Is it an offence to go through a width restriction if?

[tight fart]

Question is to long for the header.

Is it an offence to go through if you're wider than marked
(Assuming you go through safely without touching)

I've been warned at work not to go through as it's an offence, and I don't mean by cheating through a part for emergency vehicles etc.

[carreauchompeur]

Short answer yes. I tend to respect these in my motor home as 50%of the time they are for traffic management purposes and 50% the road actually is that narrow.

Thankfully didn’t decide to chance one a while back on a canal bridge… big metal bells either side of the road and the van definitely would have got stuck!

In other news, what is the definition of ‘wide’ on signs? IE no ‘wide’ vehicles?

[CharlesElliott]

Yes, the sign defines the restriction.

[tight fart]

I wouldn't take my motorhome through this, but a lot of cars must be over 6.6" wide, is it an offence if you fit through safety?

[Electro1980]

tight fart said:

I wouldn't take my motorhome through this, but a lot of cars must be over 6.6" wide, is it an offence if you fit through safety?

It appears that there are only two cars over 6’6” on sale in the U.K.:

Disco Sport - 6’9”
Merc GLE - 6’7”

And I would guess that they would both fit with mirrors folded, but I’m not sure I would want to try…

[tigger1]

CharlesElliott said:

Yes, the sign defines the restriction.

Exactly this - the sign is the legal limit, not the width available.

It's a bit like saying that I can achieve 80mph, so the 60mph limit is non-binding.

[martinbiz]

tight fart said:

I wouldn't take my motorhome through this, but a lot of cars must be over 6.6" wide, is it an offence if you fit through safety?

Yes, if the published vehicle width is over the signed limit, whether it will fit or not is irrelevant

[ChocolateFrog]

Do they publish vehicle widths in imperial?

I've no idea how wide my car is in feet and inches and I doubt the average Disco or Merc GLE owner does either.

[Pica-Pica]

If red ringed, then yes.

[Cliftonite]

OP:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/know-yo...

[Pica-Pica]

martinbiz said:

tight fart said:

I wouldn't take my motorhome through this, but a lot of cars must be over 6.6" wide, is it an offence if you fit through safety?

Yes, if the published vehicle width is over the signed limit, whether it will fit or not is irrelevant

Most cars are below that in BODY width, most medium/large cars are above that in MIRROR width.

Hyundai Ioniq 2045
335d-x F30 2031 1811
VW Golf 2027
Skoda Karoq 2025. 1841

Mirror width shown first, body width (where known) shown second. Dimensions in millimetres.

[Pica-Pica]

This bridge is always a challenge near me. JUST get my F30 over it, a nervous experience though, and the sign is a warning and not a restriction. I only use it when the devil in me challenges myself.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Tuesday 13th July 14:09

[48k]

tight fart said:

Question is to long for the header.

Is it an offence to go through if you're wider than marked
(Assuming you go through safely without touching)

I've been warned at work not to go through as it's an offence, and I don't mean by cheating through a part for emergency vehicles etc.

White circular sign with a red border is a prohibition. This is basic Highway Code stuff.

[cmvtec]

Pica-Pica said:

Most cars are below that in BODY width, most medium/large cars are above that in MIRROR width.

Hyundai Ioniq 2045
335d-x F30 2031 1811
VW Golf 2027
Skoda Karoq 2025. 1841

Mirror width shown first, body width (where known) shown second. Dimensions in millimetres.

Based on width with mirrors, my car is 6cm too wide. Trusting that the sign designates overall width (which I have no reason to believe it doesn't?)

I don't think I actually go through any width restrictions on the regular but it's interesting to know.

[FunkyNige]

Electro1980 said:

It appears that there are only two cars over 6’6” on sale in the U.K.:

Disco Sport - 6’9”
Merc GLE - 6’7”

And I would guess that they would both fit with mirrors folded, but I’m not sure I would want to try…

Disco Sport is just over 7’ with the mirrors out!


edit - no wonder my wife thinks I've got worse at parking since getting it

[Countdown]

FunkyNige said:

Disco Sport is just over 7’ with the mirrors out!


edit - no wonder my wife thinks I've got worse at parking since getting it

Is the rear track for 19" wheels a typo?

[Pica-Pica]

I presume the red-ringed restriction is because you will cause harm/damage/obstruction to people or objects, and I further assume that the warning triangle is because you will only damage your own car. I am sure there will be someone on here who can give the deciding criteria for red circle or red triangle for dimensional aspects.

On a similar note we have BLACK circled speed signs as ‘20mph zone’.

[Electro1980]

FunkyNige said:

Electro1980 said:

It appears that there are only two cars over 6’6” on sale in the U.K.:

Disco Sport - 6’9”
Merc GLE - 6’7”

And I would guess that they would both fit with mirrors folded, but I’m not sure I would want to try…

Disco Sport is just over 7’ with the mirrors out!


edit - no wonder my wife thinks I've got worse at parking since getting it

7’? That’s 1.5’ wider than my car. No wonder modern cars don’t fit in garages. It’s not the garage that’s the issue!

[Pica-Pica]

Countdown said:

FunkyNige said:

Disco Sport is just over 7’ with the mirrors out!


edit - no wonder my wife thinks I've got worse at parking since getting it

Is the rear track for 19" wheels a typo?

Possibly not, maybe the wheel offset is adjust for fit.

[Pica-Pica]

FFS, metres or millimetres please. Even the yanks use SI units in design. Grrrrh.