A question re: overtaking

A question re: overtaking

Author
Discussion

eAyeAddio

Original Poster:

71 posts

87 months

Tuesday 21st February 2023
quotequote all
Picture the scene:

3 lane road with one lane protected by a solid white line on my side and a dotted white line adjacent to it on the opposite side giving 2 lanes going in the opposite direction to me.

If I am riding a motorcycle and the car in front of me pulls over to his left giving me room to overtake without the need to cross the solid white line I have always understood it to be OK to overtake (always accompanied by a wave to acknowledge the driver's courtesy for moving over.)

So far so good, except that I was recently advised by a traffic plod that the act of overtaking even if NOT crossing the solid white line to do so was not allowed and this came as a surprise to me. i should add that I was not ticketed, just given "words of advice".

I was always under the impression that the offence was "crossing the solid white line" and not "overtaking" and this particular plod thought otherwise.

I've been riding this way for years and have never come across this problem before and I have no intention of changing my interpretation of the solid-white-line rule but i would welcome your comments. :-)


N111BJG

1,155 posts

70 months

Tuesday 21st February 2023
quotequote all
You are right & he was wrong, I have done the same thing many times.

Nurburgsingh

5,216 posts

245 months

Tuesday 21st February 2023
quotequote all
I think you’re ok…

Rule 165
You MUST NOT overtake

if you would have to cross or straddle double white lines with a solid line nearest to you (but see Rule 129)

if you would have to enter an area designed to divide traffic, if it is surrounded by a solid white line


Rule 129 is about double whites so the relevant rule is ^

DocSteve

718 posts

229 months

Monday 27th February 2023
quotequote all
Unless there was a prior no overtaking prohibitive sign then it would not have been illegal.

Rutland lad

19 posts

45 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
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You are absolutely correct. I teach it to Police motorcyclists.

waremark

3,255 posts

220 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
quotequote all
eAyeAddio said:
Picture the scene:

3 lane road with one lane protected by a solid white line on my side and a dotted white line adjacent to it on the opposite side giving 2 lanes going in the opposite direction to me.
Not relevant to the question but I cannot picture/understand those road markings. What would the use of a dotted white line on the opposite side achieve? Can opposite direction traffic use all three lanes?

A more typical set of markings with broken lines next to a solid line on a three lane road is this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.886267,0.1507302,3...

Either direction traffic can use the centre lane, traffic from right to left has priority. The solid line tell opposite direction traffic they cannot use your lane.

If traffic in your direction cannot cross the double line system then I would expect a solid line on both sides like this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.8858162,0.1490648,...

Same road, a bit to the left.

What am I missing?


PhilAsia

4,846 posts

82 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
quotequote all
waremark said:
eAyeAddio said:
Picture the scene:

3 lane road with one lane protected by a solid white line on my side and a dotted white line adjacent to it on the opposite side giving 2 lanes going in the opposite direction to me.
Not relevant to the question but I cannot picture/understand those road markings. What would the use of a dotted white line on the opposite side achieve? Can opposite direction traffic use all three lanes?

A more typical set of markings with broken lines next to a solid line on a three lane road is this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.886267,0.1507302,3...

Either direction traffic can use the centre lane, traffic from right to left has priority. The solid line tell opposite direction traffic they cannot use your lane.

If traffic in your direction cannot cross the double line system then I would expect a solid line on both sides like this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.8858162,0.1490648,...

Same road, a bit to the left.

What am I missing?
I agree. I have only seen the configuration you mention. Last time I saw it was 1997, on the A406 North Circular travelling north and uphill towards the Hanger Lane Gyratory. Just checked - it is still the same.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5205633,-0.2915529...

nordboy

1,948 posts

57 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
quotequote all
eAyeAddio said:
I was always under the impression that the offence was "crossing the solid white line" and not "overtaking" and this particular plod thought otherwise.
Cross OR straddle the white line, so no part of your motorcycle can even straddle the line. If you've kept totally on the left of the line, no problem at all with overtaking.

I teach it, but not 'into' oncoming traffic, for example, being the 'meat in the sandwich' scenario.