Can You Pass on the Right in Idaho?

I tend to be someone who automatically assumes I’m in the wrong. So, after getting a couple of fist shakes last week while passing someone on the right, I decided to double-check to ensure that I wasn’t breaking the law.

Can you pass on the right in Idaho?

To clear things up, it’s best to go right to the source. Here’s a copy of the state statute regarding passing someone on the right when traveling in the same direction on a two-way road with only one lane in each direction.

When passing on the right is permitted:

(1) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:

(a)  When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn;

(b)  Upon a highway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two (2) or more lines of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle.

(2)  The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. That movement shall not be made by driving off the roadway.

Passing on the right in Idaho isn’t exactly a simple yes or no answer 

Like a lot of things, this isn’t a simple yes or no answer. As long as the vehicle in front of you is turning left, you’re traveling on a road that’s clear and wide enough for you to safely pass on the right without leaving the pavement, then passing is acceptable. And it’s important to note that you aren’t allowed to simply pass someone on the right just because they aren’t driving fast enough. The other vehicle has to be turning left. 

You can chalk this up to maybe one of those things that feels wrong while you’re doing it but is perfectly legal. 

Check my work if you don’t believe me

If you don’t trust everything you read on the Internet, good on you. You can check the statute for yourself and read it in its entirety on the Idaho State Legislature website, and you can find the same information in the Idaho Driver’s Manual on the Idaho Transportation Department’s website.