Keep Right, Let Others Pass: What Does it Mean in B.C.?

You may have noticed a new version of the familiar highway sign in British Columbia: Keep Right, Let Others Pass.

The wording is different from the older Keep Right Except to Pass signs, but the message is essentially the same: on roads where the keep-right rules apply, drivers are expected to use the right-hand lane unless there is a reason to be in another lane.

This is more than a matter of courtesy. B.C.'s Motor Vehicle Act contains two provisions dealing with keeping right, and they apply in somewhat different circumstances.

There are two keep-right rules

Section 150(2) of the Motor Vehicle Act says that a driver travelling at less than the normal speed of traffic, considering the time, place and existing conditions, must drive in the right-hand lane available for traffic.

There are exceptions. For example, a driver may use another lane when overtaking and passing another vehicle, preparing to turn left, or passing an official vehicle stopped on or beside the roadway.

This is the general keep-right rule. It does not say that the posted speed limit determines what "normal speed of traffic" is.

Section 151.1 deals specifically with the leftmost lane on certain higher-speed roads. It applies when:

• there are two or more marked lanes available for traffic travelling in the same direction;
• the posted speed limit is at least 80 km/h; and
• the actual speed of traffic is at least 50 km/h.

On a road where section 151.1 applies, a driver in the leftmost lane must exit that lane when another vehicle approaches from behind, if it is safe to do so.

There are exceptions. They include overtaking and passing another vehicle, allowing traffic to merge, preparing for a left turn, and passing an official vehicle stopped on or beside the roadway.

What does that mean when you are driving?

The simplest way to understand the rules is:

• Keep right when the law requires you to do so.
• Use the left lane when you need it for passing or another recognized exception.
• Move back to the right when you are finished passing and it is safe to do so.
• Never make a lane change that is unsafe just to accommodate another driver.

Keeping right does not require you to increase your speed simply because another driver wants to travel faster than you.

Nor does it give another driver permission to tailgate, flash headlights, intimidate you or otherwise pressure you into making an unsafe lane change.

What if I am already travelling at the speed limit?

This is one of the most common points of confusion.

On a road where section 151.1 applies, travelling at the posted speed limit does not automatically give you the right to remain in the leftmost lane when another vehicle approaches from behind.

If the requirements of section 151.1 are met, you must leave the leftmost lane when it is safe to do so, subject to the exceptions in the law.

That does not mean that the approaching driver is entitled to speed. The speed limit remains the speed limit. The two issues are separate: one concerns where you drive and the other concerns how fast you drive.

What does "normal speed of traffic" mean?

This wording in section 150(2) sometimes leads to confusion. The law does not say that the posted speed limit is the definition of the normal speed of traffic.

Instead, section 150(2) refers to the speed of traffic at the time and place and under the existing conditions. In other words, the circumstances around you matter.

This is different from section 151.1, which contains specific thresholds for the posted speed limit and the actual speed of traffic before the leftmost-lane requirement applies.

What if I am preparing to turn left?

Both keep-right provisions recognize an exception for a driver preparing to make a left turn at an intersection or into an exit, private road or driveway.

That does not mean that a driver should move into the left lane several kilometres before the turn. The exception allows you to position yourself appropriately for the turn.

Until you need the left lane for that purpose, the keep-right requirement continues to apply.

What about traffic merging?

Section 151.1 also recognizes that a driver may use the leftmost lane to allow traffic to merge.

Keeping right does not mean blindly remaining in the right lane regardless of what is happening around you. Safe driving sometimes requires temporarily using another lane.

The law also recognizes the importance of safety. Section 151.1 requires a driver to leave the leftmost lane only if it is safe to do so.

Why does keeping right matter?

A multi-lane highway works best when drivers use the lanes predictably. Keeping the leftmost lane available for vehicles that need to pass can reduce unnecessary bunching and the need for repeated lane changes.

When a vehicle remains unnecessarily in the left lane, traffic may accumulate behind it. Other drivers may then attempt to change lanes to get around it, sometimes creating additional conflicts.

This is one reason the Province uses the Keep Right, Let Others Pass message. The purpose is not to encourage speeding. It is to encourage drivers to use the roadway in a predictable way so that traffic can move efficiently.

Keeping right is not an excuse for aggressive driving

There is an important distinction between keeping right and getting out of the way of a speeding or aggressive driver.

A driver approaching from behind does not have the right to force another driver into an unsafe manoeuvre. Tailgating, intimidation and dangerous lane changes are not made acceptable simply because the approaching driver wants to go faster.

At the same time, a driver cannot necessarily justify remaining in the left lane simply by saying, "I'm doing the speed limit." Where the keep-right provisions apply, the obligation to use the appropriate lane still exists.

The two drivers can both be in the wrong. One driver may be failing to follow a keep-right requirement while the other is speeding, tailgating or driving aggressively.

The safest approach is straightforward: obey the speed limit, keep right when required, use the left lane appropriately, and make every lane change only when it is safe.

The bottom line

Keep Right, Let Others Pass is more than a suggestion to be courteous. B.C.'s Motor Vehicle Act contains specific requirements governing lane use.

Section 150 establishes the general requirement for a driver travelling at less than the normal speed of traffic to use the right-hand lane available, subject to exceptions. Section 151.1 specifically addresses use of the leftmost lane on qualifying higher-speed roads.

Neither rule gives anyone permission to speed or drive aggressively. They are rules about using the roadway properly.

When you are not passing, preparing for a left turn, allowing traffic to merge, or otherwise covered by an exception, the safest and simplest habit is the one the sign tells you: keep right and let others pass.

Learn More

• Another Take on Failing to Keep Right
• Why the Law Requires You to Move Over for a Speeding Driver
• Merging Traffic
• The Lost Art of Making a Lane Change