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Conditions exist for right pass I believe that your assumption that passing on the right is always illegal is inaccurate. If a shoulder is paved and no part of the vehicle goes off the road when making the pass and if the shoulder is not designated as a bike path, the pass may be made legally. -- Jim L., Medford Jim, we asked Oregon Department of Transportation area manager John Vial to clarify his response to an earlier question about this same topic. According to state law, a driver may pass on the right only when the following conditions have been met: 1) the overtaken car is making or has signaled for a left-hand turn; 2) the paved portion of the highway is of sufficient width to allow two lanes of traffic to proceed lawfully in the same direction; and, 3) the road ahead is clear. Vial said drivers are prohibited by state law from passing on the right if it means their vehicle will cross over into a bike path. On a two-lane highway with a stripe that designates a shoulder on the right, a driver may pass a turning vehicle so long as no bike lane is marked, Vial said. (Send your questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; or by fax to (541) 776-4376; or by e-mail to: [email protected] Please include your name, address and phone number for verification.) Today's News Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA