4.1 Right-Hand Traffic & Overtaking

Right-Hand Traffic & Overtaking

Ghana drives on the right-hand side of the road. The country officially switched from left-hand to right-hand traffic on 4 August 1974, and every rule in this chapter — overtaking, roundabouts, right-of-way — flows from that single fact. Because traffic keeps right, the vehicle in front of you is passed on its left side, the slow lane is the right lane, and traffic circulating in a roundabout approaches you from your left. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) theory test treats this as foundational knowledge, and questions about the 1974 switch appear regularly.

Keeping Right and Lane Discipline

On any road with two-way traffic, your default position is the right half of the road, as far right as is safe and practical for your speed and the road conditions. Keeping right is not just etiquette — it is what creates a predictable corridor on the left for overtaking traffic and for oncoming vehicles to pass each other safely.

On multi-lane roads and dual carriageways, lane discipline becomes more specific:

• Right lane: normal driving, slower vehicles, and vehicles preparing to turn right.
• Left lane(s): overtaking, faster-moving traffic, and vehicles preparing to turn left.
• Return to the right lane as soon as you have completed an overtake; do not "camp" in the left (fast) lane.
• Change lanes only after a mirror check and a signal, one lane at a time.
• Never straddle lane markings or weave between lanes in congested traffic.

Poor lane discipline — drifting between lanes, hogging the overtaking lane, or driving on the wrong side to avoid potholes without checking for oncoming traffic — is a leading cause of head-on collisions on Ghanaian highways.

Overtaking on the Left

Because vehicles keep right, you overtake by moving left around the vehicle ahead, passing it on its left side. Overtaking is the single most dangerous routine manoeuvre on two-lane roads, because it briefly puts you in the path of oncoming traffic. Only overtake when you can see far enough ahead to complete the whole manoeuvre without forcing anyone — the vehicle you pass, or oncoming traffic — to brake or swerve.

The Mirror–Signal–Manoeuvre Sequence

Every overtake follows the same disciplined sequence, often shortened to MSM (mirror–signal–manoeuvre):

1. Mirrors: check the interior and left door mirrors for faster vehicles already overtaking you.
2. Assess: judge the speed of the vehicle ahead, the speed of any oncoming traffic, and whether the road ahead is clear long enough to pass and return.
3. Signal: indicate left to show your intention to move out into the overtaking position, so drivers behind and ahead understand your plan.
4. Manoeuvre: accelerate decisively, move out with plenty of clearance, pass, and do not cut back in until you can see the overtaken vehicle's front in your interior mirror.
5. Return: signal right to move back into your lane and resume your normal lane position and a safe, legal speed.

A common exam trap is the idea that you may exceed the speed limit "just while overtaking." You may not — the limit applies at all times, including mid-overtake.

Where Overtaking Is Prohibited

The Highway Code forbids overtaking wherever you cannot guarantee a clear, visible path. Do not begin an overtake:

• Approaching or on a bend or corner, where oncoming traffic is hidden.
• At or near the crest of a hill (hill brow), where you cannot see what is over the rise.
• At or near a pedestrian (zebra) crossing, where another vehicle may be slowing for people crossing.
• At or near a junction or intersection, where vehicles may turn across your path.
• Where a solid (continuous) centre line is marked on your side of the road, or where a no-overtaking sign is posted.
• In poor visibility — heavy rain, dust storms, fog, harmattan haze, or at night on unlit roads when you cannot judge the road ahead.
• Where the road narrows, on bridges, or where your view is blocked by the vehicle ahead (for example, behind a large truck or bus).

When Another Driver Overtakes You

Overtaking is a shared responsibility. When a vehicle begins to pass you:

• Hold a steady speed or ease off slightly to let the pass finish quickly.
• Never accelerate while being overtaken — this is both dangerous and an offence, because it traps the passing driver in the oncoming lane.
• Keep well to the right and give the overtaking vehicle room to return.
• Be prepared to slow further if the other driver has misjudged the gap.

Overtaking on the Right — the Limited Exception

Passing on the right (the "inside") is generally forbidden because it is unexpected. The accepted exception is slow-moving multi-lane traffic: when lanes are moving in queues and the lane on your right happens to move faster than the vehicle on your left, you may pass it on its right-hand side. This is filtering past queued traffic, not an active overtake — you do not swerve right specifically to pass a single vehicle. On a normal two-lane road, overtaking on the right is never acceptable.