Long Tail backs and Solid centre white line.

[karlakGS]

So, not a thread about training per say, but just after some opinions really. Would probably be covered in training I guess.

When I picked the bike up last week, it was a lovely gentle ride back for the most part on A-roads for the first part of the Journey - A41 down to the A5.

Came across a couple of sets of roadworks, with traffic lights and VERY long queues of vehicles as the lights phasing was quite short. So, where the road had a broken centre line, waited for the gaps in oncoming traffic and safely at a sensible speed made my way down the line of the traffic while it was stationary - aware and looking out for U-turning cars etc.

However a couple of sections the centre road markings were the solid white lines. What is is the consensus here ? No different from a safety point of view, looking for U-turning cars and very easily see ahead that the traffic is clear in the opposite direction - the solid lines were more to separate traffic from a dual piece of road, rather than blind corners or dips etc. It was such a long delay I did occasionally cross the line but made progress even more steadily. A couple of other bikes passed me, while I sat waiting.

I understand that technically it is completely illegal (maybe), but what would be the difference in crossing the white line if a car had broken down ? For context, it was a very slow line of traffic with lots of standstills and I only passed the line of vehicles while they were stood still.

 

[Toshack10]

Technically/legally: thou shalt not cross.
I doubt anyone is going to enforce unless you do something stupid like get stuck the wrong side if there’s nowhere to filter back into.

 

[retroman]

I seem to recall that it was OK to pass crawling vehicles travelling at under 7mph. Don't know where I read that, can't remember, possibly incorrect.

 

[Mr Bean]

on my last RoSPA test I was told I could legally pass by doing the same. However, I now believe that allowance is only to pass cyclists/agricultural vehicles travelling at around 10mph or less.

Happy to be corrected.

 

[karlakGS]

Thanks for the replies. Is interesting. I probably wouldn't have brought it up, but at one point in the queue, an oaf of a lorry driver ahead was literally hanging out the window gesticulating and having a go, at a bike that passed him and me who was further behind and slowly passing traffic. As it was I pulled safely into just in front of him and he carried on, shouting about cameras and nutters etc. Saying we were going to get nicked, I presume he had a dash cam. Really didnt know what his issue was, he could clearly see us coming as he was literally hanging out the window before I was even close to his truck, so he wasn't concerned about my safety.



So I let him have his rant, while waiting for the traffic to clear the other direction. Then ironically, the foreign lorry driver ahead of him, moved to the left so, that I could safely pass. Just a bizarre situation really, given that me progressing along the queue would have zero effect on Mr Angry lorry driver.

 

[theoneandonly]

on my last RoSPA test I was told I could legally pass by doing the same. However, I now believe that allowance is only to pass slow moving or stationary vehicles travelling at around 10mph or less.

Happy to be corrected.

this .

in my twisted mind ... if i'm already to the rhs of the line ...i stay there til i have completed the overtake ( cos that is what it is ) and if safe to do , i stay to the right , and don't come back til the white line has gone .

iirc , HC says ...do not cross or straddle ? ...i didn't cross nor straddle , i stay to the rhs at all times .

 

[Gavla04GS]

on my last RoSPA test I was told I could legally pass by doing the same. However, I now believe that allowance is only to pass cyclists/agricultural vehicles travelling at around 10mph or less.

Happy to be corrected.

This topic came up in my IAM learning (11 years ago), just as @theoneandonly reminds us, the Highway Code says do not cross or straddle, and the advice/instruction I was given is

:You are allowed across the white line (in a car) to go round a broken down vehicle/slow moving/stationary machinery (tractors etc) and our lycra clad warriors and horses etc.
:According to the latest HC we have to give cyclists even more space when overtaking so I would use that to cross a solid white line (having utilised my Forward Observation) to determine its safe to do so.
: Just this year I have overtaken a long queue of traffic on A143 at Haddiscoe due to temporary roadworks and in that queue was a fully batten-berged police BMW X5 and I was not pursued and had nothing through the post.

