“Overtaking” is the act of passing after changing lanes
First, let’s talk about overtaking. This refers to the act of turning on your blinker, changing lanes, and then passing the vehicle in front of you.
Regarding overtaking methods, Article 28 of the Road Traffic Act stipulates the following:
“When a vehicle is attempting to overtake another vehicle, it must drive on the right side of the vehicle being overtaken.”
According to this regulation, when overtaking a slower vehicle in front of you, you must pass on the right side of that vehicle. If you overtake a vehicle in front of you on the left side, you may be arrested for an “overtaking violation” and, if applicable, will be subject to the following violation points and fines.
[Points and fines for overtaking violations]
Points: 2 points
Fines: 7,000 yen for motorcycles, 6,000 yen for mopeds (9,000 yen for standard vehicles, 12,000 yen for large vehicles)
“Overtaking” is the act of turning on your blinker, changing course, and then passing the vehicle in front of you.
“Overtaking” means not changing course
On the other hand, “overtaking” refers to the act of moving ahead of the vehicle in front without changing lanes. Generally, you do not use your blinker or change lanes.
In other words, the big difference between “overtaking” and “passing” is whether or not it involves changing lanes. Therefore, whether or not it is a violation can change depending on which method you use to pass the vehicle in front.
For example, if you are passing a slower car in the left lane on a road with two or more lanes, such as a highway or a wide main road, if the motorcycle behind you changes lanes to the right, passes the slower car on the right, and then returns to the left lane, this is considered a normal “overtaking” and is not a violation as long as you observe the speed limit.
Also, if a motorcycle is traveling in the left lane and the car in front is traveling in the right lane, and the motorcycle stays in the left lane while catching up with and passing a slower car traveling in the right lane, this is considered “overtaking.” Even in this case, it is not a violation as long as the motorcycle is observing the speed limit.
On a road with two or more lanes, such as a highway, if a motorcycle keeps to the left lane and catches up with and passes a slower car in the right lane, it is considered “overtaking.”
However, you need to be a little careful when overtaking a car in front of you in the right lane. If a motorcycle traveling in the same right lane changes lanes to the left and then overtakes a slower vehicle in front of you from the left, it may be considered an “overtaking violation.” In fact, an acquaintance of mine was caught by a police motorcycle for this very pattern, and was given a ticket and was given the penalty points and fine mentioned above.
If a motorcycle traveling in the right lane changes lanes to the left lane and then passes a slower vehicle in front of it in the right lane from the left, it may be considered an “overtaking violation.”
As such, whether or not it is a violation to overtake a vehicle in front of you on the left side depends on whether or not you change lanes just beforehand. If you were driving in the left lane from the start and you simply overtake a slower vehicle in the right lane, it is unlikely to be considered a dangerous act and is generally not considered a violation (assuming you are obeying the speed limit, of course).
Is it illegal for a motorcycle to “pass” other vehicles?
So what about “passing through”? For example, when a motorcycle passes a line of stopped (or slowly moving) cars in the same lane on the left side of a congested road.
The general interpretation seems to be that in these cases, if the driver does not change lanes, it is considered overtaking from the left and is not a violation in itself. However, it is still dangerous, and if an accident occurs, it could be considered a violation of the safe driving obligation. In such cases, the penalty points and fines are as follows.
[Violation points and fines for violating the safe driving obligation]
・Violation points: 2 points
・Fine: 7,000 yen for motorcycles, 6,000 yen for mopeds (9,000 yen for standard vehicles, 12,000 yen for large vehicles)
Passing through narrow traffic is still dangerous, and if an accident occurs, it could be considered a violation of the safe driving obligation.
It is a violation to pass through the shoulder
Additionally, when passing on the left side of a car, it is also a violation to use the “side strip” outside the white line on the far left of a road without a sidewalk. Pedestrians have the right of way on these side strips, and according to Article 17, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act, motorcycles, including mopeds, and cars are prohibited from passing through them. If you are caught, it will be considered a “traffic classification violation” and you will be subject to the following penalty points and fines.
[Penalty points and fines for traffic lane violations]
Penalty points: 2 points
Penalty fines: 7,000 yen for motorcycles, 6,000 yen for mopeds (9,000 yen for standard vehicles, 12,000 yen for large vehicles)
By the way, if there is a sidewalk on the side of the road, it is called a “shoulder.” This is provided to protect the main structures of the road, and the Road Traffic Act does not prohibit motorcycles from riding there (cars are prohibited by the Vehicle Restrictions Ordinance). However, for example, if you make an S-shaped turn to slip between vehicles or use both lanes to slip through, you may be violating the principle of “no overtaking on the left,” and you may be subject to enforcement. Also, even if there is a sidewalk, there may be pedestrians on the shoulder, so taking this into consideration, it is best to refrain from riding there aggressively.
There may be pedestrians on the shoulder of the road, so it is best to avoid driving aggressively.
It is often said that “driving on the shoulder of the road is a violation” on expressways, but in fact, under the Road Traffic Act, this corresponds to the “side strip.” Although pedestrians are not generally allowed on expressways, the area outside the white line on the far left is an area for responding to emergencies, and not only cars but also motorcycles are prohibited from driving there. Driving there constitutes a violation of the traffic division.
No traffic on the shoulders of expressways
Furthermore, the blue lane with “Bicycles Only” written on the left side of the road is a “bicycle lane.” It is also known as a bicycle lane, and basically only bicycles are allowed to ride in it. Motorcycles and cars are prohibited from riding in it. Even in this case, if you are caught riding in it, the aforementioned traffic division violation will be applied, and you will be subject to the same penalty points and fines.
Motorcycles and cars are prohibited from using bicycle lanes
By the way, as you may know, there are many other rules regarding overtaking, such as the fact that if the center line is a solid yellow line, it is a violation to leave your lane to overtake.
If the center line is a solid yellow line, it is illegal to leave your lane to overtake.
In any case, there are differences between overtaking, passing, and passing others, and whether or not it constitutes a violation varies depending on the case. However, the most important prerequisite for all of these is to ensure safety when riding. Always be mindful of your own body and your bike, as well as pedestrians and surrounding vehicles, and always try to ride smartly to avoid danger.
