Solid white line at edge of road
Discussion
dibbers006 said:
Along a lot of roads you get a solid white line painted at the edge. Especially on motorways. Presumably this is an indicator of the edge of 'road' 
Are you legally allowed to drive on them? Obviously not down the centre of a motorway, on the grass, hardshoulder etc.
But say you are approaching a junction with four miles of queuing traffic to go straight on and there is a righthand lane but it would require you to put a wheel on a solid white line which is showing the 'edge' of the road. Are you allowed to use all the tarmac? Are you allowed to cross the line with one wheel?
Say you are driving down a country lane and there is a solid white line along the edge of the road. The tarmac goes a foot or so further. Legally are you allowed to cross that line to avoid the oncoming tractor?! Is this the same as the previous situation?
You can cross any line to avoid an accident ie emergency situation. Although braking should be your first option.Are you legally allowed to drive on them? Obviously not down the centre of a motorway, on the grass, hardshoulder etc.
But say you are approaching a junction with four miles of queuing traffic to go straight on and there is a righthand lane but it would require you to put a wheel on a solid white line which is showing the 'edge' of the road. Are you allowed to use all the tarmac? Are you allowed to cross the line with one wheel?
Say you are driving down a country lane and there is a solid white line along the edge of the road. The tarmac goes a foot or so further. Legally are you allowed to cross that line to avoid the oncoming tractor?! Is this the same as the previous situation?
These are officially known as edge lines and as far as I'm concerned do not have the same meaning as continuous lines in the centre of the carriageway or around cross hatched areas.
Willing to be corrected on that statement.
Their purpose is indeed to delineate the edge of the carriaeway in conditions of poor visibility, mist/fog, dazzle from oncoming vehicles, poor edge definition ie no kerbs and so on.
Just to complicate matters the edge markings often become dashed at places where vehicles are clearly intended to be able to cross, laybys, junctions etc. I think this is simply to make it clear in conditions of poor visibility that there is such a feature rather than to say thou shall/ shal not cross.
After all it is permissible to cross continuous white lines in order to access land and premises at the side of the road.
I guess as to the question what would be the reaction of the bib if seen putting a wheel across an edge marker would depend to a large extent on the individual circumstances.
If it was just for a few feet to ease past an obstruction then what is the problem? If it's to bazz up the inside of a queue so one can rejoin same queue further down guess might be worthy of a word in shell-like. Impossible to say really. Just my slant on it anyway.
Willing to be corrected on that statement.
Their purpose is indeed to delineate the edge of the carriaeway in conditions of poor visibility, mist/fog, dazzle from oncoming vehicles, poor edge definition ie no kerbs and so on.
Just to complicate matters the edge markings often become dashed at places where vehicles are clearly intended to be able to cross, laybys, junctions etc. I think this is simply to make it clear in conditions of poor visibility that there is such a feature rather than to say thou shall/ shal not cross.
After all it is permissible to cross continuous white lines in order to access land and premises at the side of the road.
I guess as to the question what would be the reaction of the bib if seen putting a wheel across an edge marker would depend to a large extent on the individual circumstances.
If it was just for a few feet to ease past an obstruction then what is the problem? If it's to bazz up the inside of a queue so one can rejoin same queue further down guess might be worthy of a word in shell-like. Impossible to say really. Just my slant on it anyway.
Yes. White line is a carriageway marker. Drive over the line and you are driving "other than on the carriageway", which is a pointy M'way offence.
Is it a football line or a rugby line?
Check TSRGD and you see you've got a 1012(.1,2 or 3) on your hands. I can't find specific guidance, so I reckon it's a football line (unlike a DWL).
Is it a football line or a rugby line?
Check TSRGD and you see you've got a 1012(.1,2 or 3) on your hands. I can't find specific guidance, so I reckon it's a football line (unlike a DWL).
Flat in Fifth said:
I'd agree a m'way offence, but on normal roads, you sure on that 7db?
The M'way offence is separate law and stiff penalty with points. Not entirely sure about other roads (thought OP was referring to Mways, but see he's not exclusively), but if pressed I'd go for S34 RTA - that covers most eventualities. I assume that would be a £30 FPN, nil points?
7db said:
Flat in Fifth said:
I'd agree a m'way offence, but on normal roads, you sure on that 7db?
The M'way offence is separate law and stiff penalty with points. Not entirely sure about other roads (thought OP was referring to Mways, but see he's not exclusively), but if pressed I'd go for S34 RTA - that covers most eventualities. I assume that would be a £30 FPN, nil points?
:cough:
or a S59 PRA2002
sorry 7db you know my views are similar to your own on that, couldn't resist it though, I'm a bad bad boy.
Dredging back to a dim and distant memory, the 'edge lines' on a non motorway indicated that the road was a "freeway" meaning that you should not stop (park) on that section. You could however get your car completely off the tarmac onto a grass verge and be OK. Essentially it was there to allow us speeding motorists the chance of having a clear road.
I checked the online Highway Code and it doesn't seem to help at all.
http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/signs09.htm
Chris
I checked the online Highway Code and it doesn't seem to help at all.
http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/signs09.htm
Chris
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