What should I do if my car loses power while overtaking?

Abort the manoeuvre safely if possible, signal, return to a safe lane without abrupt movements and get the vehicle off the live carriageway before diagnosing the fault.

In relation to “What should I do if my car loses power while overtaking?”, roadside incidents can become insurance, police and property-damage matters at the same time, so record facts before memories become uncertain.

For “What should I do if my car loses power while overtaking?”, cancel the overtake if possible, signal, return to a safe lane and avoid forcing the engine. A loss of power can have many causes, so warning lights and when the fault occurs are useful diagnostic clues.

For “What should I do if my car loses power while overtaking?”, for Northern Ireland, the key is to use the authority or contract that actually controls this issue. The sources attached to this answer include PSNI - Road Traffic Collision, nidirect - Motor insurance explained, and GOV.UK - Vehicle insurance. Those sources should take priority over forum posts or guidance written for a different jurisdiction, particularly where a deadline, offence, fee, finance right or policy condition is involved.

Practical next step for “What should I do if my car loses power while overtaking?”: make a short incident note while details are fresh — time, exact location, registrations, people involved, witnesses and photographs or original video. If police, insurer, road authority or recovery operator is involved, keep each reference number with that note.