In the situation depicted, when driving a lorry with a maximum gross weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes on the motorway, are you permitted to overtake a motor vehicle travelling at a speed slightly lower than yours?

In the photo you are driving on a two-lane motorway roadway, and ahead of you in the right lane there is a lorry with a semi-trailer, which someone is just overtaking in the left lane. You are not allowed to overtake a motor vehicle travelling at a speed slightly lower than yours - the answer is NO.

The Road Traffic Act prohibits the driver of a vehicle of category N2 or N3, that is a lorry with a maximum permissible mass over 3.5 t, from overtaking a motor vehicle on a motorway or an expressway with only two lanes in a given direction. There are two exceptions: a vehicle travelling much slower than the 80 km/h permitted for such lorries, or a vehicle carrying out cleaning or repair work with flashing yellow lights. Since the vehicle in front is only slightly slower, the exception does not apply, and the manoeuvre could take even over a minute and would block the left lane. So you stay in the right lane and keep a distance of at least half your speed in metres. On a motorway with three lanes in one direction, on the other hand, a lorry may use only the two right-hand lanes.

Legal basis: Art. 24 para. 13 and 14, Art. 16 para. 2a and Art. 19 para. 3a of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)