DriveTest Canada

Regulatory signs

What does the passing prohibited sign mean?

The passing prohibited sign is a regulatory sign. Do not pass other vehicles in this stretch of road.
17 practice questionsTested in 8 provinces
Passing prohibited
Our drawing: two cars side by side, one struck through.

What to do when you see it

Stay behind the vehicle ahead until the road allows passing again.

What the test asks about this sign

OntarioG1 test

This sign appears at the start of a stretch of two-way road. What does it forbid?

Overtaking other vehicles anywhere along this stretch

The ban covers passing, whatever you are passing and however slowly it is moving. It does not stop you crossing the centre line to turn left into a road or driveway, because that is a turn and not a pass.

Highway Traffic Act (Ontario)
British ColumbiaICBC knowledge test

This sign is posted, a slow truck is ahead of you, and the road beyond the truck looks clear. What are you allowed to do?

Stay behind the truck until the restriction ends

The restriction is based on what you cannot see, not on what looks clear from where you are sitting, so an apparently empty road ahead is not permission. These stretches almost always hide a crest, a bend or a concealed entrance where an oncoming vehicle appears with no warning at all.

Motor Vehicle Act (British Columbia)
AlbertaClass 7 learner's test

You are closing on a slow vehicle and this sign appears at the roadside just as you were about to pull out. What do you do?

Stay behind and drop back to a safe following gap

The restriction starts at the sign, so a pass you have not yet begun is a pass you do not make. It is posted where the view ahead is shorter than the distance a pass really needs, which is longer than most drivers picture. Dropping back matters too, because sitting close behind removes the view you will want when a legal stretch arrives.

Alberta Driver's Guide (Government of Alberta)
QuebecSAAQ knowledge test

You are behind a slow truck on a two-lane road when this sign appears at the roadside. The oncoming lane looks empty from where you are sitting. What does the sign require?

Stay behind until the restriction ends, whatever the oncoming lane looks like

The ban is posted where you cannot see far enough for a pass to be finished safely, usually a crest, a bend or a hidden entrance. The clear stretch you can see is not the problem, the part you cannot see is. A driver waving you past is guessing, and the pass stays your responsibility.

Highway Safety Code (Quebec)
ManitobaMPI knowledge test

You approach a slow vehicle near a Manitoba curve and see this sign. What manoeuvre must you avoid?

Crossing left to overtake the slow vehicle

The sign marks a stretch where overtaking is prohibited. The restriction applies even if you think a brief gap looks clear.

The Highway Traffic Act (Manitoba), C.C.S.M. c. H60section 116(3)
SaskatchewanSGI learners test

A slow farm vehicle is ahead on a Saskatchewan road where this sign applies. Oncoming traffic is far away. What should you do?

Remain behind until passing is allowed

This sign prohibits passing along this stretch. The distance to oncoming traffic does not cancel the restriction.

SGI, Regulatory signs