Hatched markings

neilmcl

stator wrote: »

Are you talking about one of these?

You're only allowed to enter them when you can't exit if you are turning right and prevented from doing so by oncoming traffic.
All other cases you only enter when your exit is clear.

Or are you talking about a different type of marking?

If you don't know your hatched markings from your box junctions then maybe it's time to revisit your highway code.

And to answer the other question from the OP, yes you can overtake over them as long as there's a broken white line on your side. So in Richard1970's example above it would be perfectly legal to overtake if it is safe to do so.

Johno100

neilmcl wrote: »

If you don't know your hatched markings from your box junctions then maybe it's time to revisit your highway code.

Or give their licence up and become a cyclist.;)

facade

neilmcl wrote: »

And to answer the other question from the OP, yes you can overtake over them as long as there's a broken white line on your side. So in Richard1970's example above it would be perfectly legal to overtake if it is safe to do so.

However, they are there to separate traffic because of Great Danger* :eek:
If you were to have an accident on one you would likely be prosecuted for careless at least


*Usually the Great Danger is the "Keep Left" islands stuck every 100 yards whenever it would be reasonable to overtake, but who am I to question the Safety Nannies?

Strider590

Got to be careful overtaking in broken line hatch markings, on more than one occasion i've had people swerve toward me because they thought I was doing something illegal.

Strider590

Fat_Walt wrote: »

But was it necessary?

I don't overtake unnecessarily, but go ahead and define necessary.

DaveF327

Poppie68 wrote: »

So if a driver enters the area to make a right turn then that is ok?

Providing the border is broken, then yes. Your positioning into that area is necessary to avoid unduly slowing following traffic that wishes to proceed ahead without interruption while you make your right turn, which may take some time to complete.

In fact, I wish more people would use the (broken) hatched area as a deceleration lane when turning right, rather than keeping left at 5mph for hundreds of metres, causing tailbacks while fannying around trying to manoeuvre meticulously into position.

facade

Actually, the biggest danger from running on the cross hatching is punctures. So many people think you can't drive on them that all the road debris ends up piled on them.

jase1

Strider590 wrote: »

Got to be careful overtaking in broken line hatch markings, on more than one occasion i've had people swerve toward me because they thought I was doing something illegal.

I would lean on the horn in this instance. You're doing nothing wrong -- they're guilty of dangerous driving. If you have a dashcam on your side the police would take a dim view of any resulting collision on the other party's part.

Although I have to say that I would tend not to use the hatched 'lane' if there are cars coming the other way -- it's equivalent to a 'suicide lane' in my view (I realise you're talking about the car you're overtaking swerving rather than an oncoming vehicle).

neilmcl

Strider590 wrote: »

Got to be careful overtaking in broken line hatch markings, on more than one occasion i've had people swerve toward me because they thought I was doing something illegal.

The overtaken or oncoming vehicles? Agree, you should only overtake on hatched markings with caution.

poppasmurf_bewdley

We have near us a section of dual carriageway which has been singled with these hatched white lines edged by a broken white line. I have used that area several times to overtake slower moving traffic. Some drivers don't seem to like me doing so and give a toot or flash their lights. I think they like to have a procession behind them!

I cannot for the life of me see why any council would build a dual carriageway and then single it, which they seem to have been doing all over Worcestershire in the last few years. Particularly the A449 and A456.