Road markings?

DaveF327

Irony wrote: »

These chevrons appeared 2 days ago. Are you not to enter/cross these i.e making it a 1 lane roundabout.
I've never come across markings like this on a roundabout,have you?

I have. They are more prevalent at "spiral" roundabouts, but could appear on any if the council considered it expedient to put them there.

You should not enter a hatched area bordered by a broken line unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so. (Highway Code, Rule 130)

I highly doubt that the intention was to keep cars away from the precious memorial, but if I were the mayor of [STRIKE]God's waiting room[/STRIKE] Eastbourne and aware of lines of cars driven by pensioners all running into each other because they're too "confused" by multiple lanes, I'd reduce the thing to one lane too. Confusion removed!

Spicy_McHaggis wrote: »

And, it wasn't necessary for them to enter it chevrons.

How do you know? The camera only showed one view point. If a car (unseen to us), emerging from the right of your screen approached the roundabout at speed, braking late, or even overshot the give way line slightly, I would cut over the markings out of self preservation to keep a safety gap from the hazard. That extra safety space is what the markings are there for.

Joe_Horner

JustinR1979 wrote: »

Don't be so hard on yourself, you'll come across a highway code one day and learn to drive better

Tell ya what, when you learn to read and actually understand what someone's written before jumping in to criticise it....

Incidentally, my driving really isn't a problem to me or anyone else, thanks

JustinR1979

JustinR1979 wrote: »

So slow to a crawl on a 60mph road instead is safer?
So why are the lines broken and not solid? Save money on paint, or what?

To add to this, every Friday I have to turn right off a 60mph busy A road, and have about 100 feet to slow down and squeeze into lane. Often have 44 tonnes up my !!!!, and would get a handful of horn, if not shunted, if I didn't get into the hatchings as soon as possible and let them go whilst I slow.
As they're also professional drivers, they expect me to correctly use this area as it's not solid lines.
To not do so would be dangerous.
Is also a more courteous way of driving, not slowing a live lane to a crawl for no good reason when road set-up dictates to do otherwise.

Norman_Castle

Irony wrote: »

http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/local/video-white-lines-on-memorial-roundabout-leave-motorists-confused-1-6557753
These chevrons appeared 2 days ago. Are you not to enter/cross these i.e making it a 1 lane roundabout.
I've never come across markings like this on a roundabout,have you?

Was it previously marked as two lanes or just wide enough in places for two cars and treated as two lanes?. The chevrons in the bottom of the picture look to have tapered. Does the road around the island also taper?.

JustinR1979

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Tell ya what, when you learn to read and actually understand what someone's written before jumping in to criticise it....

Incidentally, my driving really isn't a problem to me or anyone else, thanks

Same to you, I was replying to your "never enter them, it's safer not to - can't think of one instance when it is".
Not the roundabout.

Irony

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Was it previously marked as two lanes or just wide enough in places for two cars and treated as two lanes?. The chevrons in the bottom of the picture look to have tapered. Does the road around the island also taper?.

Never had markings. Wide enough for two cars all the way around.
This is Eastbourne,so could mean no parking.

Joe_Horner

JustinR1979 wrote: »

Broken line so can enter as long as exit is clear

JustinR1979 wrote: »

So why are the lines broken and not solid? Save money on paint, or what?

From the Highway Code, Rule 130:

Areas of white diagonal stripes or chevrons painted on the road. These are to separate traffic lanes or to protect traffic turning right.

• If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so.
• If the area is marked with chevrons and bordered by solid white lines you MUST NOT enter it except in an emergency.

Note well, Padawan:

Broken lines require it to be "necessary" (not "convenient" or "expedient" or "courteous", but necessary) but ignoring that suggestion isn't, of itself, an offence,

Solid lines require it to be an emergency and it is an offence. in itself, to enter them otherwise.

JustinR1979 wrote: »

Don't be so hard on yourself, you'll come across a highway code one day and learn to drive better

Oh, the irony, it hurts!!!!



eta: Actually, joking aside, it is slightly worrying that there are apparently professional drivers in lorries out there who not only don't understand the basics properly but will aggressively defend their own personal misinterpretation when challenged!

Iceweasel

It's actually HC Rule 130.

This 'unless necessary' bit is a bit of a pointless statement.

What one driver might consider 'necessary' another might consider differently.

No way is it an offence to enter such a hatched area.

But if you did and there was to be an accident .........

Joe_Horner

Iceweasel wrote: »

It's actually HC Rule 130.

This 'unless necessary' bit is a bit of a pointless statement.

What one driver might consider 'necessary' another might consider differently.

No way is it an offence to enter such a hatched area.

But if you did and there was to be an accident .........

Yeah, sorry about that - my keyboard's slowly giving up te ghost here and I don't proof read as much as I probably should Still, the word-for-word quote is the bit that counts.

The intention of "necessary" in the HC, as in normal language, is to differentiate it from things like "convenient", "useful", "desirable", "quicker" and so on. So, if someone "considers it necessary" because it saves them time or inconvenience then they're misunderstanding the word.

Besides, I have absolutely no problem with Justin's suggestion that they could (sometimes) be entered usefully in the sort of situations he described. although I do disagree with his contention that it's "safer" to do so.

Rule bending is often absolutely fine and perfectly safe as long as you're aware you're bending them and don't mentally "re-write" the rule to fit your actions. It's when you forget what the rules really say that problems start.

almillar

Spicy McHaggis established ages ago that you don't enter chevrons with broken white lines unless 'necessary'. This of course is open to interpretation, so don't bother arguing with each other about hard and fast rules.
I wouldn't be following a tractor, on an otherwise clear 60mph road, I'd cross into the chevrons to overtake (and hope not to get a puncture or something!).