Passing on the right — North Carolina Permit Test

Passing on the right is against the law except where specifically permitted, because it puts your vehicle on the blind side of the vehicle you are passing.

The driver you are passing expects you on the left. On the right they may turn or pull over straight into you.

Passing on the right places your vehicle on the blind side of the vehicle you are passing.

Passing on the right is allowed on highways with at least two lanes in each direction, on one-way streets, when passing a vehicle in the left-turn lane, and in a lane set aside for right turns.

The exceptions are the places where the right side is a real lane of its own. A shoulder or a two-lane road is not.

Exceptions where passing on the right is allowed: • On highways having at least two lanes traveling in each direction; • On one-way streets where all lanes of traffic move in the same direction; • When passing a vehicle that is in the left-turn lane; and/or • When driving in a lane set aside for right turns.

On a three-lane highway you may pass only in the center lane, and only where the center lane is marked for passing in your direction, except when the center-lane vehicle is turning left.

The center lane of a three-lane road belongs to both directions. The markings say whose turn it is.

On three-lane highways, you must not pass except in the center lane, and then only where the center lane is marked for passing in your direction.

Why is passing on the right generally against the law?

It puts you on the other driver’s blind side. The driver you are passing expects you on the left. On the right they may turn or pull over straight into you. North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.55: “Passing on the right places your vehicle on the blind side of the vehicle you are passing.”