{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-842.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-842.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-842.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-842.1.html"}],"law_id":81994,"edition_id":1,"section_id":81994,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-842.1","catch_line":"Drivers to give way to certain overtaking vehicles on divided highways","history":"1989, c. 708, \u00a7 46.1-211.1; 2020, c. 815.","full_text":"It shall be unlawful to fail to give way to overtaking traffic when driving a motor vehicle to the left and abreast of another motor vehicle on a divided highway. The driver of the overtaken vehicle shall move to the right to allow the overtaking vehicle to pass as soon as the overtaken vehicle can safely do so. A violation of this section shall not be construed as negligence per se in any civil action.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":293841,"text":"It shall be unlawful to fail to give way to overtaking traffic when driving a motor vehicle to the left and abreast of another motor vehicle on a divided highway. The driver of the overtaken vehicle shall move to the right to allow the overtaking vehicle to pass as soon as the overtaken vehicle can safely do so. A violation of this section shall not be construed as negligence per se in any civil action.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14283,"edition_id":1,"name":"Passing","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12875,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:36","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:36","permalink":{"id":230801,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14283,"identifier":"4","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4","url":"\/46.2\/III\/8\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12875,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regulation of Traffic","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12827,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":230189,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12875,"identifier":"8","token":"46.2\/III\/8","url":"\/46.2\/III\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12827,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":66732,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-837","catch_line":"Passing vehicles proceeding in opposite directions","url":"\/46.2-837\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-837","metadata":false},{"id":55642,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-838","catch_line":"Passing when overtaking a vehicle","url":"\/46.2-838\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-838","metadata":false},{"id":76605,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-839","catch_line":"Passing bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, moped, animal, or animal-drawn vehicle","url":"\/46.2-839\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-839","metadata":false},{"id":63992,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-840","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/46.2-840\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-840","metadata":false},{"id":57236,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-841","catch_line":"When overtaking vehicle may pass on right","url":"\/46.2-841\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-841","metadata":false},{"id":55552,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-842","catch_line":"Driver to give way to overtaking vehicle","url":"\/46.2-842\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-842","metadata":false},{"id":81994,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-842.1","catch_line":"Drivers to give way to certain overtaking vehicles on divided highways","url":"\/46.2-842.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-842.1","metadata":false},{"id":67851,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-843","catch_line":"Limitations on overtaking and passing","url":"\/46.2-843\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-843","metadata":false},{"id":69210,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-844","catch_line":"Passing stopped school buses; prima facie evidence; penalty","url":"\/46.2-844\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-844","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":55552,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-842","catch_line":"Driver to give way to overtaking vehicle","url":"\/46.2-842\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-842","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":67851,"structure_id":14283,"section_number":"46.2-843","catch_line":"Limitations on overtaking and passing","url":"\/46.2-843\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-843","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-842.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1989. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 708 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1989 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2020, chapter 815<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":64733,"section_number":"46.2-868.1","catch_line":"Aggressive driving; penalties","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-868.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":230827,"object_type":"law","relational_id":81994,"identifier":"46.2-842.1","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-842.1","url":"\/46.2-842.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-842.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/4\/46.2-842.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Drivers to give way to certain overtaking vehicles on divided highways","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-842.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be unlawful to fail to give way to overtaking traffic when driving a motor vehicle<\/span> to the left and abreast of another motor vehicle<\/span> on a divided highway<\/span>. The driver<\/span> of the overtaken vehicle shall move to the right to allow the overtaking vehicle to pass as soon as the overtaken vehicle can safely do so. A violation of this section shall not be construed as negligence<\/span> per se in any civil action<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDRIVERS TO GIVE WAY TO CERTAIN OVERTAKING VEHICLES ON DIVIDED HIGHWAYS (\u00a7\n46.2-842.1)\n\nIt shall be unlawful to fail to give way to overtaking traffic when driving a\nmotor vehicle to the left and abreast of another motor vehicle on a divided\nhighway. The driver of the overtaken vehicle shall move to the right to allow\nthe overtaking vehicle to pass as soon as the overtaken vehicle can safely do\nso. A violation of this section shall not be construed as negligence per se in\nany civil action.\n\nHISTORY: 1989, c. 708, \u00a7 46.1-211.1; 2020, c. 815.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}