No centre road lines, safer?

[BlackPanther]

A couple of weeks ago, a 1 mile stretch of my commute (Rossington-Tickhill in Doncaster) was re-surfaced. I've avoided the road the last week (I cycled down it on the first day, and loose chips are not fun on a road bike) This week, now that the chips are more or less packed down I've gone back on it. There are no centre line road markings on it yet, and I've noticed that drivers are giving me a much wider berth as they pass.

I can only put it down to the fact that drivers in the whole are hesitant to cross the white lines on to the other side.....even when the other side is clear and so pass closer to cyclists.

So that's a vote form me for the SHARED SPACE/NO ROAD SIGNS schemes popping up.

http://www.wringtons...redspace01.html

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

The accepted wisdom amongst the people I've read seem to be that removing centre lines is better for cyclists as it reduces the close passing.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Could it be that the resurfacing makes the edges look 'gritty' so the car drivers stay central to avoid getting stone chipped paintwork?

 

[buddha]

I was thinking the same (as the OP) only a couple of days ago. A flat main road, perfectly resurfaced - with proper tarmac, and no centre lines yet.

I was getting at least 2 metres clearance from the cars that passed.

 

[snorri]

According to one of the theories, the white line instils confidence regarding correct road positioning. Without the white line a degree of doubt creeps in causing the driver to ease off on the throttle.

 

[jonny jeez]

Perhaps safer for us cyclists, but what about other road users in particular those coming in the opposite direction...

In Asia it's common practice to drive in the centre of the road and, at the very last minute, swerve to avoid oncoming traffic.

Its not rude or considered bad driving infact the opposite. The logic is "its all my road right up until the very last second when we share and avoid each other"

But its bloody frightening when you first encounter a 20 tonne cement truck seemingly wanting to play chicken with you on a dark unmarked road.

Road markings are there for a reason...they protect the "majority"

 

[Banjo]

What pi$$es me off is drivers that wont cross a solid white line to give you more room even though they are allowed to if you are doing under 10 mph.

They have more respect for what they think is the law than for a human life in the form of a cyclist.

 

[lukesdad]

There are hardly any white centre lines on roads where I live. Passes are much closer on roads that posess them for sure.

 

[Bicycle]

What pi$$es me off is drivers that wont cross a solid white line to give you more room even though they are allowed to if you are doing under 10 mph.

They have more respect for what they think is the law than for a human life in the form of a cyclist.

I notice this quite a lot and it troubles me too when I'm cycling.

I come across it as a driver too.

I'm not sure it's a function of having greater respect for the law than for human life, although it seems that way sometimes. I think the reasons are manifold, but chief among them may be:

1. Many drivers believe that you CANNOT cross an unbroken white line to pass any moving vehicle.

2. Those who are aware of the 10 mph thing may have trouble calculating the speed of the bicycle.

3. In the back of a driver's mind may be the knowledge that one hears of people being prosecuted for crossing unbroken lines, but not for close passes of slower traffic. I think it may be fear of prosecution more than respect for the law.

4. Many drivers are not cyclists and are simply unaware of how unsettling (dangerous) it is to pass a bicycle closely.

Given that I and my children usually ride at between 15 and 25 mph.... what is a driver to do?

I often cross unbroken lines to pass bicycles that are clearly exceeding 10 mph.... But I'm breaking the law whan I do so. Tough call - and one that many people don't want to make.

 

[Jaristokraatti]

even though they are allowed to if you are doing under 10 mph.

Why would you ride at under 10 mph?

 

[Dan B]

Why would you ride at under 10 mph?

Uphills, for one

 

[MacB]

Road markings are there for a reason...they protect the "majority"

That would have been my gut reaction as well but it's one of those things that's based on...well....absolutely nothing, same for traffic lights as well. Reading around this sort of thing there does seem to be quite a bit of contradictory information. I don't have the expertise in this area to know whether my lifelong instincts, still based on nothing, are correct or some of the alternate views are correct. I find examples of traffic flowing better, and accidents being reduced, when traffic lights are switched off, or road markings removed, to be quite persuasive.

It's a strange one, we're all susceptible to the idea that things are arranged in certain ways because it's been proven to be the optimum.

 

[albion]

Exactly as others have said.I was on holiday a while back and a woman from the same hotel passed me with about 6 inches of clearance.It was obvious that she preferred to risk someone's life rather than cross that white line, even with no other traffic around.She just blanked me when I mentioned later it was a 'very close call'.

 

[albion]

Exactly as others have said.I was on holiday a while back and a woman from the same hotel passed me with about 6 inches of clearance.It was obvious that she preferred to risk someone life rather than cross that white line, even with no other traffic around.She just blanked me when I mentioned later it was a 'very close call'.

 

[stowie]

Perhaps safer for us cyclists, but what about other road users in particular those coming in the opposite direction...

In Asia it's common practice to drive in the centre of the road and, at the very last minute, swerve to avoid oncoming traffic.

Its not rude or considered bad driving infact the opposite. The logic is "its all my road right up until the very last second when we share and avoid each other"

But its bloody frightening when you first encounter a 20 tonne cement truck seemingly wanting to play chicken with you on a dark unmarked road.

Road markings are there for a reason...they protect the "majority"

I think the closer overtakes are because the driver will tend to take their positioning cues from the markings as opposed to their distance from what they are overtaking. Whereas with no road-marking they haven't a reference to tell them where they "should be". Slows them down by adding this uncertainty as well.

I believe this is why narrow cycle lanes are so bad. Motorists will take their cues from the positions of the lines thus encouraging unsafe overtaking.

I have also noticed in Brazil that cars may take up the whole road without road markings. But this is more to do with the fact that these unmarked roads tend to be poorly kept and the drivers are using all the road to avoid pot holes etc.