It is possible to overtake on the right without risking a fine – two situations allow this

The Highway Code generally prohibits overtaking a vehicle on the right, but there are rare exceptions.

While some drivers tend to forget it, the Highway Code requires that overtaking be done on the left in France. Overtaking a vehicle on the right is considered a dangerous maneuver, punishable by a class 4 fine (135 euros) and a three-point penalty on your driving license. If the penalty is dissuasive, it does not prevent us from seeing daily vehicles placed on a right-hand lane politely cutting through those driving on a lane more to the left. Sometimes with confidence, as if this nevertheless essential rule of conduct did not exist.

While these drivers are at fault most of the time, there are rare situations where they can be proven right. If you drive regularly, you may have wondered in a specific case whether you have the right to overtake the car in front of you on the right side. If it was on the highway because a car was crawling along at 110 km/h in the middle lane while the right lane was free, let's cut it short. The discussion is no. We often see on the highways motorists going up the right lane and overtaking those who squat in the middle lane. If the latter should pull back as stipulated by the Highway Code, this does not give the right to overtake them in any way other than on the left.

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So, what are the exceptional cases that allow this maneuver to be performed? ? There are two. First, when vehicles are traveling on several parallel lanes and traffic is extremely dense, which is quite common in large cities during rush hour. At this time, there is nothing to prevent you from overtaking vehicles positioned further to the left when your lane allows you to move forward. This is the implicit rule that applies to traffic jams. If the right lane allows you to move faster than the left lane(s), have no fear, no one will come and ticket you.

The second situation is less frequent and perhaps a little more confusing for drivers. It happens to find yourself behind a vehicle approaching an intersection. If the vehicle clearly indicates with its indicator that it intends to turn left, then move to the right to overtake it without having to waiting for it to completely change direction is allowed. In this case, overtaking is done on the right but on a vehicle that is about to take another road.

Changing direction to the left and slowed or even stopped traffic, these are the only two situations in which the law allows overtaking on the right in France. We can add to this overtaking trams, which are increasingly numerous in cities, when they are traveling in the middle of a two-way road.