Whats everyones take on overtaking on chevrons?

What about these 'artificial islands', that have broken lines on the outside but have solid white lines within them?

A solid white line is a solid white line and must not be crossed unless turning right or passing an obstacle or a very slow moving vehicle.

Hmmm... those filter lanes for right turns can be something of a pain because of the short clear bit and the public's reluctance to drive on chevrons. If you're going to avoid the chevrons you either have to brake really hard once you've pulled into the filter lane or slow down a fair bit on the main carriageway. I almost always use the chevronned area at the end of the filter lane to extend the lane so I can (a) get fully clear of the main lane before braking but (b) not have to brake hard. Most people however slow down to about 30mph on the main carriageway and only pull right once the non-chevronned bit starts, so everyone behind them has to brake too.

Personally i think its not necessary but i would prob do it anyway coz someone doing 45 in a 60 pisses me off (yes i am impatient),

There is a long stretch of road near mine and it has enough space for 3 cars but there are chevrons with solid lines down the middle and it really annoys me coz it would be perfectly safe to overtake and i have done many times coz i only recently realised i wasnt allowed to do it when i got pulled over for doing it, just got told not to do it tho and that was it so obviously the police know that its safe.

Got a question about those chevrons tho, i know the law about road markings is very strict eg if the lines are not the right width the road markings are not legal. On this road there are arrows, like the arrows you get when you are on a road that you are allowed to overtake on and its telling you that you should be pulling in now, so my question is does that not completely defeat the purpose of the chevrons? Its kinda contradictory dont you think and i was wondering if having those arrows there would invalidate any fine or points you would get?

I think this is, as the OP correctly discribes it, "wooly".

Can't you state about all parts of the road: "you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so"

I mean, I can say that about changing lanes, about roundabouts, ...

So it's a bit "wooly" imo.

Ah, a thread on one of my hobbyhorses!

We have a stretch of road near us through Epping Forest, just north of Buckhurst Hill that is reasonably wide and straight. having driven up there for several decades it was always possible to overtake safely and courteously. However, it was also the scene of many big accidents caused in part by the dimwits thinking they can just cruise up the middle 'lane' of two way traffic and partly by a significant number of bikers thiniking they have a forcefield around their sports bikes.

Much carnage ensued, cars in trees and so on and sadly more than a few people lost their lives on that stretch, including some that I knew very well.

Several years ago the centre of the road was hatched and bordered by broken white lines. (there is also a painted 'island' along one stretch but ignoring that for the purposes of this discussion)At the time this was introduced I looked at the rules, as quoted in the OP. My interpretation, and I have to say I remain certain of the position, is that the use of the word necessary relates to the action of passing a vehicle (all other rta rules being kept to, natch) rather than a consideration of the necessity of overtaking itself. Having therefore considered all that I need to think about before a decision is made to pass I then cross the broken lines and the hatching to complete my overtake as it is necessary so to do. Not had the opportunity to debate that with the BiB but I would happily do so. If his ONLY critisism was that I had crossed into the hatching then I think he would struggle to prove his point.

I believe it is introduced in this circumstance to represent a caution to drivers that actually, this road might not be as safe as it looks. And it works at that to be fair. However, it gets more complicated at times on this stretch of road. There is often a significant speed difference between vehicles along the Epping New Road. as a result often you will find faster vehicles closing very fast behind those slower vehicles and believing that the hatching is there to prevent overtaking they will sit a matter of inches behind those slower vehicles until the hatching stops and they can unlease their beasts and overtake, normally in spite of oncoming traffic, an incline and the rapidly approaching Robins Hood roundabout heading north, or the physical islands and cars turning right towards Chingford if heading south.

Of course, when I see that I just happily sit back and give the potential disaster plenty of room. If some of those stoopid drivers actually thought about their driving and some of the rules then slower drivers would have a pleasant drive too.

I use the lessons learnt locally when I travel around the country, which I do...a lot. When I see such markings it's clearly there for a reason and if it's a road I don't know so well, I respect it and make any decisions in the knolwedge that extra caution is required.

Oh, and I don't cross solid white lines.....ever!!! Like an earlier poster said, those that do so on slipways are some of the most inept, rude, dangerous drivers on the road....IMHO.

When heading south on this map. 2 lanes merge into 1, I frequently use the dashed area to overtake any lorries or slow cars there. It's a huge area.

Is that what you're on about ?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=worksop&oe=utf...

this really annoys me! people always used to just drive over the chevrons and over maybe the last 5 yeasr everyone religiously stays left and slows down and only then pulls into the turning lane. for NO reason whatsoever. as for conventional overtaking over a dashed chevroned bit.. i'll do it. same as anything else - if you can see then there's no problem. normally it's because they have chosen to try and visually narrow a road with a 'chicken lane' where people just stay down the middle and then you get head ons.. by adding the chevroned bit you then only get 'overtaking' rather than sustained 'passing' if you will...

just read silverthron's post.. so at least there's two of us!

You are only allowed to overtake tractors if they are actually carrying out "Road Maintenance" e.g. cutting grass or hedges along the verge.
And then, to be strictly legit they should have a keep right arrow (white arrow on blue backgroud) displayed on the back.

But surely the rules apply equally to everyone?
Oh.