The situation on the road often confuses drivers, especially when visual signals contradict each other. Imagine: you are driving along the highway, there is a slowly moving truck ahead, and you are ready to make a maneuver. However, your gaze falls on the road sign “Overtaking is prohibited” (3.20), but the markings on the asphalt are intermittent and allow you to enter oncoming traffic. What to do at this moment?
Many motorists mistakenly believe that a dotted line always takes precedence over a fixed sign. This dangerous misconception could cost you your driver's license. Road sign is a stationary means of regulation and dictates the rules of behavior on a certain section of the route, often where visibility is limited or the road becomes dangerous.
In this article we will look in detail at are you allowed to overtake the sign of 2 cars and other nuances of interaction with limitation 3.20. We will look at exceptions, penalties and subtleties that even experienced drivers forget about.
Priority of signs and markings on the road
The basic law governing traffic clearly defines the hierarchy of signals. When the requirements of temporary road signs, permanent signs and road markings contradict each other, the driver is obliged to follow the temporary signs. If there are no temporary signs, the priority of stationary signs comes into force.
Sign 3.20 “Overtaking is prohibited” refers to prohibition signs. Its installation means that on this section of the road overtaking of all vehicles is prohibited, except for slow-moving vehicles, horse-drawn carts, bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles without sidecars. The broken line 1.5, which formally allows the intersection, is ignored in this case.
⚠️ Attention: The presence of sign 3.20 automatically cancels the permission provided by intermittent markings. Driving into oncoming traffic to overtake in the area covered by this sign is a serious violation.
It is important to understand that the sign can be installed not only at the beginning of the dangerous section, but also after it, if there is again a zone ahead where overtaking is not allowed. The effect of the sign extends from the place of its installation to the nearest intersection, the end or beginning of a populated area, or to sign 3.21 “End of the no-overtaking zone.”
Exceptions: when overtaking is still possible
Despite the strictness of the rule, the legislator has provided for a number of situations when an advance maneuver is permitted even in the presence of a prohibitory sign. This is not a loophole, but is dictated by the logic of traffic and safety.
The first and most important exception concerns slow-moving vehicles. If there is a tractor, asphalt paver or any other vehicle moving ahead of you whose design speed does not exceed 30 km/h, you can overtake it. However, to do this, the equipment must have the appropriate identification mark (red triangle with yellow or red border).
The second case is to avoid an obstacle. If there is a stationary object in your lane (a fallen tree, an accident, road works with barriers), you have the right to go around it, even if this requires entering the oncoming lane under sign 3.20. The main thing is to make sure that the maneuver is safe.
The third situation is often controversial: overtaking a vehicle that is itself overtaking or passing. Traffic rules allow ahead in this case, but only if you do not interfere and do not drive into the oncoming lane where this is prohibited by a sign. In fact, if the sign is hanging, driving into oncoming traffic is prohibited, so this paragraph is more applicable to multi-lane roads or cases where the sign does not cover the entire width of the roadway.
- 🚜 Slow-moving vehicles with an identification sign.
- 🚧 Avoiding a stationary obstacle (accident, fallen tree).
- 🏍️ Mopeds, motorcycles without sidecars, bicycles and horse-drawn carts.
What is considered a slow moving vehicle?
A slow-moving vehicle is one that, by its design, cannot reach a speed of more than 30 km/h. Important: the absence of such a restriction in the documents or technical passport means that the car is not slow-moving, even if it drives slowly due to a breakdown.
Situation with two fellow travelers: is it possible to overtake?
Returning to the main question of the user: “are you allowed to overtake a sign of 2 cars?” If "2 cars" means a situation where there are two cars ahead of you and you want to pass them both, the answer depends on what those cars are doing.
If both cars are moving at the permitted speed and are not slow-moving, overtake them at sign 3.20 strictly prohibited. The fact that there are two of them does not change the rules. You do not have the right to drive into the oncoming lane to get ahead of them.
However, if the first car has already started overtaking the second one (which, for example, is turning left or is slow-moving), you can advance without entering the oncoming lane, if the lane width allows. But as soon as the maneuver requires crossing the center line under a prohibitory sign, the action becomes illegal.
| The situation ahead | Effect of sign 3.20 | Is it possible to overtake? |
|---|---|---|
| Two cars driving in traffic | Valid | No, it's prohibited |
| Tractor with red triangle | Not valid (exception) | Yes, you can |
| Truck with trailer (not slow-moving) | Valid | No, it's prohibited |
| Fixed obstacle (pothole, accident) | Not valid (detour) | Yes, you can (with caution) |
Before overtaking, always look not only at the sign, but also at the vehicle ahead. If it's a truck, make sure it has a "Slow Moving Vehicle" sign on the back of it. Without it, overtaking will be considered a violation.
