Overtaking Double White Lines in Standstill Traffic?

Originally Posted by specialone

I never overtake on DWL unless someone is going rediculously slow.

We've had that whole debate in threads before too. I will if I think I'm not going to get caught, I can clearly see far enough to do my overtake with a powerful motorbike safely, and I think the line is there for no other reason than the council wasting paint.

I'll filter across DWL at traffic queues as well, again if I think I'm not going to get caught. I'm very wary at motorway junctions and in town centres because of CCTV, I wouldn't do it there. I've also heard of bikers getting done for it by the North Wales helicopter, but that may be urban myth.

Whether we would do it and whether it's legal are two different arguments.

**** knows, don't really care unless I have the police following behind me. If I see it as safe and there is no risk to me or others I will overtake.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Not legal IMO.

I think svste is absolutely correct, though I don't think it's about whether the vehicles are deemed stationary or not. I'd be happy to be proved wrong as it means I could then do it myself

This is what the prosecution would throw at you in court



filtering is not necessary.

The exception is designed to allow you to pass slow moving (<10mph) or stationary vehicles such as tractors cutting hedges, road sweepers, broken down vehicles, parked vehicles, horse drawn carriages, etc. It only becomes necessary if your journey will come to a halt for a significant amount of time by not passing. This doesn't include waiting 30 seconds for a queue of traffic to move.

If you have a situation where you think you can convince a magistrate that it was necessary, and you couldn't have reasonably undertaken the rest of your journey without doing it, then go for it.

In a situation where I'm highly unlikely to get caught, like with heavy oncoming traffic and no coppers obviously there I do it.

If there's obviously a copper there I'll be a bit less bold.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Bluepete says no don't do it, Red Herring says yes it's OK, unless you have oncoming traffic (I think). A crossing halting traffic in both directions is about the only situation I can think of where there is no possibility of oncoming traffic.

Originally Posted by Bluepete

in the circumstances of this thread,

What were the circumstances?

Raving Davis got done last year for pulling back from an overtake only about a metre after they had started, I've done that loads of times.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

What were the circumstances?

Click the little arrow on the quotes and you'll see the whole thread. It was crossing DWL to filter cars queueing for traffic lights.

[yorkie_chris]

Well, I'd be happy to stand up in court presenting the road traffic act and the Oxford English dictionary as evidence.

If you can actually see the lights, then it's especially fine, as you are perfectly satisfied there is no oncoming.

Way I see it is 'that's a car queue' I have filtered over solids past police and had no issues... You just have to use good judgement and common sense... It is frustrating for cars tho having bike zip by when they will be stuck for the best part of an hour... But if they don't like it... get a bike. Thats what I did

Traded tin can security for freedom

[Ruffy]

I reckon it's down to rider to make a judgement, bearing in mind a case could probably always be made for it being illegal. I've done both - ridden past the queue and waited - as a result of different traffic conditions.

If you are going to go for it, I'd recommend slow cautious progress. In the event of a tug I can't see high speed, hooligan overtakes ever being regarded as "necessary".

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

*(At 17mph in the eyes of the law, you have to sit behind them if you can't get past without crossing the DWL, but I doubt any copper would book you for that.)

I wish the feds were around to stop cars once in a while, though. I've lost count of the number of near misses I've witnessed, or times I've been squeezed, when pedalling along (at 15-20mph) because some cager is desperate to get past despite the oncoming traffic that he/she didn't anticipate on a narrow and bendy road - makes you wonder what they thought the double whites were there for!

Well, I'm wrong and stupid, will STHU now.