When is it illegal to pass on the right?

Prepare for the California DMV Traffic School Test. Study with interactive quizzes, flashcards, and understand with detailed explanations. Get cleared for your driving confidently!

Multiple Choice

When is it illegal to pass on the right?

The main idea is that passing on the right is illegal when it would require leaving the roadway or driving onto an area not designed for traffic, or when there is a solid line on your side. Driving off the pavement or into shoulders and other non-driving areas is unsafe and prohibited, and a solid line on your side clearly forbids passing in that direction. The other scenarios aren’t automatic bans: you must pass bicyclists safely and only when legal, and passing on the right when the vehicle ahead is turning left or on a one-way street can be allowed in specific, safe situations.

The main idea is that passing on the right is illegal when it would require leaving the roadway or driving onto an area not designed for traffic, or when there is a solid line on your side. Driving off the pavement or into shoulders and other non-driving areas is unsafe and prohibited, and a solid line on your side clearly forbids passing in that direction. The other scenarios aren’t automatic bans: you must pass bicyclists safely and only when legal, and passing on the right when the vehicle ahead is turning left or on a one-way street can be allowed in specific, safe situations.

More practice questions