If someone coming the other way is on my side of the road, do I have to move over?

fatrab

Deastons wrote: »

I do have a dashcam, but I haven't reported it. Can't believe they'll be that interested.

The way police budgets work, the less crimes that are reported the less officers they'll be afforded. Reporting the small stuff matters. Especially road safety, lives are being put at risk if your account of the situation is accurate.


Just don't become Supergrass!

Deastons

James2k wrote: »

Maybe you aren't legally obliged, but does it matter? Do it or potentially die or suffer major injuries. Your choice

It matters to me, and regardless of cirsumstance, it's what I've come on here to clarify.

spadoosh

Deastons wrote: »

I do have a dashcam, but I haven't reported it. Can't believe they'll be that interested.

Yes, this road is constantly a "three lane" road. In rush hour, long queues form to the roundabout at the end, so a large number of cars just drive on the other side of the road, forcing oncoming traffic to move over for them and then go all the way around the roundabout (forcing the queuing traffic to give way to them).

Saves them about 5mins of queuing, so well worth it I'm sure.

Whats actually going on here?

Lanes on roads are typically quite similar in width. SO if you have on one side a slow moving vehicle which means an overtake that edges on to the other side of the road then id think that you could get the same on the other side. So basically you can easily fit 3 cars on the road all be it one of them straddling the lane split.

It sounds like you go looking for arguments. It seems clear that there was enough room for your car and the oncoming overtaking car, well because nothing was hit and it wasnt because you stopped before it happened.

Theres a stretch of single carriageway near me. Wide roads, you usually get slow moving traffic (farm traffic and ride on mowers). There never an issue with someone coming in to the opposing lane to overtake because there always a ridiculously large amount of space allowing for a safe and easy overtake providing the oncoming traffic is willing to keep there car to the left hand side of their very wide lane. The fact that you say this happens all the time by many motorists and suggest the police wouldnt be interested kind of backs up my thinking that youre just making issues here.

Can the overtake happen safely if your vehicle is as far left as the lane allows? If it can, youre just being cantankerous and you are the problem. If it cant then you need to show the police the footage so they can actuallydo something to try and prevent dangerous overtaking.

fatrab

Deastons wrote: »

So you say I am "obliged to create space" but can't actually provide something to back it up?

Sort of covered in the Highway Code rule 147 but not my argument

Herzlos

"You can be right, or you can be dead right".


Doesn't matter who's got priority, just move over / slow down to allow them to get passed without hitting you.

Deastons

spadoosh wrote: »

Can the overtake happen safely if your vehicle is as far left as the lane allows?

Yes, it can. And it did happen safely.

But as I've mentioned, there were two men on the grass verge/edge of the road collecting litter. In normal circumstances I would have kept close to the centre of the road to give as much room as possible for the litter pickers.

But this car prevented me from doing that and forced me to pass unnecessarily close to them. I doubt anyone was in any danger, but a bit like passing a cyclist, I prefer to give as much room for error as possible.

And that just got me thinking, hence my question. Normally I wait for the oncoming lane to be clear before I overtake, to ensure it's safe. But a lot of others seem to see oncoming traffic and overtake anyway - I was intrigued to know if there's a rule that says oncoming traffic must make space.

Jackmydad

Deastons wrote: »

Fair point, maybe I should have slowed when I saw there was a van parked on the side. But the lane is wide enough for two vehicles, so I wasn't actually going "around" their van, just passing it. It was only once the car coming the opposite direction moved into my lane it got hairy.

Herzlos wrote: »

"You can be right, or you can be dead right".
Doesn't matter who's got priority, just move over / slow down to allow them to get passed without hitting you.

Herzlos has it right.
You should be going at a speed that allows you to take avoiding action, and / or stop if anything suddenly goes wrong. if there was a vehicle parked on my side of the road, and traffic coming the other way with a slower vehicle in the stream, I'd assume that someone might well overtake, and most likely would slow down accordingly. It's defensive driving.
Think of it this way, if there is a gap to overtake, you can be sure some twit with an "a" will overtake.
It's part of what makes driving today such a pleasure! :eek:

Car_54

Deastons wrote: »

It matters to me, and regardless of cirsumstance, it's what I've come on here to clarify.

So if the definitive answer were "No, you don't have to make space", what would you do in future? Hold your position, regardless of the consequences?


Looking on the bright side, that might mean an end to the stream of inane questions;).

Deastons

Car_54 wrote: »

Looking on the bright side, that might mean an end to the stream of inane questions;).

Wishing death on someone is shameful.

agrinnall

Car_54 wrote: »

Looking on the bright side, that might mean an end to the stream of inane questions;).

Well done, I was trying to think of a way to post a similar response without getting a ban, and I think this is it :T.