Drive on the right without stress

It could be so easy. According to the keep-right directive (Rechtsfahrgebot) of the Austrian road traffic regulations enacted in 1960, you have to drive as far on the right as possible on all roads. Unfortunately, in practice things are different.

The keep-right directive is often disregarded on urban motorways and multi-lane roads. The people who drive on the left or middle lane generally do not put themselves at risk. But they provoke aggressive behaviour in other drivers, such as tailgating and prohibited overtaking on the right, and so trigger stress. This in turn has a negative impact on road safety.

Keep-right directive (Rechtsfahrgebot)

Since 1960 the keep-right directive has been part of the Austrian road traffic regulations (StVO, § 7 para. 1). According to the directive, drivers have to keep as far right as reasonable and possible. Whether it is reasonable or not is judged based on how smooth the flow of traffic is. When driving on the right, other road users must not be endangered, obstructed or harassed. Drivers must also not put themselves at risk or damage objects. The keep-right directive is designed to ensure an orderly flow of traffic.

Keep a safe distance and drive on the right – then it works!

Drivers on the left-hand lane must never be the cause of high-risk tailgating. In addition to keeping a safe distance, compliance with the keep-right directive is an indispensable part of safety on the roads. Non-compliance is clearly linked with road conflicts and causes unnecessary congestion on well-developed multi-lane motorways.