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Driving Laws ?

by EK Spinner
Mon, Aug 29, 2022 15:41
4

Not directly cycling related but I know we have a number of knowledgable folk her so I have a question.

I regularly drive on a long straight stretch of road on which has a few dips in it. When you are in the dips your visibility is restricted and there are rightly solid white centre lines (solid on my side, dashed on the opposite side) so obviously I cannot cross over this line to execute an overtake.

However when I first coe onto the straight section I have a fair bit of elevation and as a result can see nearly 1 mile of clear road ahead, there are no solid lines at this point. If I pull out and overtake the overtake may not be completed until you are in the dip, however I have had the visibility to know it is clear.

My question is a more pedantic one than anything else (the opinions of others on the safety is not relavent, I won't take risks with anyones life), is it legal to be on the other side of the solid white line to overtake as long as the manouvre was started before the solid line started.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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4 comments

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EK Spinner | 1 year ago
1 like

Thanks folks, I though that would be the case.

I did suspect it would be the presence on the wrong side of the line that would be an issue, as opposed to the process of crossing in the first place.

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PRSboy | 1 year ago
1 like

+1... need to be back on the left before the lines, regardless of whether you have a clear view. 

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Tom_77 | 1 year ago
0 likes

"every vehicle proceeding on any length of road along which the marking has been so placed that, as viewed in the direction of travel of the vehicle, a continuous line is on the left of a broken line or of another continuous line, shall be so driven as to keep the first-mentioned continuous line on the right hand or off side of the vehicle."

See section 4 Road Markings, regulation 26 here - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/3113/made

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Oldfatgit | 1 year ago
6 likes

No, it is not legal.
You should have completed your manoeuvre before the start of the solid line.

There are only a few exceptions that enable you to cross over a solid line (including a ghost island), and unless the thing you are overtaking is doing less than 10mph, or is static, or you have been lawfully directed to by a duly empowered person or a traffic light ... you're on a hiding to nowt if you get caught.

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