CONVENTION ON ROAD TRAFFIC
The Contracting Parties, desiring to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety through the adoption of uniform traffic rules, have agreed upon the following provisions:
Chapter II
RULES OF THE ROAD
ARTICLE 11
Overtaking and movement of traffic in lines
1. (a) Drivers overtaking shall do so on the side opposite to that appropriate to the direction of traffic.
(b) However drivers shall overtake on the side appropriate to the direction of traffic if the driver to be overtaken has signalled his intention to turn to the side of the carriageway opposite to that appropriate to the direction of traffic and has moved his vehicle or animals over towards that side in order to turn to that side for the purpose of taking another road, to enter a property bordering on the road, or to stop on that side.
2. Before overtaking, every driver shall, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph 1, or to those of Article 14, of this Convention, make sure:
(a) That no driver who is following him has begun to overtake him;
(b) That the driver ahead of him in the same lane has not given warning of his intention to overtake another;
(c) That he can do it without endangering or interfering with the oncoming traffic making sure in particular that the lane which he will enter is free over a sufficient distance and that the relative speed of the two vehicles allows overtaking within a sufficiently short time; and
(d) That, except when using a lane closed to oncoming traffic, he will be able, without inconvenience to the road-user or road-users overtaken, to resume the position prescribed in Article 10, paragraph 3, of this Convention.
3. In pursuance of the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article, overtaking on two-way carriageways is in particular prohibited when approaching the crest of a hill and, if visibility is inadequate, on bends, unless there are at these points lanes defined by longitudinal road markings and overtaking is carried out without leaving the lanes marked as closed to oncoming traffic.
4. When overtaking, a driver shall give the road-user or road-users overtaken a sufficiently wide berth.
5. (a) On carriageways with at least two lanes reserved for traffic moving in the direction in which he is proceeding, a driver who should be obliged, immediately or shortly after moving back to the position prescribed by Article 10, paragraph 3, of this Convention, to overtake again may, in order to perform that manoeuvre, and provided he makes sure he can do so without undue inconvenience to the drivers of faster vehicles approaching from behind, remain in the lane he has occupied for the first overtaking manoeuvre.
(b) However, Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof shall be free not to apply the provisions of this paragraph to the drivers of cycles, mopeds, motor cycles and vehicles which are not motor vehicles within the meaning of this Convention, or to the drivers of motor vehicles whose permissible maximum mass exceeds 3,500 kg or whose maximum speed, by design, cannot exceed 40 km (25 miles) per hour.
6. Where the provisions of subparagraph 5 (a) of this Article are applicable and the density of traffic is such that vehicles not only occupy the entire width of the carriageway reserved for traffic taking the direction in which they are moving but also are moving only at a speed which is governed by that of the vehicle preceding them in the line:
(a) Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 9 of this Article, the movement of the vehicles in one line at a higher speed than that of those in another shall not be deemed to constitute overtaking within the meaning of this Article;
(b) A driver not in the lane nearest to the edge of the carriageway appropriate to the direction of traffic may change lanes only in order to prepare to turn right or left or to park; however, this requirement shall not apply to changes of lane effected by drivers in accordance with domestic legislation resulting from the application of the provisions of paragraph 5 (b) of this Article.
7. When moving in lines as described in paragraphs 5 and 6 of this Article, drivers are forbidden, if the lanes are indicated on the carriageway by longitudinal markings, to straddle these markings.
8. Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article and to other restrictions which Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof may lay down concerning overtaking at intersections and at level-crossings, no driver of a vehicle shall overtake a vehicle other than a two-wheeled cycle, a two-wheeled moped or a two-wheeled motor cycle without side-car:
(a) Immediately before or on an intersection other than a roundabout, except:
(i) In the case provided for in paragraph 1 (b) of this Article;
(ii) Where the road on which overtaking takes place has priority at the intersection;
(iii) Where traffic is directed at the intersection by an authorized official or by traffic light signals;
(b) Immediately before or on a level-crossing not equipped with gates or half-gates, provided however that Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof shall be free to permit such overtaking at a level-crossing where road traffic is regulated by traffic light signals incorporating a positive signal authorizing vehicles to proceed.
9. A vehicle shall not overtake another vehicle which is approaching a pedestrian crossing marked on the carriageway or signposted as such, or which is stopped immediately before the crossing, otherwise than at a speed low enough to enable it to stop immediately if a pedestrian is on the crossing. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as preventing Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof from prohibiting overtaking within a prescribed distance from a pedestrian crossing, or from imposing stricter requirements on a driver of a vehicle proposing to overtake another vehicle stopped immediately before such a crossing.
10. A driver who perceives that a driver following him wishes to overtake him shall, except in the case provided for in Article 16, paragraph 1 (b) of this Convention, keep close to the edge of the carriageway appropriate to the direction of traffic and refrain from accelerating. If, owing to the narrowness, profile or condition of the carriageway, taken in conjunction with the density of oncoming traffic, a vehicle which is slow or bulky or is required to observe a speed limit cannot be easily and safely overtaken, the driver of such vehicle shall slow down and if necessary pull in to the side as soon as possible in order to allow vehicles following him to overtake.
11. (a) Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof may, on one-way carriageways and on two-way carriageways where at least two lanes in built-up areas and three lanes outside built-up areas are reserved for traffic in the same direction and are indicated by longitudinal markings:
(i) Allow vehicles in one lane to overtake on the side appropriate to the direction of traffic vehicles in another lane; and
(ii) Make inapplicable the provisions of Article 10, paragraph 3, of this Convention;
provided that there are adequate restrictions on the possibility of changing lanes;
(b) In the case referred to in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 9 of this Article, the manner of driving provided for shall not be deemed to constitute overtaking within the meaning of this Convention.