Road Hatchings: Can Anyone Help?

[terminalreality]

A friend of mine and myself have had a long standing argument. The question is can you overtake on the hatched road markings? I say no, but my mate says yes.Can anyone help us resolve this quandry?

[Puddenchucker]

Yes, if the hatchings are bordered by a broken white line.
No, if bordered by a continuous white line.

[terminalreality]

Puddenchucker said:

Yes, if the hatchings are bordered by a broken white line.
No, if bordered by a continuous white line.

When the white line is broken you may enter the area if necessary. Does overtaking constitute a necessay manouver

[peterguk]

terminalreality said:

Puddenchucker said:

Yes, if the hatchings are bordered by a broken white line.
No, if bordered by a continuous white line.

When the white line is broken you may enter the area if necessary. Does overtaking constitute a necessay manouver

Was always taught no, but i stand to be corrected... (Excepting parked car etc... )

[Puddenchucker]

[Vaux]

terminalreality said:

A friend of mine and myself have had a long standing argument. The question is can you overtake on the hatched road markings? I say no, but my mate says yes.Can anyone help us resolve this quandry?

Highway Code 109.
Broken white line "necessary and safe to do so"
Solid white line "should not enter except in an emergency" (Note - it's not a MUST NOT)

Overtaking is a necessary action. If they didn't really want you to, they'd paint a solid line?

[GreenV8S]

Vaux said:

Highway Code 109.

Bear in mind that the HC is not the law. I expect there will be an SI that says whether/when it's legal.

[terminalreality]

GreenV8S said:

Vaux said:

Highway Code 109.

Bear in mind that the HC is not the law. I expect there will be an SI that says whether/when it's legal.

That is my point exactly, would our boys in blue turn a blind eye if caught overtaking on the hatchings or would you end up in front of the JP's on a dangerous driving charge?

[Vaux]

GreenV8S said:

Vaux said:

Highway Code 109.

Bear in mind that the HC is not the law. I expect there will be an SI that says whether/when it's legal.

So the comment on Road Marking 1040.2 doesn't count either?

If you can't go in there, why isn't it a solid line? Are they just saving paint?

Edited by Vaux on Wednesday 26th September 20:36

Edited by Vaux on Wednesday 26th September 20:37

[GPSHead]

terminalreality said:

GreenV8S said:

Vaux said:

Highway Code 109.

Bear in mind that the HC is not the law. I expect there will be an SI that says whether/when it's legal.

That is my point exactly, would our boys in blue turn a blind eye if caught overtaking on the hatchings or would you end up in front of the JP's on a dangerous driving charge?

Quite recently I overtook an unmarked traffic car using hatchings bounded by a broken line. I got pulled over for my speed (45 in what was a 40 until recently) and let off with a warning. Great guy. (The hatched area used to form a third lane).

He didn't even mention the hatchings (or anything except the speed itself). So it would appear to be OK to drive on hatchings in practice as well as in theory. Which is exactly how it should be, considering how unnecessary a lot of hatchings these days are:



(In the above picture, it really is as bad as it looks, and there's no special hazard or anything behind the camera that warrants the hatching.)

Annoyingly I had already wondered if it was plod, but unwisely decided it wasn't because it contained more than two people. When they had Omegas it wasn't too bad, but now they have Vectras, and there are an awful lot of new/newish dark-coloured Vectras around. Ah well, I'll just have to drive legally I suppose.

[peterguk]

Your pic shows unbroken line in direction of travel, and broken line in opposite direction..

So, if i understand correctly:

Absolutely no overtaking in direction of travel

and

Overtaking if safe to do so in opposite direction

[Dan Friel]

That's spot on. I'd be fairly nervous about overtaking on the hatchings in the wet....

Three lane carriageways have a poor accident history (high speed head on shunts due to clashing overtaking moves), hence the effort to get rid of them..

[Munter]

peterguk said:

Your pic shows unbroken line in direction of travel, and broken line in opposite direction..

So, if i understand correctly:

Absolutely no overtaking in direction of travel

and

Overtaking if safe to do so in opposite direction

Yep thats the way I interpret it. Up hill there you can overtake on the hatchings. Probably intended for passing really slow trucks / tractors. However as they have put hatchings there it's going to be bumpy and very slippy in the wet so unless it's a hot summers day, and nothing else is on the road it'll be dangerous to use....

[IRM]

peterguk said:

Your pic shows unbroken line in direction of travel, and broken line in opposite direction..

So, if i understand correctly:

Absolutely no overtaking in direction of travel

and

Overtaking if safe to do so in opposite direction

yeap as long as you don't straddle/cross the solid,

no doubt a lot of "traffic police" would object and try to block you or then show that their headlights worked and wave as though they knew you asking if you liked coffee or two sugars

[terminalreality]

Munter said:

peterguk said:

Your pic shows unbroken line in direction of travel, and broken line in opposite direction..

So, if i understand correctly:

Absolutely no overtaking in direction of travel

and

Overtaking if safe to do so in opposite direction

Yep thats the way I interpret it. Up hill there you can overtake on the hatchings. Probably intended for passing really slow trucks / tractors. However as they have put hatchings there it's going to be bumpy and very slippy in the wet so unless it's a hot summers day, and nothing else is on the road it'll be dangerous to use....

So whats the point in the hatchings? On the A446 in Warwickshire (not far from the Belfry golf course) there is a section of road going uphill where there is an overtaking lane (as in the above photo) but without the hatchings uphill (depending on direction of travel).

Edited by terminalreality on Wednesday 26th September 22:24

Edited by terminalreality on Wednesday 26th September 22:26

Edited by terminalreality on Wednesday 26th September 22:27

[Dan Friel]

Hatchings help to separate traffic, reduce carriageway width (and therefore usually speeds) and discourage overtaking moves. I suspect that the section of road in the photo has been the scene of one or two "incidents" over the years, hence the scheme shown.

[shuvitupya]

The Highway code says.....
109: Areas of white diagonal stripes or chevrons painted on the road. These are to separate traffic lanes or to protect traffic turning right.

If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so.
If the area is marked with diagonal stripes and bordered by solid white lines, you should not enter it except in an emergency.
If the area is marked with chevrons and bordered by solid white lines you MUST NOT enter it except in an emergency.
Laws MT(E&W)R regs 5,9,10 & 16, MT(S)R regs 4,8,9 & 14, RTA sect 36 & TSRGD 10(1)

I have seen chevrons within a broken white line, so can I enter this area legally?

Edited by shuvitupya on Wednesday 26th September 23:34

[7db]

Yes. Where have you seen them?

Chevrons usually only live on Motorways where there are different rules and solid borders and entering is a 3pt no-no.

Don't forget that diagonals with solid borders less than 1.4m apart constitute good old fashions DWLs.

[Vaux]

7db said:

Yes. Where have you seen them?

M56 east to M6 north (joining M6 north). Chevrons with a broken white line. (It's on Google Earth Junction 20 M6/Lymm)

[shuvitupya]

7db said:

Yes. Where have you seen them?

Chevrons usually only live on Motorways where there are different rules and solid borders and entering is a 3pt no-no.

Here:- http://starturl.com/rphqt

Where Huntingdon Road joins traffic leaving the M11 to Join the A14