Sign area 3.20
Understanding exactly where the prohibition ends is critical to safe driving. The 3.20 sign does not hang indefinitely. Its effect is terminated in the following cases:
Firstly, to the first intersection. As soon as you come level with the intersecting road (even if it is a dirt road or an exit from a yard that is not the main road in a populated area), the effect of the sign ends. However, if there is a second sign immediately after the intersection, the ban is renewed.
Secondly, the sign loses its effect upon entering a populated area (signs with a white background) and resumes its effect upon leaving it, unless otherwise stated. The ban can also be lifted by installing sign 3.21 “End of the prohibited overtaking zone” or 3.31 “End of the zone of all restrictions”.
⚠️ Attention: Leaving the sign's coverage area does not immediately mean permission to overtake. Make sure that there is no continuous marking line that could start immediately after the sign, and that visibility allows you to carry out the maneuver safely.
Drivers often make the mistake of thinking that the coverage area ends after 100 or 200 meters. This is not true. If there is no intersection or cancellation sign, the ban lasts as long as necessary, even 5 or 10 kilometers.
☑️ Check before overtaking
Fines for violating the overtaking ban
Ignoring the “No Overtaking” sign is classified by the Code of Administrative Offenses as a serious violation. Driving into oncoming traffic in violation of the requirements of road signs entails a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of 4 to 6 months.
If the violation is recorded by automatic recording cameras, then deprivation of rights is excluded. In this case, the driver will only receive fine. However, the amount remains high - 5,000 rubles. A repeated violation within a year can lead to deprivation of rights for 1 year, even if recorded by a camera, if the case is considered by the court, although in practice, for a repeated camera, they are often fined again.
It is worth noting that overtaking a slow-moving vehicle without an identification mark under sign 3.20 will also be regarded by the inspector as a violation. You will have to prove in court that the tractor was driving slowly, and success is not guaranteed without a video recorder and technical expertise.
- 💰 Fine 5000 rubles or deprivation of rights for 4-6 months (primary violation).
- 📷 If captured by a camera, the only fine is 5,000 rubles.
- 🔄 Repeated violation within a year - deprivation of rights for 1 year.
Saving 10-15 minutes on overtaking at a sign is not worth the risk of losing your driver's license for six months or paying a large fine. Safety is always more important than speed.
Frequent driver mistakes when overtaking
An analysis of road statistics shows that drivers often make the same type of mistakes when trying to circumvent the ban. One of the most common is an attempt to overtake by a “locomotive”. The driver sees that the car in front has begun to overtake, and dives after it into the oncoming lane. This is a double violation and double risk.
Another mistake is ignoring the sign if “everyone drives like that.” The presence of several cars in the oncoming lane does not make the maneuver legal. The traffic police inspector or the camera doesn’t care whether you were alone or in a convoy of violators.
Some drivers confuse the concepts of “overtaking” and “advanced”. Overtaking always means driving into the oncoming lane. If you change lanes into the adjacent lane (on a multi-lane road) and are ahead of a slower vehicle, this is not considered overtaking in the classical sense of entering oncoming traffic, and the 3.20 sign has nothing to do with it, unless it is accompanied by a sign prohibiting lane changing. But on a two-lane road, any overtaking means driving into oncoming traffic.
What to do if you are stopped for overtaking a sign?
Don't get into conflict with the inspector. If you did violate, admit the mistake. If you overtook a slow-moving vehicle, point this out and provide evidence (video from the recorder, photo of the sign on the vehicle in front). You have the right to disagree with the protocol and appeal it in court.
Is the 3.20 sign valid at night?
Yes, road signs are valid 24 hours a day, unless there is an additional sign underneath them indicating the operating time (for example, 8.00–20.00). Visibility is worse at night, so compliance with the sign is even more critical.
Is it possible to overtake if the sign is covered with snow or is not visible?
Formally, if a sign is not visible due to weather conditions or damage, it is difficult to refer to it. However, if the marking is solid, it takes precedence. If the markings are not visible (snow porridge), it is better to refrain from risky maneuvers, since the sign could have been installed for a reason.
Is a bus a slow moving vehicle?
No, a city bus is structurally capable of reaching speeds of more than 30 km/h. Overtaking a bus under sign 3.20 is prohibited, unless it is stopped (obstacle) or turns left, freeing up the lane for you to drive without entering oncoming traffic.
Where exactly does the sign's coverage area begin?
The coverage area starts from the place where the sign is installed. If the sign is on the side of the road, the countdown starts from the point where it is installed. It is recommended to start the overtaking maneuver only after you are completely level with the sign, in order to avoid double interpretation of the situation.