Why do people ignore double white lines?

[Scruffmonster]

Then the car behind overtakes, with less room. The ambulance is probably blocking good sight of the road ahead at this point.

Then the car behind that overtakes with even less room.

I wouldn't toot for a wide pass - but the first pass lead to the second pass which lead to the third pass - all illegal. Shouldn't have to be worshipping drivers who give us decent amount of room, its not exactly a chore when driving to steer a wide path when the road is clear.

You've made up that whole scenario. I didn't say any of that.

If you get room, be happy with it. It's that simple.

Worrying and debating the minor rule of the road that was broken to give you ample room makes us all look very silly. I'm not saying worship drivers, I'm saying play nicely. There is no 'Us and Them'. There are people on bikes, people in cars. We can all get along just fine.

 

[gambatte]

There are plenty of places where it is safe (though illegal) to cross a solid white line when overtaking and plenty of places where it is unsafe to overtake on a dashed line.

Plenty of times when it'd be perfectly safe to ride (or drive) straight through a red light, but we don't do it.
The lines are there for a reason. A safely wide overtake, with Matt in secondary would still mean some of the overtaking car would be over the lines.
Time that plod focussed on alternative infringements as well as speed.

 

[campbellab]

You've made up that whole scenario. I didn't say any of that.

If you get room, be happy with it. It's that simple.

Worrying and debating the minor rule of the road that was broken to give you ample room makes us all look very silly. I'm not saying worship drivers, I'm saying play nicely. There is no 'Us and Them'. There are people on bikes, people in cars. We can all get along just fine.

Hmm, no that was my recent scenario where vehicles decided to overtake me on solid double white lines.

It wasn't a minor rule of the road that was broken to give us ample room, it was an unnecessary illegal maneuvre. That said I'd rather they crossed the lines than gave a close pass to stay within the lines.

In my scenario someone's minor rule break got progressively worse as sheep followed the poor example of someone who should know better (Ambulance driver). Being happy with poor driving leaves more people dead in the long run.

There is plenty of us and them, those of us who are safe and considerate on the roads and those that aren't.

 

[simon.r]

Plenty of times when it'd be perfectly safe to ride (or drive) straight through a red light, but we don't do it.

What, never? I don't in a car but very occasionally I'll ride through red lights. I pick and choose my times and places - minor junctions with zero other traffic around, pedestrian crossings where there are no pedestrians etc. But then I'd pick and choose when to cross a solid white line when driving or riding a motorbike.

 

[gambatte]

What, never?

Correct. It's not that difficult.

 

[Scruffmonster]

Hmm, no that was my recent scenario where vehicles decided to overtake me on solid double white lines.

It wasn't a minor rule of the road that was broken to give us ample room, it was an unnecessary illegal maneuvre. That said I'd rather they crossed the lines than gave a close pass to stay within the lines.

In my scenario someone's minor rule break got progressively worse as sheep followed the poor example of someone who should know better (Ambulance driver). Being happy with poor driving leaves more people dead in the long run.

There is plenty of us and them, those of us who are safe and considerate on the roads and those that aren't.

Have you ever exceeded 70mph on a motorway?

 

[Alun]

In my scenario someone's minor rule break got progressively worse as sheep followed the poor example of someone who should know better (Ambulance driver). Being happy with poor driving leaves more people dead in the long run.

Are you blaming the ambulance driver for those that followed?
The "sheep" did NOT follow the example of the ambulance driver as he gave you enough room "they" apparently didn't!
If people crossing the double white lines concerns you, then report it to the police!
If you are happy with being given enough space then don't
As a matter of interest, do you hold a full UK driving licence?

 

[Scruffmonster]

There is plenty of us and them, those of us who are safe and considerate on the roads and those that aren't.

Have you ever exceeded 70mph?

 

[gambatte]

Have you ever exceeded 70mph?

I have. Then I got points for exceeding the speed limit in a 40mph area. I attended a speed awareness course.
I don't now.

