Questions / Everyday road skills
Answer first · reviewed August 2026
How should I pass a cyclist in Ontario?
Leave the legally required safe passing space, change lanes when necessary and possible, and do not squeeze through because an oncoming vehicle makes you impatient.
Make it practical
What to do
Plan the pass early and wait behind at a safe distance until sight lines and space are adequate.
Easy to miss
The common trap
Returning to the lane too soon and cutting off the cyclist.
Turn knowledge into a habit
How to practise it
Name the hazard you are managing during practice, then repeat the decision in a different location. Good judgment should survive a new street name.
When a rule, road sign or examiner instruction conflicts with an internet tip, use the official rule and the safe decision. The internet has many talents; wearing a reflective examiner vest is not one of them.
Check the answer
Sources and context
DriverReady explains public information in plain language. Requirements, test formats and procedures can change.