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Lanes and keeping left
In Japan you drive on the left. The check asks which part of the road you may use, how lanes are used, and when you may cross the centre line or change lanes.
Key rules
- Drive in the part of the road to the left of the centre (or centre line).
- You may go to the right of the centre only in set cases, and only as little as needed: one-way road, roadwork leaves too little width, overtaking on a clear road whose left part is under 6 m wide, or a "right-side driving" marking on a steep bend.
- With no lanes, keep to the left side of the road unless you cannot avoid it, for example when overtaking.
- Two lanes in your direction: use the left lane.
- Three or more lanes: keep the right-most lane free for overtaking and use the others. Slower cars on the left, faster cars further right.
- After overtaking in the right-most lane, return to another lane promptly.
- Stay in your lane. Do not straddle two lanes or change lanes without need.
- Do not change lanes if the cars behind would need to brake or steer hard. Signal about 3 seconds before.
- In a bus-only lane, other cars may not drive, except to turn or when roadwork forces it. In a bus priority lane, leave when a bus comes up behind you.
Numbers to remember
6 mOvertaking to the right of the centre is allowed only if the left part of the road is under 6 m wide and the road is clear.
3 secSignal about 3 seconds before you change lanes.
0.5 mOn a road with no sidewalk or side strip, do not drive on the shoulder (the outer 0.5 m from the road edge).
Common traps
- "You must never go to the right of the centre line." Wrong: there are set exceptions, such as one-way roads.
- With two lanes in your direction, you cannot choose either lane freely: the left lane is the normal one.
- The right-most lane of three is not the normal driving lane. It is kept for overtaking.
- A white lane line is not always crossable: a yellow line along your side bans lane changes.
- Overtaking to the right is banned where a sign or marking forbids it, even if the road is narrow and clear.
Cars keep left and overtake on the right, the reverse of right-hand-traffic countries. Slower traffic uses the left lane.
Try 2 questions
When there are two lanes in the same direction, you must use the left lane.
Answer: ○ With two lanes in one direction, the left lane is the basic lane; the right lane is for overtaking.
When there are three or more lanes in one direction and no lane designation, you need not leave the rightmost lane free for overtaking and may keep driving in it.
Answer: × With three or more lanes, the rightmost lane should be kept free for overtaking and the other lanes used.