If you’re passing a car traveling at 40 mph, the entire maneuver takes about 13 seconds, every one fraught with danger. During those 13 seconds—about the time it takes you to read the next paragraph—you call upon all your skills and experience behind the wheel. You need to judge speed and distance, monitor conditions in a changing traffic environment, understand the capabilities of your own car and anticipate other drivers’ actions. And the stakes are high. One mistake while the clock is ticking might result in tragedy—for you or someone else.

“Passing safely requires good judgment, good reflexes, common courtesy and even a little chutzpah,” says Al Tetta of the Club’s Traffic Safety Department. “When should you begin the pass? How quickly will your car respond when you step on the gas? Do you have enough room? With so many factors to consider, all the formulas in the world can’t substitute for good judgment and experience.”

Actually, the 13 seconds involved in a typical passing maneuver include five distinct episodes lasting just a few seconds apiece. These “moments of truth”—make-or-break instants when you evaluate the situation, decide and act—are outlined below. The time codes indicate the approximate duration of each when you achieve a passing speed of 50 mph to overtake a car traveling at 40. (Passing at higher speeds requires even more time—as much as 20 seconds in all—but involves the same five crucial steps.) Here’s what you have to think about:

1.The Commitment
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You’re on a two-lane blacktop, looking around the car ahead and staring far down the opposing lane for oncoming traffic. One question occupies your mind: How fast is that traffic moving? That is, will you have enough space to pass the vehicle ahead so you can get back safely to your lane before an oncoming car reaches you? Your life may ride on the answer.

Every year in the U.S., head-on collisions caused by inappropriate passing kill more than 1,000 people.

“If the oncoming vehicle appears to be moving, then it’s too close,” says Frank Niland of the Club’s Traffic Safety Department. “At a distance of 1,725 feet or more, your eye will freeze motion. The car seems to stand still. If it looks stationary, then you know you have enough time and space to move left, get around the car ahead, and move safely back to the right lane.”

But you have more than the road ahead to worry about. At this point, what’s behind you becomes just as important as what’s in front. Check your rearview mirror for vehicles overtaking and attempting to pass you. Look in the outboard mirror and glance over your shoulder, unless you want to meet someone riding in your blind spot. Last but not least, turn on your blinker.

2.The Initiation
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Experts recommend keeping a two-second cushion between you and the car ahead when you’re cruising on the highway and especially when you’re preparing to pass. That means counting “one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi” just after the car ahead has reached a stationary object, such as a tree or a signpost. If you reach the marker before finishing “two-Mississippi,” you’re too close; you don’t have a complete picture of the road ahead, because the car in front may be obstructing your view of oncoming traffic in the opposite lane. If you reach the marker long after counting “two-Mississippi,” you’re too far back. This increases the time required to pass—thereby increasing your risk.

When you’re sure that you have a clear path, steer smoothly into the left lane and accelerate firmly. Here, you rely on knowing your car’s performance under stress. For instance, underpowered cars turn poky with a full complement of passengers or a heavy cargo load aboard.

“No doubt, a full load affects the acceleration and handling characteristics of many four-cylinder cars,” says Tetta. “In that case, you’ll require additional time and space to pass safely.”

3.The Point of No Return
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You reach the moment of maximum vulnerability as your right front fender pulls even with the rear fender of the car ahead. You’re completely exposed to oncoming traffic, with no chance of aborting the attempt. The car on your right and the shoulder on your left leave you no options should things turn ugly.

“We always say you should plan for an escape route in every situation, but in this case, there are no good escape routes,” notes Tetta. “If you’ve made a bad decision and face a head-on crash with an oncoming car, you have nowhere to go but the shoulder.

However, you have to realize that the driver in the oncoming car will probably seek the safety of the shoulder, too.”

4.The Completion
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As you pull ahead of the car to your right, you may be tempted to breathe a sigh of relief. Don’t give in to the temptation. “Too many people tend to ease off the gas pedal as they’re completing the passing maneuver,” says Tetta. “It’s a common mistake. Instead, maintain passing speed.”

Anything less adds precious seconds to the maneuver, increases your vulnerability, and confuses the driver to your right.

5.The Return
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“Before moving back to the right lane, check your rearview mirror,” advises Tetta. “You can move back in as soon as you can see the entire front grille of the car you’re passing. That means both headlights—not before.” When both headlights appear in your mirror, signal first and then steer smoothly to the right.

Now you can allow yourself a sigh of relief.