I was (in my own biased opinion) just making progress, not much faster than walking pace, offside indicator on and not bouncing off the rev limiter making loads of noise.
I also cut back into the lane once I could see oncoming traffic...

 

[G&T]

Only this weekend, I had to get by stationary queues and queues of traffic for summer shows. Over the double whites was a must but slowly and safely. I’d still be there now if not, sweating like an MP in a gimp suit.

 

[casbar]

The Highway code provides the acceptable rules for crossing solid lines. Basically you can pass a stationary vehicle. Cars waiting in a queue are not stationary (mute point), so technically you can not pass. You can pass if you no part of your bike crosses the white line, panniers hanging over, means you have crossed the line. I did a couple of years ago, get a talking too, for passing queuing traffic by nipping over a solid white, no ticket but definitely could have got one.

 

[Santa-2512]

Rule 165

You MUST NOT overtake
lots of provisions and a referral to rule 129

Rule 129

You MUST NOT straddle or cross the White line

You may cross the solid line - provisions apply / less than 10mph

Simple answer read the highway code



Just because you didn't get pulled doesn't make it legal ,

the next shift of police plods may take a different view

 

[rovert57]

That really pisses me off when car drivers who are in a long jam try to block bikes filtering ,whonder if they would be happy to wind their windows down or sunroof open when it’s pissing down so as to make them equal to bike riders who get wet ,one of the only advantages of being on a bike is the ability to make progress through snarl ups and jams.

 

[G&T]

A vehicle not moving, i.e in a queue is stationary - right?

So I just looked up the HC and it also says...

“You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 26”

 

[karlakGS]

A vehicle not moving, i.e in a queue is stationary - right?

So I just looked up the HC and it also says...

“You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 26”

That would seem to suggest we are OK passing a queue of traffic that is stationary and waiting for road work lights.

 

[Wapping]

You can do it with complete impunity. Indeed, it forms a part of the bikermate code, therefore making it the law to do so!

As witnessed each day by bikermates streaming past congested traffic queuing to enter or leave London on the Highway through Wapping. This also includes the compulsory swerving around the keep left bollards and, naturally enough, the entire pedestrian controlled (and very large) island by the entrance to St Katherine Dock. Another favourite spot is anywhere from Tower Gardens, eastwards to Tower Bridge Approach.

If any bikermate in more rural surroundings is ever stopped by plod *, refer them at once to this post. All will then be well.


* PS The chances of this happening are slim to nonexistent. There are no police out on the roads, arresting people who do not know how to use a roundabout. I read it here.

PPS It is also in the bikermate code (ie law) that, when hooning up the outside of the unbroken white line and a cage has the audacity to prepare to move right, even by one inch, it is compulsory to remonstrate forcibly. This remonstrance shall include: Shouting out “Cnut” and gesticulating like a heavy weight boxer, entering the ring.

 

[LOLGEOFF]

Try it on the A21 on a May Day Bank Holiday.

You could use the same reasoning by passing a KLB on the right if a "stationary vehicle" is blocking your path.

 

[autogs]

A car in a queue is not a stationery vehicle in the eyes of the highway code, a stationery vehicle is parked with no occupants. Iirc

Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

 

[G&T]

How the hell can you see whether a stationary vehicle has people in it these days? The tint is blacker than Wapping’s humour.

 

[BillWright]

No solid white line has any lawful meaning unless there are at least two throwback arrows prior to the start of the system. Its forms part of the TMO.

 

[Eastmidsbiker]

I've nothing to add to the legalities, but practically if its a l-o-n-g queue of traffic there is a real danger of vehicles deciding to u-turn without checking over their shoulder. On a Bikesafe course a real example of this happening was explained in detail that gave the biker life changing brain injuries.

 

[karlakGS]

I think the key to the manoeuvre is to stick to around 10mph max, to pass the stationary cars.

- Doesnt piss people off
- Massively reduces the "U"-turn potential risk issue.

But still allows steady progress to the front of the queue.