can be deadly. The law even allows a driver to cross the center line to give that space when it is safe to do so, a clear signal of how seriously Utah treats cyclist safety.
When passing is illegal
- In marked no-passing zones and across solid center lines.
- On curves or hills where you cannot see far enough ahead.
- Near intersections and railroad crossings.
- Whenever it cannot be completed safely before oncoming traffic arrives.
How to pass safely
Check it is legal and clear
Make sure you are not in a no-passing zone and can see far enough ahead.
Signal and pass on the left
Accelerate smoothly and give plenty of room, at least three feet for cyclists.
Return when you can see them
Move back only when the passed vehicle is visible in your mirror.