Diagonal Hatching was mentioned in a recent Top Gear thread (because Clarkson had overtaken in that new Bentley) but I just wanted to clarify the position with overtaking on these.
I always assumed that the cross hatching bordered by broken white lines was a no-overtaking area. This is covered specifically in the Highway Code Rule 109 and the relevant bit says:
< >
So my question is, does overtaking (a moving vehicle) constitute being 'necesaary' and can I legally overtake?
I have a single carriageway 4 mile, 50mph stretch of road near me covered by these markings...an additional 'confusing' factor is that at the beginning and end of the stretch are arrows telling you to move back into your lane.
Thanks
Paul
|
Maybe one for our Advanced Drivers I would guess, and my thought is that they are there for a reason.
My point of view is that I will not enter to pass another moving vehicle travelling at a "reasonable" speed. What I judge to be reasonable depends on the vehicle, road and conditions. I will enter to pass a cyclist, horse or a tractor - I think here the rule-of-thumb I use is "will I make reasonable progress". Afterall there is no point sitting behind a tractor at 10mph when the limit is 60mph and the road ahead can be seen to be clear. I would say that this is necessary but to pass another car just because you want to be ahead of it isn't quite so.
I think that this will open another question related to overtaking on double-whites. IIRC you can cross double-whites to overtake providing that the vehicle you are passing if travelling at 10mph or less. Am I right?
|
I think that this will open another question related to overtaking on double-whites. IIRC you can cross double-whites to overtake providing that the vehicle you are passing if travelling at 10mph or less. Am I right?
Thought this was only if it's an agricultural vehicle, a horse, or a parked vehicle.
|
Had a a look on the HMSO website and found the following:
(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;
(b) in order to pass a stationary vehicle;
(c) 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.
So 10mph was right - not sure about tractors, though - and strictly speaking drivers shouldn't pass me when I am out on the bike and travelling at abou 15mph within the confines of double whites.
|
General overtake? Depends.
Why?
Because of the Lurrr.
Double white lines with cross hatching mean:
1. 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 except:
to enable a person to board or alight from the vehicle,
to enable goods to be loaded on to or to be unloaded from the vehicle,
to enable the vehicle to be used in connection with -
any operation involving building, demolition or excavation etc.
so as to prevent a vehicle stopping in a lay-by;
to a vehicle for the time being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes;
to a pedal bicycle not having a sidecar attached thereto, whether additional means of propulsion by mechanical power are attached to the bicycle or not;
to a vehicle stopping in any case where the person in control of the vehicle is required by law to stop, or is obliged to do so in order to avoid an accident, or is prevented from proceeding by circumstances outside his control;
to anything done with the permission or at the direction of a constable in uniform or in accordance with the direction of a traffic warden; or
to a vehicle on a road with more than one traffic lane in each direction.
2. 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. i.e. do not cross or straddle except if safe and necessary to do so:
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;
in order to avoid an accident;
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 showing keepleft/right arrow.
in order to pass a pedal cycle moving at a speed not exceeding 10 mph;
in order to pass a horse that is being ridden or led at a speed not exceeding 10 mph; or
for the purposes of complying with any direction of a constable in uniform or a traffic warden.
3. No vehicle while travelling next to a broken line placed on the left of a continuous line, as viewed in the direction of travel of the vehicle, should cross or straddle the first-mentioned line unless it is seen by the driver of the vehicle to be safe to do so.
Traffic Signs and General Directions Regulations 2002
Areas of white diagonal stripes or chevrons painted on the road. These are to separate traffic lanes or to protect traffic turning right.
If the area is bordered by a solid white line, you should not enter it except in an emergency.
If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so.
If the area is on a motorway and consists of a triangle bounded by continuous white lines marked by chevrons, you MUST NOT enter it except in an emergency.
Rule 109 Highway Code.
DVD
|
Thanks DVD
So - with diagonal stripes bordered by a single, broken white line on each side, as long as it is safe to do so I can overtake another (non-stationary, >10mph vehicle) as long as it is necessary.
And by necessary I'm assuming that overtaking someone doing 30/35mph would be valid in a 50mph limit?
I'm asking because ever since I've been driving I have not overtaken on these stretches (assuming it was illegal) whereas I would have done if it had been a standard single broken line...continuous lines I don't have a problem with and I stay put, subject to the conditions above.
|
I used to treat stripes with dashed lines as no-go areas until I did a couple of 'bikesafe' rides where plod-on-a-bike follows you to see how you are doing and offers advice on your riding (this is a 45-60 minute freebie in Humberside).... On the first one I did I think he thought I was dawdling (very disconcerting having plod follow your every move) and after a half way stop for a chat and advice he said on the way back I'll pull in front and you follow me to check my road positioning atc. He was overtaking cars on each and every occurence of these hatched lines. When I asked him at the end he said "well it doesn't say you can't you just have to be carefull as they're put there for a reason - have a bump and It'll be your fault" So I do now.
|
Dictionary definition of Necessary:
"Needed to achieve a certain result or effect."
