Dear Cop - Passing On Right

If a vehicle is driving in the fast or left lane and is doing under the posted speed limit, is it legal to pass on the right? If not how can we get these people to move to the right lane?

On a multi lane roadway where there is two or more lanes in your direction of travel, you are permitted to pass a slower moving which is traveling in the median or fast lane in the lane immediately to the right, the curb lane or commonly referred to as the slow lane.

The following are the laws applicable for passing on the right:

Passing on right
Section 158 (1) of the Motor Vehicle Act indicates that the driver of a vehicle must not cause or permit the vehicle to overtake and pass on the right of another vehicle, except

(a) when the vehicle overtaken is making a left turn or its driver has signaled his or her intention to make a left turn,
(b) when on a lane roadway there is one or more than one unobstructed lane on the side of the roadway on which the driver is permitted to drive, or
(c) on a one way street or a highway on which traffic is restricted to one direction of movement, where the roadway is free from obstructions and is of sufficient width for 2 or more lanes of moving vehicles.
(2) Despite subsection (1), a driver of a vehicle must not cause the vehicle to overtake and pass another vehicle on the right
(a) when the movement cannot be made safely, or
(b) by driving the vehicle off the roadway.

Constable R.A.(Richard) ASELTON
Central Okanagan Traffic Services - Media Liaison

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.