Keep left and overtaking
Highway Code keep-left, lane-discipline, and overtaking rules, including when you may pass on the left, where you must not overtake, and the official handbook’s road-hogging note.
Primary source: https://sso.agc.gov.sg/SL/RTA1961-R11?ProvIds=P1IV-
When driving along, do not hog the middle of the road. Keep well to the left and as near as practicable to the edge of the road (including on dual carriageways) unless you intend to overtake, you intend to turn right, or there is a full-day bicycle lane (keep to the left-most vehicle lane at any time) or a part-day bicycle lane (keep to the left-most vehicle lane during its operating hours) (SSO, Highway Code r 50).
Do not drive, stop or park on a full-day bicycle lane at any time, or on a part-day bicycle lane during its operating hours (SSO, Highway Code r 49A).
You must not cross the centre line at bends, near the crest of a rise, or anywhere else where you cannot clearly see the road ahead (SSO, Highway Code r 51).
Lane discipline
You must obey arrows or words marked in the lanes. You must not change lanes so suddenly as to inconvenience or endanger other traffic. Signal early before changing lanes (SSO, Highway Code r 55).
In traffic hold-ups, do not “jump the queue”. Well before a junction, make sure you are in the appropriate lane (SSO, Highway Code rr 56–57).
On a two-lane carriageway, keep to the left-hand lane except when overtaking. On a three-lane carriageway, you may keep to the central lane when the left-hand lane is occupied by slower moving vehicles. The outer (right-hand) lane is for overtaking only; do not stay in it longer than necessary after overtaking vehicles in the centre lane (SSO, Highway Code rr 58–59).
OneMotoring’s informative “keep to the left” sign caption is: right lanes are for overtaking only (OneMotoring, Driving Rules and Information).
Drivers of large vehicles must always keep such vehicles to the road or vehicle speed limit (whichever is lower) and travel on the extreme left lane of the road (except for bus lanes during their operating hours) to allow faster vehicles to overtake on the right (SSO, Highway Code r 101).
Overtaking
Never overtake unless you can do so without danger to yourself or others. Be specially careful at night, and in heavy rain and mist (SSO, Highway Code r 60).
The “overtaking on the right” rule does not apply when the driver in front has signalled an intention to turn right (you can overtake on the left); when you are filtering to the left before a junction; or when there is slow-moving congested traffic and the vehicles on your right are moving more slowly than your vehicle (SSO, Highway Code r 61).
Return to the appropriate lane as soon as practicable after overtaking, but do not cut in sharply (SSO, Highway Code r 62).
Do not overtake when you are at, or approaching, a pedestrian crossing, a road junction, a corner or bend, the brow of a hill, or a double white line (SSO, Highway Code r 63). Do not overtake where the road narrows, if it would force another vehicle to swerve or reduce speed, or if in doubt (SSO, Highway Code r 64).
When being overtaken, never increase speed to prevent another driver from passing (SSO, Highway Code r 65).
Where continuous double white lines separate opposite flows, you may not overtake at those lines unless you keep entirely to the left of them. Never cross double white lines (SSO, Highway Code rr 52–53).
Road-hogging (official handbook)
The official handbook states that road-hogging is driving at an unreasonably slow speed especially on the right-hand or along the centre of the road, which hinders traffic behind and may cause others to pass dangerously on the left. Motorists who travel at a slow speed should keep to the left; this applies especially to small-capacity motorcycles, goods vehicles and lorries. You should only use the right-hand lane when overtaking or when about to turn right or make a U-turn (SPF, Basic Theory of Driving).
Traffic Police’s composition table lists “vehicles with a 60 km/h vehicular speed limit failing to keep left” with no demerit points in that row and $100 / $150 composition (light / heavy) (SPF, Penalties for Traffic Offences). Crossing double white lines or a road divider is listed as 4 demerit points and $150 / $200 (SPF, Penalties for Traffic Offences).
Coverage debt
- A standalone “keep left unless overtaking” offence for ordinary cars (other than the 60 km/h vehicular-limit row) is not named as its own composition line on the live TP table.
- Following-distance rule (one car length per 16 km/h) is Highway Code r 67 and is not expanded here.