Therefore, driving through the hatched area (with broken border) is permitted provided you do it deliberately (ie you don't simply meander or drift in to it) and there is a reason to do it - eg overtaking a vehicle travelling at less than the speed limit, for example.
|
I too used to avoid overtaking where these markings were present. With all the ever increasing restrictions applied to driving, I was incredibly surprised and pleased to read in the IAM Advanced Drivers Manual "that you should not enter unless you can see that it is safe to do so. The sanction implied in the last sentence alllows you to consider overtaking - but remember that this white line system is generally used on roads with a bad accident record. Overtake at at moderate pace and in such a way that the drivers you pass are not taken by surprise".
So now I do overtake in these areas but carefully - but then that's the only way I overtake anyway.
|
This is the only previous thread I can find about this issue.
I noticed that in the latest Highway Code, where rule 109 is now rule 130, that the sentence:
"If the area is marked with diagonal stripes and bordered by solid white lines, you should not enter it except in an emergency."
has been removed.
It now seems there no reason that you shouldn't enter such an area (apart from it being potentially dangerous, of course!).
The change seems odd - is there a reason for this, perhaps such road markings are not used in practice? (Note that you're still prohibited from entering an area of *chevrons* bordered by a solid line).
|
In general, they're there for a reason... to protect cars turning right, for example. There's one near me with broken lines and I use it for overtaking if it's obvious the car I'm following isn't going to turn right into it.
My reasoning is that if it's legal and I can see why the diagonal hatching is there and there are no safety implications with me using it, I will.
|
Although it is legal in the sense others have clearly indicated - I tend to avoid overtaking on diagonal hatchings simply to avoid all the crud & possible tyre-damaging debris that tends to accumulate there.
I will happily (where safe, obviously) overtake very slow 'vehicles' (less than ~10mph-ish)
on unbroken white lines though - and I'm often bemused by drivers that don't or who 'toot' when you do so.
|
The Highway Code is not the law though.
If it is not in there any more then you would have to look deeper at the traffic regulations before risking a nicking for going into a solid white lined one. I certainly wouldn't try it.
|
The Highway Code is not the law though.
If it says MUST NOT then there's supposed to be a law backing up the point.
If it is not in there any more then you would have to look deeper
I did and effectively the same thing appears in rule 165:
"You MUST NOT overtake:
...
if you would have to enter an area designed to divide traffic, if it is surrounded by a solid white line"
This was in the old edition too (was rule 141 there) so perhaps it's been removed from rule 130 as it's effectively a duplication?
Although it says MUST NOT, there doesn't appear to be any supporting law for this rule.
|
AFAIK, the cheveroned/hatched/diagonal-striped area (or traffic dividers) has no specific meaning. As the name suggests, it is there to divide traffic ie. for a right turn area. It's the bordering line that gives the instruction as to when it can be entered. As with on a 'normal' road, a broken line means you can overtake if it's safe to do so, without causing other traffic to brake/swerve. A solid line means you cannot overtake unless it is unavoidable ie. stationary traffic. I would have thought that even in situations where you are following a slow vehicle (10mph or less), you would still be required to wait until the end of the solid lines, as they are usually near sharp bends or at the brow of a hill.
In Norfolk and Lincolnshire especially, quite a few wide roads have had traffic dividers painted on them, along with the addition of a hard shoulder. I think this was to stop the regular practice of slow vehicles keeping to the curb and faster traffic overtaking, even when there was an oncoming vehicle.
|
Some years ago, and this may be a regional thing, I heard these areas referred to as ' ghost islands '.......both by the police and highways workers.
Some years ago, my son was let out of his work gates by a driver in a queue of standing traffic to turn right. As he nosed out he was hit by a woman using the hatchings to overtake the queue to make a right turn later on. She was prosecuted by the police...I can't remember the charge but the bobby said to me that she shouldn't have been on the ' ghost island '
This may indicate that they were painted on an area of road where a proper kerbed island would have been useful but not installed due, possibly to the expense. I tend to treat them as a proper island. I think the continuous ones along the centre of some roads are different, not meant to be treated as an island but as an extension of the double white line system with a bit extra between the lines to keep traffic flows further apart.
Ted
|
On my commute there is a stretch about half a mile long which is marked with a broken/hatched central area along the whole length. This is to protect traffic waiting to turn into the many factories and trading estates that line the road. A few years ago there was a bad head on smash where someone overtook in this area as someone in the opposite direction decided to enter the area to turn right.
If there is traffic on the other side I do not even consider entering this area, even if no one coming in the opposite direction is indicating it doesn't mean no one intends to turn right.
|
|
