Overtaking someone with your car on the road seems like a simple task, but the laws surrounding overtaking, or passing, may be a bit more nuanced than you think. Especially when it comes to stressful situations.
Two readers wrote a letter to the McClatchy Northwest Service Team with specific questions about passing laws:
Below are Washington’s laws for both questions.
WA State Law on Lane Rollers
In Washington State, drivers are instructed to stay in the right lane except to pass in most situations. On roads with three or more lanes going in the same direction, the center lane is optimal when there is heavy traffic merging or exiting.
Washington’s revised law outlines the exact scenarios in which a driver is not expected to drive on the right:
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When legally passing
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When the road is blocked
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When the road has three marked lanes, making it an appropriate two-way traffic
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On a street or highway where only one-way traffic is allowed
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When making room for emergency vehicles, tow trucks, highway construction or maintenance vehicles, and solid waste removal vehicles or other utility vehicles, as necessary
In addition, drivers who are driving faster than the flow of traffic on roads with more than two lanes in the same direction do not have to stay exclusively in the right lane. However, staying in the left lane for too long can be considered a traffic violation if it obstructs the flow of traffic, so the middle lane is recommended.
There are also exceptions for traffic flow, such as allowing someone else to merge or preparing for a legal left turn.
The left lane is generally intended for passing vehicles that are moving slower than you. The law states that drivers should only pass when it is safe to do so and should return to the right lane as soon as you have permission to do so. It is generally recommended that only one car be passed at a time.
What about legal lane use in Western Australia?
A reader asked if it is legal to drive in the left lane when not passing. According to Washington law, sometimes.
Based on state law, the specific parameters listed above are the only scenarios in which drivers are permitted to drive in the inside lane. While it is normally used for passing, there are other situations in which it is legal to drive in the left lane.
Driving in the left lane is not permitted and if you obstruct the flow of traffic, you risk a traffic violation.
Another reader asked about speeding while passing, whether it is legal to speed up in the outside lane when another vehicle is trying to pass you in the inside lane. A common occurrence, it is likely that this has happened to everyone. But is it illegal? Based on the state’s Drivers and Traffic Code Guide, it can be considered dangerous driving.
Neither the Washington Revised Highway Code nor the Washington Driver Guide specifically refer to this scenario. However, there are other laws regarding unspecified dangerous acts that may apply.
RCW 46.61.445 states that speeding does not exempt drivers from exercising further care and caution on the road. This means that even if a person is obeying the speed limit, he or she can be held liable for a lack of care in other actions while driving.
RCW 46.61.675 states that it is unlawful for drivers to knowingly and intentionally cause another driver to drive their vehicle “in a manner contrary to law.” This means that intentionally driving in a manner that causes someone else to drive dangerously or illegally can be subject to liability. That could mean someone else can’t pass you.
