Polish Police warn of dangers in ‘overtaking a third’ maneuver

Polish police are clarifying the definition of ‘overtaking a third’ (wyprzedzanie na trzeciego), a dangerous driving maneuver that is frequently misunderstood by motorists. While some drivers believe the term refers to overtaking multiple vehicles at once, authorities define it as a situation where a driver enters the oncoming lane to overtake a vehicle while another car is already approaching from the opposite direction.

This maneuver is highly hazardous because it can force oncoming drivers to brake abruptly, swerve, or pull onto the shoulder to avoid a head-on collision. Recent incidents reported by the Kujawsko-Pomorskie police on the DK91 and DK10 highways illustrate these risks, where drivers forced others off the road. Experts warn that such actions significantly increase the risk of fatal head-on crashes, especially given the high speeds at which vehicles approach one another.