B.C. highway patrol to motorcyclists: Stop passing on the right

A police dash camera shows a motorcyclist passing on the right shoulder. Photo by B.C. RCMP highway patrol

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A 37-year-old Chilliwack man lost his damaged motorcycle for a week and has been hit with fines after a far-too-common driving infraction: passing motorists caught in heavy traffic on the right shoulder.

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The B.C. RCMP highway patrol has released video of the incident as a reminder to other riders that the manoeuvre is both “dangerous and illegal.”

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On the morning of June 18, there was heavy traffic on Highway 1 near East 1st Avenue in Vancouver when the rider, on a black Harley-Davidson, passed a patrol officer using the right shoulder lane.

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The officer activated his lights and siren, and a blue pickup truck using what had become a right-turn lane signalled and pulled to the right.

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“Instead of doing the same thing, the motorcyclist continued passing on the right, which resulted in running over a road sign and into the rear of the blue pickup,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin in a news release on Thursday.

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The illegal move, crash and arrest of the motorcyclist were all captured on the police cruiser’s dash camera.

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The rider gets up after falling over a concrete divider and walks up to confront the pickup driver. The officer follows and puts him in handcuffs.

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“Passing on the right enrages other motorists, but that’s not the main reason that it’s illegal,” said McLaughlin. “The side of the road has rocks, sand, garbage, shredded truck tires and other hazards, and if someone pulls off the road suddenly, you could end up badly hurt or worse.”

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The rider was briefly arrested for flight from police then released with the following:

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• A $109 ticket for passing on the right

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• A $196 ticket for driving without consideration

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• A seven-day impound of his motorcycle

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The Harley was too damaged to ride anyway, but the motorcyclist walked away with minor injuries.

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“We’re glad no one was hurt, but too many motorcyclists are passing on the right on Highway 1,” said McLaughlin.

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“Consider this a warning to everyone: B.C. highway patrol can and will ticket drivers who pass on the right.”

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