Double White Lines

[Lissa]

This has been prompted by the video link getting2dizzy has posted, but it's something I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about anyway.

Why do some people seem to think that double white lines don't apply to them when they're on a bike? I know they are a pain in the ****, I know that bikes can quite often safely scoot by cars on double whites without putting themselves and others in jeopardy, but why do it? There is always a safe, legal overtaking opportunity before long, and if you get caught doing it you are bang to rights.

We know people who would never dream of doing it in a car, but on a bike they do it as a matter of course.

We will filter past cars on double whites if, as they often do, they pull left to allow us past without crossing the lines. It's crossing the lines that is the offence, not overtaking

I just wondered what other peoples thoughts were on this?

I agree, it's a big no no in my book. The only counter argument could be that the forces that be tend to put double whites when they just are not needed, which can lead to loss of respect for when they are needed. I always consider this though; okay so there are double white lines AND I can make the overtake safely. BUT, say for example I crash round the next bend. The vehicle I'd just overtaken would say that I was riding wrecklessly as I crossed solid lines. I am forever thinking of the events that may lead upto a crash, even if I was not at fault. If I was tearing about like a loon and then crashed due to no fault of my own there would be witnesses that woud say so which could harm my defence. Despite my username I find myself being much more sensible these days when it comes to speed. Afterall you can still get your kneedown at 15mph!

[Luckypants]

Yeah, it's a big no no for me too. Like Lissa points out, on a bike a safe and legal overtaking opportunity will soon present itself.

Remember, more paint = more danger - the reason the lines / signs etc are there is cos it is not an obvious danger.

Depends on the white lines and I've not seem the video, so I'm not commenting on that, but some double white lines are inappropriate, IMO. By and large they are there to indicate that for your typical road user (read, someone in a car) an overtake is not on. On a bike, we have better visibility, marginally better braking, considerably better acceleration and we're narrower. This of course doesn't mean they don't apply to us wholesale (and police may well not have that view!), but it does mean that a lot that are there are less applicable to us than cars. Of course, there are also some which are completely pointless, even for cars, one near where I used to live in Cirencester springs to mind. An old roman road, very long and straight. No exits/turnings onto it on one stretch, but sure enough, double white lines down the middle. The only possible reason for having them here (aside from perhaps laziness as about a mile either side of it, there are "justified" double white lines- maybe they couldn't be bothered to change from solid to striped for this section? ) is that the road is a bit narrow and two wide cars/vans would only have about a foot between them. Again, certainly no reason for a 3 foot wide bike not to make the overtake...

Then there's the fact that there are plenty of places an overtake isn't on, but which lack double white lines and unsurprisingly we don't overtake on them. Personally, I'd like to see them only used where they serve as a warning , where a sensible person might consider an overtake to be safe, but for some reason that isn't immediately apparent(hidden entrance, hidden dip, etc.) it isn't. Of course, like unjustifiably low speed limits, this current rather liberal attitude of painting them all over the shop, regardless of their suitability, has the unpleasant side effect of many people disregarding all double white lines as "meaningless", when of course, many of them are there for a reason. The parable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf springs to mind.

OK - So in the following situation what is correct?


Line of traffic queued and not moving, double white lines - Bike comes filtering past on the wrong side of the lines.

H-Way code says there are 3 occasions you can go over the lines, one of which is passing stationary traffic - In this example would it count?

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Giffer2

OK - So in the following situation what is correct?


Line of traffic queued and not moving, double white lines - Bike comes filtering past on the wrong side of the lines.

H-Way code says there are 3 occasions you can go over the lines, one of which is passing stationary traffic - In this example would it count?

You answered your own question. Passing stationary traffic. As soon as cars are moving, you are in the wrong though. Normal rules of filtering apply, this is classed as overtaking and so has to be safe, crossing double whites is not safe in eyes of the law.

Originally Posted by Giffer2

H-Way code says there are 3 occasions you can go over the lines, one of which is passing stationary traffic - In this example would it count?

I'm not sure of the law on the matter, but common sense would say yes, provided it is safe to do so and that you are very vigilent for cars in the queue who might be turning right, or fed up of queuing and about to U-turn. I've also on 2 occassions had police cars gesture for me to pass them when they were stuck in traffic and overtaking ment crossing white lines. In this instance I believe you're (legally) pretty safe (the old, "...unless instructed to do so by a police officer" caveat) to do so.

[timwilky]

It is so annoying that the authorities over use double whites, have removed overtaking lanes and barriered off the opposite carriageway etc. in so may places that disregard for the rules is then inevitable.

You then add the "overtaking on double whites is illegal" mentality of some car drivers who deliberately try to obstruct you whilst you are overtaking.

The whole road signage, limits etc needs an overhaul. Authorities should be forced to review every restriction as to why a road is not a NSL without restrictrictions at least every 10 years. All new roads should be built to include proper overtaking capablility.

[Lissa]

You're right, Ceri JC...............in many cases the double whites don't seem to have any reason to be there. We used to love the B5035 from Ashbourne to Matlock Bath.............now it's double whites virtually all the way, many of them on good open stretches with excellent visibility and no side turnings. Ridiculous.

So we now go another way, a road just as good, if a bit longer, with very few double white lines

Originally Posted by Lissa

Why do some people seem to think that double white lines don't apply to them when they're on a bike?

I just wondered what other peoples thoughts were on this?

they dont apply to me, most of the time, if it is safe that it