Overtaking Double White Lines in Standstill Traffic?

[G]

You can over take on a solid white lined stretch of road as long as you don't actually cross the white line.

Most people I speak to seem to think that it means no overtaking full stop. In a car obviously it is impossible but some stretches of solid white lined roads are easily wide enough for a bike to pass without crossing the actual line.

[BoltonSte]

I was told by traffic (and there'll no doubt be one of the plumbers on here who can confirm) that you cannot cross the solid whites to filter, as the vehicles are not counted as stationary, but you can filter if you stay on your side of the white line.

Apparently they do a lot of bikes to one of the tracks where there is a big stretch of solids where all the cars queue to get there. I suspect this falls under the 'if safe to do so' bit. If there's traffic coming towards you, it's not safe. If lane towards you has no hazards then it is.

Ste

[yorkie_chris]

The other point I consider is if there's lots of oncoming it will be deemed risky to give chase for the chance that they've caught you barely clipping a DWL on video.

Originally Posted by svste

I was told by traffic (and there'll no doubt be one of the plumbers on here who can confirm) that you cannot cross the solid whites to filter, as the vehicles are not counted as stationary, but you can filter if you stay on your side of the white line.

surely if a vehicle is not moving it is stationary? its not exactly an ambiguous term is it?

Originally Posted by svste

I was told by traffic (and there'll no doubt be one of the plumbers on here who can confirm) that you cannot cross the solid whites to filter, as the vehicles are not counted as stationary, but you can filter if you stay on your side of the white line.

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

Originally Posted by Seggons

You may cross the line if necessary

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.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

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.

I understand what you are saying, but it IS neccasary to cross the solid white line in order to pass a stationary vehicle. you could just as well say its not neccasary to overtake a cyclist, you could sit behing them at 17 mph or whatever. So as I see it, it does hinge on whether you consider the queueing traffic to be stationary, and if it is not moving I dont see how you cant.

When filtering I will sit in traffic and wait till I can pass without crossing the white line = within the law

Originally Posted by benji106

I understand what you are saying, but it IS neccasary to cross the solid white line in order to pass a stationary vehicle. you could just as well say its not neccasary to overtake a cyclist, you could sit behing them at 17 mph or whatever. So as I see it, it does hinge on whether you consider the queueing traffic to be stationary, and if it is not moving I dont see how you cant.

Yes, necessary to cross if you want to pass, but is it necessary to pass that stationary vehicle in the first place? Or can you just wait for the lights to change, whilst sitting in the queue with all the cars?

The law hinges around what is deemed "reasonable". A cyclist is a bad analogy, as you could get past them without crossing DWL in most cases, lets use a tractor instead. It's not reasonable to be expected to sit behind a tractor at 10mph* for mile upon mile. It is also not unreasonable to be expected to sit in a queue of traffic, for the amount of time it takes for a set of traffic lights to change, just as you would have to in a car. If traffic wasn't moving at all, and was gridlocked and not going to move for the foreseeable future, then you'd have to decide if you could convince the authorities that it was necessary and reasonable to cross the DWL.

*(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.)

Filtering is deemed as overtaking in the eyes of the law. I don't think you are treated any differently to a car, just because you are on a smaller vehicle. A car driver crossing a DWL to queue jump a queue of stationary traffic before squeezing back in at the front of a set of traffic lights, would certainly be in trouble. What makes the rider of a bike any different?

What we really need is one of the org coppers to clarify. At the moment we are non-professionals having an academic argument over what it says in the highway code.

If the queue of traffic coming up to lights or something is stationary I cannot see if you filtered past them on or slightly over solid lines how that could be illegal or dangerous.
I never overtake on DWL unless someone is going rediculously slow.

Originally Posted by timwilky

I crossed solid whites to overtake a long queue waiting for temporary lights with bluepete behind me. I asked him afterwards about the legality and he told me it was illegal. Although by sight of the temporary light I had plenty of notice of the possibility of oncoming traffic traffic etc. There was no chance that I was ever in danger.

However, should a copper be having a bad day, it is an offence, and you will get a ticket.

Originally Posted by Bluepete

Tim's already mentioned my view.

I don't do it, If I was at work and saw a biker overtaking over solid whites to get to the front of the queue in the circumstances of this thread, I would stop 'em. Not saying they would get a ticket, eduaction doesn't always cost £60.

Problem is, as has been pointed out, the letter of the law is open to interpretation in some areas, to literally the lettering of each word. I guarantee that there are many Traffic Cops who will dose you for it, but, we are all humans (apparently) and each have our own agendas and pet hates. We aren't machines potting every offence we see, there isn't the time or need.

Originally Posted by Red Herring

Actually the "if necessary" bit was mentioned earlier, bottom of page two.

It is not an offence to pass a stationery vehicle within the confines of a solid white line system, either by staying inside it, or crossing over it, provided you do so with due care and attention and safely. The law is quite specific about the stationery bit, and as has been pointed out a court will simply look the word up in a dictorary. There is some folklore amongst Traffic cops that stationery does not include "vehicles temporarily held up". This has no basis in law but it does explain why a large number of them think it is illegal and will even stop and stick people on for it. Fortunately it is only their time they are wasting, the process doesn't make it past CPS providing......
The overtake is only not illegal under the Road Traffic Regulations Act (the white line offence). Consider why the white line is there in the first place. Going over a brow at 60mph on the wrong side of a white line system is likely attract a dangerous riding charge, forcing oncoming traffic to swerve as you come round a blind bend one of without due care, riding down the middle of a line twanging wing mirrors one of inconsiderate riding. If on the other hand it is on the approach to a level crossing, the barriers are down, and the 9:31 from Paddington is going past at 70mph it is unlikely there will be any oncoming traffic, so providing you can make it to a safe location (don't cross the stop line at the front) you shouldn't have to much to fear, ditto filtering past a line of traffic with a clear view of the road ahead. (Ps: watch out for irate drivers opening their doors to see what the hold up is!)

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.