6.2 Lane Use, Turning, and Passing

Lane Use: Keep Right Except to Pass

On British Columbia roads, the rule is keep right except to pass. Slower traffic travels in the right portion of the lane (or the right lane on a multi-lane road) and uses the left only to overtake. For a motorcyclist, this rule is also a safety choice: riding where drivers expect traffic reduces surprise conflicts.

A motorcycle is narrow enough to use different positions within a single lane. ICBC teaches riders to treat the lane as having three tire tracks — left, centre, and right — and to choose the track that best balances three goals:

Recommended Lane Positions

• On a single-lane road — ride the left tire track as your default. It places you where oncoming drivers look for traffic, keeps you off the oily centre strip, and puts space between you and roadside hazards.
• On a multi-lane road — ride the left tire track of the right lane when cruising; move to the left lane only to pass, then return.
• Following another vehicle — use the right tire track so the driver ahead can see you in their mirror and you can see past them; keep at least two seconds of following distance (three or more in wet conditions).
• Being tailgated — open up the gap in front of you and consider the left tire track so you have an escape path to the left if the vehicle behind fails to stop.

Turning Rules

Every turn on a motorcycle follows the same sequence taught in Learn to Ride Smart:

1. See — scan ahead, read the intersection, identify your exit lane and any conflicts.
2. Signal — signal well in advance so drivers around you understand your intent before you brake or turn.
3. Check — mirror check for following traffic, then a shoulder check on the side you are turning toward. Mirrors do not cover the blind spot beside and slightly behind you; only a shoulder check does.
4. Adjust speed — slow to a speed that lets you turn smoothly, covering the brakes and keeping the motorcycle upright.
5. Turn — enter the correct lane for your exit, look through the turn, and keep a stable lane position through the apex.

A right turn should finish in the right lane; a left turn should finish in the lane nearest the centre line. Do not swing wide on a right turn — a car may try to pass you on the right.

Turning lanes, two-way left-turn lanes, and U-turns

• Turning lanes — where lane-use signs or pavement arrows mark a lane for turning, you must use the marked lane for your movement. Where there are multiple turning lanes, stay in your own lane all the way through the turn and exit into the matching lane; do not cross lanes mid-turn.
• Two-way left-turn lanes — a centre lane bounded by a solid line outside and a broken line inside is shared by traffic from both directions for left turns. Enter it only to turn left or to wait for a gap to turn left. It is not a passing lane and not a travel lane.
• Turns in the middle of a block — turning into a driveway or lane mid-block means crossing traffic that is not expecting it. Signal early, and remember that the line rules are suspended for entering or leaving a highway only when the movement can be made safely.
• U-turns — a U-turn is legal only where you can complete it safely and where it is not prohibited. Do not make a U-turn at an intersection controlled by a traffic light or where a "no U-turn" sign is posted, on a curve or near a hill crest where you cannot be seen, or in a business or school zone where signs forbid it. On a motorcycle a U-turn is also a slow-speed balance exercise — the motorcycle skills test includes U-turns or three-point turns for exactly this reason.
• Pulling into a lane — when you move away from the curb or out of a parking space, you must yield to traffic already in the lane. Signal, mirror-check, shoulder-check, and accelerate briskly enough that you are not a rolling obstacle.

Reserved lanes

Reserved lanes are set aside by sign and by pavement diamond. HOV lanes on B.C. highways are open to motorcycles even with a solo rider, unless a sign specifically prohibits motorcycles. Bus-only lanes and bicycle lanes are not — stay out of them, including when traffic beside you is stopped.

Lane Changing

A lane change is a mini version of a turn. The steps are the same: signal, mirror-check, shoulder-check, steer smoothly, cancel the signal. The shoulder check is the step riders skip most often, because mirrors feel sufficient — they are not. A motorcycle's mirrors show a narrow slice behind and miss everything in the quarter-panel blind spot. Before you drift sideways into that gap, turn your head.

Passing

Passing another vehicle is a high-risk manoeuvre because you spend time in the oncoming lane (or a lane that may not be yours). Learn to Ride Smart sets the conditions for a legal, safe pass:

• Legal and clear — pass only where pavement markings and signs permit it, and only when the road ahead is clear for the entire pass.
• Sightlines — you need enough visible road to complete the pass without forcing oncoming traffic to slow. If you cannot see far enough, do not pass.
• Signal — signal left before moving out and signal right before returning.
• Mirror + shoulder check — before leaving your lane, check the mirror for following traffic that may also be passing, and shoulder-check the lane you are entering.
• Return with margin — move back to the right only when you can see the vehicle you passed in your mirror; that gap is your safety cushion.

Passing on the Right

Passing on the right is permitted only in defined situations — for example, when a vehicle ahead is turning left and there is room to pass on the right, or on a multi-lane road where the right lane is moving faster. Never pass on the shoulder.

Motorcycle-Specific Lane-Position Strategy

Because a motorcycle is small, its lane position is the rider's main tool for being seen and keeping space. The summary worth memorizing for the test:

• Choose a track, not a lane centre. ICBC describes three lane positions — left, centre, and right — and says to keep watching the road and traffic to decide which is best.
• Think of the left position as your default. ICBC's own wording: most riders choose it unless there is a reason another is better. But do not settle on one position — keep scanning and deciding.
• Hold a dominant lane position. A dominant position is one that makes it difficult for another vehicle to move into your lane beside you. The left position usually does this best, though on a multi-lane road some riders take the right position while riding in the left lane.
• Move for a reason. Before a hill crest, move to the centre or right position, because you do not know what is coming over the top. In a curve, choose the position that gives the best view through it. When a large vehicle approaches, move to the right position and wait about three seconds after it passes before returning to your usual position. In heavy gusts, the centre of the lane gives the most room to recover — but watch for grease there.
• Never sit in another vehicle's blind spot. Riding alongside a vehicle in the next lane cuts your space margins and puts you where the driver cannot see you.

Three lane positions that are illegal or dangerous in B.C.

• Lane splitting is illegal in British Columbia. Riding between lanes of traffic leaves you with no space margin, and stopped traffic can start moving, change lanes, or open a door without warning.
• Riding on the shoulder is illegal except when you are pulling over to stop, and shoulders are usually littered with debris.
• Riding side by side with another motorcycle in the same lane cuts both riders' space margins. Ride staggered instead.