Oncoming Vehicles
At 55 mph, you will travel over 800 feet in 10 to 12 seconds. So will an oncoming vehicle. That means you need over 1600 feet to pass safely. It is difficult to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles. They do not appear to be moving as quickly as they really are! If you can see a vehicle moving closer to you, it is probably too close for you to start to pass.
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Preview Class A or Class B Vehicles
Passing a Class A or Class B-type vehicle is also very risky. These types of vehicles are typically longer and therefore take some extra time to get around. Unless road conditions are perfect and you can clearly see that there are no oncoming vehicles and no upcoming curves or hills, it’s safest not to pass.
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Preview Hills or Blind Curves
You should never pass another vehicle when approaching or driving on the brow of a hill or a blind curve. You cannot see if a vehicle may be coming down the hill or around the curve from the opposite direction, leaving you with insufficient time and space to get out of the way.
When climbing steep hills outside business and residential areas, you are permitted to overtake another vehicle traveling less than 20 mph, if your vehicle is capable of traveling at least 10 mph faster and capable of completing the maneuver within a quarter of a mile.