Overtaking on the right

Overtaking is done on the left in everyday situations.

In the picture above, a car is travelling at low speed in the middle lane. The dark car overtakes this car on the left. Fine, that’s how it should be.
The white car wants to overtake the car on the right. This is not allowed. The following explains when you are allowed to overtake on the right.

When is overtaking allowed?

There are four situations when you are allowed to overtake on the right.

• Drivers are allowed to overtake on the right just before or on roundabouts. Motor vehicle drivers and moped riders following the carriageway are also allowed to overtake other than on the right side of the carriageway just before or at roundabouts.
• Traffic jams may be overtaken on the right side.
• Drivers may overtake trams on the right.
• Drivers on the right of a block marking may overtake drivers on the left of that marking on the right.

These four exceptions indicate when the right may overtake. Of course, you may also overtake on the left in these four situations. The important thing is always road safety. If you plan to overtake on the right, pay close attention to traffic to the right or behind you. These could be cyclists, snorfiets riders, and moped riders who fall victim to a wrong overtaking manoeuvre.

When is overtaking on the right mandatory?

Usually, you have to overtake on the left; sometimes, you are allowed to overtake on the right. However, there is one situation where you must overtake on the right. That is when you are behind a driver who wants to turn left, and this driver has indicated direction to the left and has signalled on the left.

I also don’t think it’s wise to overtake a driver who wants to turn left on the left side.

The white car may overtake the blue car on the right. It is not only at the roundabout itself that another vehicle may be overtaken on the right. This is also allowed just before a roundabout.

If you are in a traffic jam like the one pictured, you are allowed to overtake on the left and right. A traffic jam exists when several cars drive slower than you would typically expect. If one car on a motorway is travelling 70 kilometers per hour, there is no traffic jam. If 10 or more cars travel slower than 60 km/h on a motorway, there is a traffic jam. The picture clearly shows a traffic jam.

Drivers may overtake a tram on the right, but also on the left. In most cases, a tram will be overtaken on the right. Sometimes the tram lane is on the right of the carriageway. In these situations, you overtake a tram on the left because there is no room on the right at that time.

When merging and exiting, you drive to the right of a block marking. When driving to the right of a block marking, you are allowed to overtake vehicles driving to the left of this block marking on the right.
In the picture, the white car is driving to the right of a block marking. The dark car next to the white car is also driving on the right of the block marking. This means that the white car is NOT allowed to overtake the dark car on the right.

The moped rider wants to turn left. This can be seen by the position on the carriageway and the use of the indicator. If you’re going to overtake, you should do so on the right. Of course, you may also choose to stay behind the moped rider. Overtaking the moped rider on the left is not allowed, fortunately, because that could cause dangerous situations.