Is it overtaking on the right is permitted in Vietnam when the car ahead signals left turn?

Is it overtaking on the right is permitted in Vietnam when the car ahead signals left turn?​ (Illustration)

Draft Law on Ensuring Road Traffic Order and Safety provides regulations on the rules for overtaking and yielding for vehicles requesting to overtake to ensure road traffic order and safety in Vietnam. To be specific:

1. When overtaking, vehicles must overtake on the left side of the vehicle being overtaken in the direction of travel, except as provided in Clause 7 of this Article, they are allowed to overtake on the right.

2. The overtaking vehicle may only overtake when there are no obstructions ahead, no oncoming vehicles in the overtaking segment, the vehicle ahead is not signaling to overtake another vehicle, and has moved to the right.

3. When there is a vehicle requesting to overtake, the driver of the vehicle in front must observe the road ahead, if safe conditions are met, they must reduce speed, move close to the right side of the driving part of the road until the vehicle behind has overtaken, and must not obstruct the overtaking vehicle.

If the driver of the vehicle in front observes that the road ahead has obstacles or is not safe for overtaking, they should signal a left turn or extend their left hand to signal the vehicle behind that it cannot overtake.

4. Once overtaking is completed, the driver must signal a right turn and move into the correct lane.

5. On roads with multiple lanes for vehicles traveling in the same direction, distinguished by lane markings, a vehicle in a faster lane compared to a vehicle in another lane is not considered as overtaking.

6. The vehicle requesting to overtake must signal with lights or horns; in urban and densely populated areas from 10 PM to 5 AM, only light signals should be used to request overtaking.

7. Cases where overtaking on the right is permitted:

- When the vehicle in front signals a left turn or is making a left turn;

- When a tram is running in the middle of the road;

- When a specialized vehicle is working on the road, making it impossible to overtake on the left.

8. Overtaking is prohibited in the following cases:Conditions for safe overtaking are not met as prescribed; On narrow bridges with a single lane; On curved roads with limited visibility; on two-way roads at the crest of a hill with limited visibility; At intersections, level crossings with railways; When weather conditions or the road make safe overtaking impossible; When a priority vehicle is signaling an urgent mission; In areas with no-overtaking signs; On pedestrian crossings; Under bridges or in tunnels.

For details, refer to Draft Law on Ensuring Road Traffic Order and Safety.

Ty Na

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