With enough room for 2 1/2 vehicles on either side, but with double white lines down the centre.

I think you can overtake providing you can safely stay on the inside of the double whites, and can see that your side of the road ahead is, and is going to remain clear. Discuss.

Solid white lines or broken white lines?

Rob.

Solid white lines or broken white lines?

Rob.

Solid whites.

Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road. You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

From this I understand that I can overtake in this situation as long as I don't cross or staddle the line markings.

As I'm reading it, the lane is 2 1/2 car's wide so you should comfortably be able to overtake without crossing the solid white line (assuming there's no signing to the contrary).

Chris

From this I understand that I can overtake in this situation as long as I don't cross or staddle the line markings.

I'd concur.

Rob.

That should be fine, As long as you dont cross over the white line.

I would also think its OK to overtake.

Another (perhaps more common) scenario is where the lane is more typical of a single carriageway width and you want to overtake a cyclist or a horse-rider for example - I'm sure many of us must have done this as long as we could do it without crossing the solid whites.

As I'm reading it, the lane is 2 1/2 car's wide so you should comfortably be able to overtake without crossing the solid white line (assuming there's no signing to the contrary).

Chris

Agreed

Highway code says

Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road. You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

[Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 26]

Highway code says

Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road. You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

[Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 26]

Thanks, but I already quoted that exact law

Missed that, sorry, anway the offence for which you would get a ticket would be to cross the solid white line. The lines are desgned to keep you on the nearside lane when it's deemed not safe to be on the otherside etc.

So as I understand it the offence to to cross the line and not to overtake. Have to say I've never seen a road with markings like that.

Yes I believe that the offence is to *cross* the solid white line. So, hypothetically, if you were to start the overtake before the solid white line, remain offside until the end of the solid white line and then return to your lane then you wouldn't have committed that offence.

However, and assuming you came out the other side, there's an armful of other offences which you can be landed with

Out of interest is this a real road and has it been reduced from 4 lanes down to 2 recently? Might just be a way of slowing people down....

Chris

Yes I believe that the offence is to *cross* the solid white line. So, hypothetically, if you were to start the overtake before the solid white line, remain offside until the end of the solid white line and then return to your lane then you wouldn't have committed that offence.

I don't think so...

Double white lines where the line nearest to you is broken. This means you may cross the lines to overtake if it is safe, provided you can complete the manoeuvre before reaching a solid white line on your side. White direction arrows on the road indicate that you need to get back onto your side of the road.

Out of interest is this a real road and has it been reduced from 4 lanes down to 2 recently? Might just be a way of slowing people down....

Chris

It's a real road. The road was built recently (and built really wide - ie it really is wide enough for a lorry to comfortably pass a lorry on their own side of the road if they wanted to) but with double white lines in the centre (in places) - I overtake even in those places with double white lines (but while staying on my side of the road) and a couple of people said "You're lucky a policeman isn't around" - hence this thread

It's a shame I've forgotten where it is else I'd show you a google map image of it :( - it's in southern Wales somewhere.

As I'm reading it, the lane is 2 1/2 car's wide so you should comfortably be able to overtake without crossing the solid white line (assuming there's no signing to the contrary).

Chris

I agree. I must admit I didn't know that was how the rule is worded, but it's quite clear.

If the road is wide enough, and the car being overtaken doesnt decide to use the whole road then yes I think you should be able to overtake comfortably without going over the double/single white lines.

its an offence to cross the white line at over 10mph. only if the vehicle is going slower than 10mph and its safe to do so can you cross the white line. you can turn in and out of side roads that involve turning right too. you just not allowed to travel over the continous white line at over 10 mph thus why many beleive it means no overtaking.

Before you get to the continious white line you will see a series of white arrows pointing back to nearside on the road which iirc is an order and therefore means you wont be on the wrong side of the road when you come into the continious white line.

its an offence to cross the white line at over 10mph. only if the vehicle is going slower than 10mph and its safe to do so can you cross the white line. you can turn in and out of side roads that involve turning right too. you just not allowed to travel over the continous white line at over 10 mph thus why many beleive it means no overtaking.

Before you get to the continious white line you will see a series of white arrows pointing back to nearside on the road which iirc is an order and therefore means you wont be on the wrong side of the road when you come into the continious white line.

The legislation doesn't mention 10mph anywhere

The legislation doesn't mention 10mph anywhere

Erm...

129

Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road. You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

The legislation doesn't mention 10mph anywhere

It does, but it doesn't say *you* musn't exceed 10mph, only that you are allowed to cross the lines to pass something doing 10mph or less. That implies that you would have to exceed 10mph...

I don't think so...

I double checked the legislation in this area and the HC rule on unbroken white lines is just advice and not backed up by any specific law in the RTA or TSRGD regs.

However, looking at TSRGD, it looks like you're right about not being able to be offside of a solid white line at all...

26. - (1) A road marking for conveying the requirements specified in paragraph (2) and the warning specified in paragraph (7) shall be of the size' date=' colour and type shown in diagram 1013.1, 1013.3 or 1013.4.

(2) The requirements conveyed by a road marking mentioned in paragraph (1) shall be that -

[list']

[*](a) subject to paragraphs (3) and (5), no vehicle shall stop on any length of road along which the marking has been placed at any point between the ends of the marking; and

( subject to paragraph (6), every vehicle proceeding on any length of road along which the marking has been so placed that, as viewed in the direction of travel of the vehicle, a continuous line is on the left of a broken line or of another continuous line, shall be so driven as to keep the first-mentioned continuous line on the right hand or off side of the vehicle.

Seems quite definitive :rofl:

Chris

The legislation doesn't mention 10mph anywhere

It's (now?) specified in the TSRGD regs........

(6) Nothing in paragraph (2)( shall be taken to prohibit a vehicle from being driven across' date=' or so as to straddle, the continuous line referred to in that paragraph, if it is safe to do so and if necessary to do so -

[list'](a) to enable the vehicle to enter, from the side of the road on which it is proceeding, land or premises adjacent to the length of road on which the line is placed, or another road joining that road;

( in order to pass a stationary vehicle;

© owing to circumstances outside the control of the driver;

(d) in order to avoid an accident;

(e) in order to pass a road maintenance vehicle which is in use, is moving at a speed not exceeding 10 mph, and is displaying to the rear the sign shown in diagram 610 or 7403;

(f) in order to pass a pedal cycle moving at a speed not exceeding 10 mph;

(g) in order to pass a horse that is being ridden or led at a speed not exceeding 10 mph; or

(h) for the purposes of complying with any direction of a constable in uniform or a traffic warden.

Chris

Makes you wonder why the hell they didn't make it a dul carriageway in the first place? :confused:

The legislation doesn't mention 10mph anywhere

it does as i thought it was originally 15 mph and was corrected on this on my IAM test.

>

I'd overtake in that situation, as long as I didn't have to touch the (my) LH line with my o/s wheels. The law is quite specific that the offence is one of straddling or crossing the line(s), and not one of overtaking in the presence of such lines. Otherwise most of the "crawler lanes" I've seen would be rendered useless by the presence of solid white lines.

With enough room for 2 1/2 vehicles on either side, but with double white lines down the centre.

I think you can overtake providing you can safely stay on the inside of the double whites, and can see that your side of the road ahead is, and is going to remain clear. Discuss.

Yes you can overtake, perfectly legally.

You are not allowed to cross or straddle solid white lines in the middle of the road, however you can overtake if you do not cross or straddle the lines. (There are times you can cross or straddle as listed above).