Overtaking on unbroken white lines

[Blue160]

If you are on a stretch of road with double unbroken white lines in the centre (40mph limit), and you come up behind a vintage tractor doing 10mph, is it breaking the law to overtake it?

This happened last week and I overtook when it was safe, as did another two cars behind me, but I'm not sure what the legality of it was.

If it makes any difference this stretch of road has unbroken white lines for a couple of miles or more, after a series of head on collisions, one of which involved my parents and a wr coming the other way on the wrong side of the road.

[selwonk]

I thought the double-white rule means you should only cross the lines to pass obstructions such as parked cars or to pass a "service" type vehicle such as a milk float not exceeding a certain speed. I thought the speed was 8mph but could be very wrong

[TonyHetherington]

unbroken white lines; do not cross...

Highway Code point 165 said:

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
-the nearest vehicle to a pedestrian crossing, especially when it has stopped to let pedestrians cross
-if you would have to enter a lane reserved for buses, trams or cycles during its hours of operation
-after a ‘No Overtaking’ sign and until you pass a sign cancelling the restriction

[Laws RTA 1988 sect 36, TSRGD regs 10, 22, 23 & 24, ZPPPCRGD reg 24]

Edited by TonyHetherington on Friday 9th November 11:40

[rsv gone!]

Blue160 said:

If you are on a stretch of road with double unbroken white lines in the centre (40mph limit), and you come up behind a vintage tractor doing 10mph, is it breaking the law to overtake it?

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.

[R_U_LOCAL]

The highway code says...

Rule 129 said:

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.

So, strictly speaking, there is no exemption which allows you to cross the lines to pass agricultural vehicles - only road maintainence vehicles travelling at 10mph or less.

I think the likelyhood of you being prosecuted for such an offence is probably negligable, but the answer to your question is yes - you do commit an offence if you cross the lines to pass an agricultural tractor.

[TonyHetherington]

Oh, has the old highway code site changed? I couldn't find it, only a new fangled one with a rubbish search?

[CommanderJameson]

R_U_LOCAL said:

The highway code says...

Rule 129 said:

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.

So, strictly speaking, there is no exemption which allows you to cross the lines to pass agricultural vehicles - only road maintainence vehicles travelling at 10mph or less.

I think the likelyhood of you being prosecuted for such an offence is probably negligable, but the answer to your question is yes - you do commit an offence if you cross the lines to pass an agricultural tractor.

Isn't it the tractor's responsibility to not hold up traffic unnecessarily and to pull in when appropriate to let traffic past?

[rsv gone!]

CommanderJameson said:

R_U_LOCAL said:

The highway code says...

Rule 129 said:

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.

So, strictly speaking, there is no exemption which allows you to cross the lines to pass agricultural vehicles - only road maintainence vehicles travelling at 10mph or less.

I think the likelyhood of you being prosecuted for such an offence is probably negligable, but the answer to your question is yes - you do commit an offence if you cross the lines to pass an agricultural tractor.

Isn't it the tractor's responsibility to not hold up traffic unnecessarily and to pull in when appropriate to let traffic past?

When the queue behind it reaches five, I seem to recall from somewhere..... can't remember where.

[Vaux]

rsv gone! said:

When the queue behind it reaches five, I seem to recall from somewhere..... can't remember where.

HC169
"Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass."

Never heard of a specific number.

[vonhosen]

Vaux said:

rsv gone! said:

When the queue behind it reaches five, I seem to recall from somewhere..... can't remember where.

HC169
"Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass."

Never heard of a specific number.

It's open to interpretation as to what is a long queue, large, slow-moving, frequently, necessary.

[TripleS]

vonhosen said:

Vaux said:

rsv gone! said:

When the queue behind it reaches five, I seem to recall from somewhere..... can't remember where.

HC169
"Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass."

Never heard of a specific number.

It's open to interpretation as to what is a long queue, large, slow-moving, frequently, necessary.

There's no way you can quanitify everything. It simply means be aware and make reasonable provision for others, IMHO.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[7db]

TripleS said:

There's no way you can quanitify everything. It simply means be aware and make reasonable provision for others, IMHO.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Dave - isn't the point that it's not desirable to quantify everything, rather than that you can't. But I digress.

Note that even if there are too many in the queue, and the tractor is committing an offence by not letting them past, then you still commit an offence in passing him.