10 Jun Passing on the Right

Having you ever been waiting to turn left and had vehicles pass you on the right?  You may have wondered if this is even legal.  In general, it’s not legal to pass on the right in British Columbia…with three exceptions.  These exceptions are set out in s. 158 of the Motor Vehicle Act:

1. You may pass on the right if the vehicle overtaken is making a left turn or its driver has signaled his or her intention to make a left turn;
2. You may pass on the right if there is one or more unobstructed lanes on the side of the roadway where the driver is permitted to drive; and
3. You may pass on the right if you are on a one-way street and the roadway is unobstructed and wide enough for two lanes of moving vehicles.

Even so, you cannot pass on the right where it is unsafe to do so or if you can only pass by driving your vehicle off the roadway (across the solid white line on the right edge or, if no solid line, then the edge of the pavement).