Highway code rule 130

[julian64]

so you're following a car and want to overtake. The centre of the road has a foots width of hatching with broken white lines either side.

Rule 130 seems to state you can't cross the hatching unless you have a need to do so.

Is overtaking a need?

I only ask because round my way they seem to be putting these up the road for mile after mile of clear road. It seems to be the councils way of saying that overtaking is now unacceptable

[TooMany2cvs]

Since it's a "should not", it's advisory anyway.

[XJ Flyer]

julian64 said:

so you're following a car and want to overtake. The centre of the road has a foots width of hatching with broken white lines either side.

It seems to be the councils way of saying that overtaking is now unacceptable

In an environment of a strictly enforced NSL using cameras etc and in which it is considered that applies even when overtaking and considering the issues of minimising time exposed to danger.In most cases that makes overtaking is an unviable liability regardless of lines.

[stevensdrs]

You have a need to do so if the vehicle in front is driving too slowly. If overtaking was not allowed the lines on either side of the hatching would be solid.

[motco]

The problem is all the loose detritus on the hatched area. Like driving a newly surfaced road with chippings.

[fulgurex]

XJ Flyer said:

In an environment of a strictly enforced NSL using cameras etc and in which it is considered that applies even when overtaking and considering the issues of minimising time exposed to danger.In most cases that makes overtaking is an unviable liability regardless of lines.

I'm sorry but for those of us where English is not our first language, can you translate that into simple English?

[Willy Nilly]

If the white lines are broken, you can cross them.

Sometimes the hatched areas are opposite junctions and overtakes are not advised here, people pull out and meet someone overtaking with obvious consequences.

[allergictocheese]

You should only enter the hatched area if necessary and it's safe to do so. If you want to overtake, it's likely necessary you'll need to enter the hatched area, assuming it's safe to do so.

There's no prohibition on overtaking due to hatched area with broken borders.

[TooMany2cvs]

fulgurex said:

XJ Flyer said:

In an environment of a strictly enforced NSL using cameras etc and in which it is considered that applies even when overtaking and considering the issues of minimising time exposed to danger.In most cases that makes overtaking is an unviable liability regardless of lines.

I'm sorry but for those of us where English is not our first language, can you translate that into simple English?

He said that you can rarely overtake, because you should do so as quickly as possible, but the speed limit applies even when overtaking, and there are speed cameras.

[fulgurex]

Thank you

[R0G]

More paint = more danger

[Jim1556]

R0G said:

More paint = more danger

I'd argue with that - even the Google car is overtaking here!

[XJ Flyer]

Jim1556 said:

R0G said:

More paint = more danger

I'd argue with that - even the Google car is overtaking here!

I'd stand by the idea that it is mostly,if not all,about politics not safety.IE make private car use less attractive thereby making a better case to sell to the potential rail infrastructure investors.It seems obvious that over regulation of motorways is all part of that and it seems equally obvious that single carriageway non motorway links will be increasingy subject to similar over regulation in order to reduce/remove the attraction of that alternative.

[Jim1556]

XJ Flyer said:

I'd stand by the idea that it is mostly,if not all,about politics not safety.IE make private car use less attractive thereby making a better case to sell to the potential rail infrastructure investors.It seems obvious that over regulation of motorways is all part of that and it seems equally obvious that single carriageway non motorway links will be increasingy subject to similar over regulation in order to reduce/remove the attraction of that alternative.

Or, stupid, overzealous, power crazy idiots have somehow been put in charge of road markings...

Case in point: The pic below is a road near me, behind the camera is a gentle left hander with double white lines, then as you can see, dotted lines on 'our side' meaning you can overtake - the problem is, the line becomes solid where the recycle truck is, the camera view is distorted, but this distance is probably no more than 150m! Had the line been dotted further back (as is very possible from a visibility POV), you'd have a chance of actually overtaking something!



But if that doesn't demonstrate my point, allow me to present quite possibly, the stupidest solid line markings in the entire country!!!

Behind the camera is the very slight crest of a bump - solids on 'our side' are understandable for this reason. As you can see, the road is straight for a good few hundred metres but the dotted section (after cresting the hill behind us is about 50 metres after you get into the trees in the distance wasting a hundred or so metres of prime overtaking opportunity!



Ok, you might actually have to drive this section to understand where I'm coming from, but every time I use this road, I end up swearing to myself at the sheer fking lunacy of these markings! tts!

If anyone else knows of other ste markings, perhaps we should have a st markings thread for a laugh?

[CaptainMorgan]

I'd be up for that, one of my pet hates too, even more so now I'm on a bike. Gets very tedious riding along behind something slow for ages for no other reason than someone has decided to slap loads of white paint about.

[R0G]

Jim1556 said:

R0G said:

More paint = more danger

I'd argue with that - even the Google car is overtaking here!

Google car is perfectly ok to do that so what is your point?

[matt0677]

R0G said:

Jim1556 said:

R0G said:

More paint = more danger

I'd argue with that - even the Google car is overtaking here!

Google car is perfectly ok to do that so what is your point?

I think his point is obvious, and quite well made.

There's a lot of paint, and not much danger compared to some stretches where there is very little paint, and a lot of danger. Totally contradicting the rather odd comment about the amount of paint on the road being somehow related to the level of danger.

Edited by matt0677 on Saturday 13th December 20:35

[Nigel Worc's]

Apparently only a court can decide what is, and what isn't, "necessary" regarding these markings.

[creampuff]

Jim1556 said:

Or, stupid, overzealous, power crazy idiots have somehow been put in charge of road markings...

Case in point: The pic below is a road near me, behind the camera is a gentle left hander with double white lines, then as you can see, dotted lines on 'our side' meaning you can overtake - the problem is, the line becomes solid where the recycle truck is, the camera view is distorted, but this distance is probably no more than 150m! Had the line been dotted further back (as is very possible from a visibility POV), you'd have a chance of actually overtaking something!

A motorcycle could easily use this short length of broken line to overtake.

[creampuff]

Jim1556 said:

I end up swearing to myself at the sheer fking lunacy of these markings! tts!

Whatever you do, don't move to Australia. The amount of solid double lines painted down perfectly straight roads will drive you to..... your destination in about twice the length of time it should have taken.