Overtaking — left, right and forbidden
| What the rule is | Where it goes wrong | What you do | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The main rule | Art. 11(1), three words: overtaking is done on the left. Everything after is exception. | Taking the rule as absolute. The law itself names four cases where overtaking on the right is allowed; not knowing them is exactly what fails the exam question. | Overtake on the left, with indicator and shoulder check, and return to the right afterwards. |
| A driver turning left | If they have moved left and signalled it, you overtake them on the RIGHT (art. 11(2)). Two conditions together: position and indicator. | Passing on the right as soon as someone “seems to be turning”. Without the indicator the exception does not apply, and you overtake on the left. | Whoever has positioned left and signalled it, you overtake on the right — that is permitted, not exceptional. |
| Cyclists among themselves | Cyclists overtake each other on the left, but they may overtake other drivers on the right (art. 11(3)). | Being surprised when a cyclist passes your car on the right. They may; account for it when turning right. | Pull out generously and steer back only when the cyclist is in your interior mirror. |
| Right of a block marking | Whoever drives right of the block marking may overtake those to its left on the right (art. 11(4)). That is how an acceleration lane works. | Taking the block marking for a prohibition. It is precisely where overtaking on the right is expressly allowed. | Stay right of the block marking and do not cross it to gain time. |
| Trams | Art. 11(5), one sentence: drivers may overtake trams on the right. | Forgetting that passing a STATIONARY tram on the boarding side is different: there you must give passengers the opportunity (art. 52). | Overtake a tram on the right, and only when there is room between tram and kerb. |
| In a traffic jam | Art. 13: in a jam you need not keep to the rightmost lane, and jams may be overtaken on the right. | Stretching the exception to “busy traffic”. It applies to a jam — stationary or crawling traffic — not to traffic that simply moves. | In a queue passing on the right is allowed; it remains passing, no reason to go faster than the line beside you. |
| At a pedestrian crossing | Forbidden, art. 12: you may not overtake just before or ON a pedestrian crossing. No conditions, no exceptions. | Thinking the ban applies only when someone is crossing. The text names no pedestrian: the place itself is enough. | Do not overtake before a crossing and do not pull alongside either — the ban covers just before and on the crossing. |
The law itself
- RVV1990 art. 11 lid 1
«Inhalen geschiedt links.»
- RVV1990 art. 11 lid 2
«Bestuurders die links voorgesorteerd hebben en te kennen hebben gegeven dat zij naar links willen afslaan, worden rechts ingehaald.»
- RVV1990 art. 11 lid 3
«Fietsers dienen elkaar links in te halen; zij mogen andere bestuurders rechts inhalen.»
- RVV1990 art. 11 lid 4
«Bestuurders die zich rechts van een blokmarkering bevinden mogen bestuurders die zich links van deze markering bevinden rechts inhalen.»
- RVV1990 art. 11 lid 5
«Bestuurders mogen trams rechts inhalen.»
- RVV1990 art. 12
«Het is verboden een voertuig vlak voor of op een voetgangersoversteekplaats in te halen.»
- RVV1990 art. 13 lid 1
«Bij fileverkeer behoeft, indien de rijbaan is verdeeld in rijstroken in dezelfde richting, niet de meest rechts gelegen rijstrook te worden gevolgd.»
- RVV1990 art. 13 lid 2
«Files mogen aan de rechterzijde worden ingehaald.»
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