Following and Passing Vulnerable Road Users in B.C.

When you are driving behind or approaching a cyclist, pedestrian or other vulnerable road user, giving them enough space is about more than courtesy. British Columbia law establishes minimum distances that drivers must maintain when passing vulnerable road users.

There are two different things to understand: the distance you should maintain when following a vulnerable road user and the minimum distance required when passing one.

Vulnerable Road Users

For these rules, vulnerable road users include pedestrians, people operating or riding on cycles, and other prescribed persons. The prescribed persons include people using certain mobility devices, people riding animals and people using certain animal- or cycle-drawn devices.

Following a Vulnerable Road User

When following a vulnerable road user, you should leave a distance that is reasonable and prudent, having regard for the amount and nature of traffic and the condition of the highway.

When these changes to the Motor Vehicle Act were introduced in 2023, they included a proposed requirement to leave at least 3 metres when following a vulnerable road user, except while overtaking and passing. This requirement was created as section 162.1 of the Act.

Section 162.1 was enacted, but it has not been brought into force. It therefore is not part of the current law and does not impose a 3-metre minimum following distance today. You can see it listed among the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act that have not been brought into force.

No explanation for why section 162.1 has not been brought into force has been published by the Province. There is no special 3-metre following-distance requirement in force. Drivers must still operate their vehicles safely and, when following another vehicle, maintain a reasonable and prudent distance appropriate to the circumstances.

Passing a Vulnerable Road User

Before passing, you must first determine that the pass can be made safely. You must then maintain the required minimum distance while passing.

The minimum passing distance depends on the posted speed limit and where the vulnerable road user is travelling:

• 1 metre when the posted speed limit is 50 km/h or less.
• 1.5 metres when the posted speed limit is more than 50 km/h.
• 0.5 metre when passing someone who is on a sidewalk or in a protected cycle lane.

The distance is measured from the furthest protruding part of your vehicle to the furthest protruding part of the vulnerable road user or their equipment. See section 157.1 of the Motor Vehicle Act for the complete wording of the passing requirement.

What If You Cannot Leave Enough Space?

Don't pass.

If there is not enough room to maintain the required distance safely, slow down and wait until there is.

A cyclist may need to move around a pothole, drain, parked vehicle or other hazard. A pedestrian may need to step around an obstruction. The legal minimum distance is not necessarily enough for every situation, so give additional space when conditions require it.

Can I Cross a Solid Line to Pass?

There are circumstances where the law permits a driver to cross a line that would otherwise prohibit the movement in order to pass a vulnerable road user.

Section 157.1 of the Motor Vehicle Act provides an exception to certain otherwise prohibited movements when passing a vulnerable road user. The driver must first determine that the movement can be made safely and without affecting the travel of another vehicle.

In other words, a solid line does not automatically prevent you from moving across it to give a vulnerable road user the required passing space. Safety still comes first.

Passing Is Not a Licence to Take Risks

Meeting the minimum distance requirement does not, by itself, make a pass safe or legal.

You still need adequate visibility, sufficient room and enough time to complete the manoeuvre without affecting other road users.

On a narrow two-lane highway, for example, the safest choice may be to slow down and follow the vulnerable road user until you have a clear opportunity to pass completely into the opposing lane while maintaining the required distance.

Following and Passing Are Different

It is easy to focus on the 1-metre and 1.5-metre passing rules and overlook the need to maintain a reasonable and prudent following distance.

Think of it this way:

• Following: Maintain a reasonable and prudent distance appropriate for the traffic and highway conditions.
• Passing where the posted speed limit is 50 km/h or less: Leave at least 1 metre.
• Passing where the posted speed limit is more than 50 km/h: Leave at least 1.5 metres.
• Passing on a sidewalk or in a protected cycle lane: Leave at least 0.5 metre.

The passing distances are minimum legal distances. Good driving may require more.

The Bottom Line

When you encounter a vulnerable road user, slow down, give them space and be patient.

If you cannot pass safely while maintaining the required distance, wait.

A few seconds of patience is a small price to pay for giving someone outside a motor vehicle the room they need to travel safely.

Learn More

• Following Too Closely