Driving in France: when you can overtake on the right-hand side
Undertaking is possible in certain situations, however illegal manoeuvres run the risk of accident, fine and licence suspension
In most cases, drivers must overtake on the left-hand side
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Drivers who move to France must get used to a whole set of new regulations, gathered in the country’s Code de la route (road safety rules).
However, rules on overtaking are similar across many countries, with vehicles overtaking on the left (or right when driving on the left-hand side as in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, etc) in the same manner.
In France, Article R414-6 of the Code de la route states that overtaking must be done from the left. In addition, Article R414-10 says “any driver who has just overtaken on the left must return to the right without slowing down the overtaken vehicle.”
The full safety conditions that must be met for a driver to overtake, and those that a driver must comply with whilst overtaking, are listed in Articles R414-4 to R414-17.
Those who fail to comply with the rules face a fine of €135 and the potential loss of three points on their licence.
Read more: More unmarked radar cars to catch speeders in France: where and how they work
Sometimes possible to overtake on right
In France however there are situations where overtaking on the right (also known as ‘undertaking’) is permissible.
This can be done in the following situation, according to France’s road safety authorities Sécurité Routière: “[when] the other driver signals that they are changing direction to the left, [and] provided there is sufficient space” to undertake.
This is also the case when “a vehicle is travelling on a railroad track [voie ferrée] using the road when there is sufficient space between the vehicle and the road”. This includes overtaking a tramway in the middle of a two-way road (although this is still less common than the other situation).
Perhaps unfortunately, there is no exception to the rules if you are merely stuck behind a slow driver.
Note that penalties for undertaking may be more severe if the manoeuvre is considered dangerous, and may include a three-year suspension of your driving licence.
Read more: Cars and driving: What's new in France in 2025