 

[campbellab]

Are you blaming the ambulance driver for those that followed?
The "sheep" did NOT follow the example of the ambulance driver as he gave you enough room "they" apparently didn't!
If people crossing the double white lines concerns you, then report it to the police!
If you are happy with being given enough space then don't
As a matter of interest, do you hold a full UK driving licence?

If the ambulance driver hadn't overtaken then the other cars definitely wouldn't have passed me, so yes I can safely blame the ambulance driver for an illegal pass which resulted in two other illegal passes. I can also blame those drivers too.

I reported it to my local ambulance trust. I didn't have registrations of cars but remembered partial registration of ambulance.

Yes I hold a full license, and, not that it matters, 10+years do 10k+ a year and have no points, convictions or accidents.

 

[campbellab]

Have you ever exceeded 70mph on a motorway?

Yes I have sped in the past, but drive now to stay within the limits. This argument isn't about me, but why people cross white lines. They are there to indicate a hazard (which may not be obvious). I haven't got any major objections to people crossing white lines in all scenarios but they are often unnecessarily ignored when cyclists are concerned despite the cyclists being well over the 10mph legal limit required to cross them to overtake. Life isn't a rush.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Yes I have sped in the past, but drive now to stay within the limits. This argument isn't about me, but why people cross white lines. They are there to indicate a hazard (which may not be obvious). I haven't got any major objections to people crossing white lines in all scenarios but they are often unnecessarily ignored when cyclists are concerned despite the cyclists being well over the 10mph legal limit required to cross them to overtake. Life isn't a rush.

This is balanced stuff and broadly in line with my thinking.

However, I wonder how many road users know the 'crossing unbroken lines when safe' speed. Until recently I thought it was 15mph.

I asked a few people recently - all upstanding members of society who throw themselves into voluntary work and look out for elderly neighbours. Broadly, law-abiding and kind, responsible people. To a man and woman, all thought you could cross an unbroken line to pass a bicycle. Not most; all.

One might argue that they are wrong and have an incomplete understanding of the law. One would be quite right to say that, but they are representative not only of society but of a caring, socially aware part of society.

Another thought that occurs is that it can be difficult to judge the speed of a vehicle unless one slows to its speed. Motorists rarely do this. They'll swing out and pass before coming down to the speed of the cyclist. You may argue that this is the wrong thing to do, but I do it myself and it is done to me. In most cases it is fine.

I ride between 18 and 25 mph on the narrow A Roads where I live. I doubt very much whether most passing motorists would get within 5-10 mph of my speed if asked to guess it. As a cyclist, I can generally have a good guess, but many people think bicycles do between 10 and 12 mph.

Wrong, but quite understandable.

 

[campbellab]

This is balanced stuff and broadly in line with my thinking.

However, I wonder how many road users know the 'crossing unbroken lines when safe' speed. Until recently I thought it was 15mph.

I asked a few people recently - all upstanding members of society who throw themselves into voluntary work and look out for elderly neighbours. Broadly, law-abiding and kind, responsible people. To a man and woman, all thought you could cross an unbroken line to pass a bicycle. Not most; all.

One might argue that they are wrong and have an incomplete understanding of the law. One would be quite right to say that, but they are representative not only of society but of a caring, socially aware part of society.

Another thought that occurs is that it can be difficult to judge the speed of a vehicle unless one slows to its speed. Motorists rarely do this. They'll swing out and pass before coming down to the speed of the cyclist. You may argue that this is the wrong thing to do, but I do it myself and it is done to me. In most cases it is fine.

I ride between 18 and 25 mph on the narrow A Roads where I live. I doubt very much whether most passing motorists would get within 5-10 mph of my speed if asked to guess it. As a cyclist, I can generally have a good guess, but many people think bicycles do between 10 and 12 mph.

Wrong, but quite understandable.

I agree - I dont find people's personalities correspond well to their personalities and attitudes on the road - and some people turn into monsters!

If you did something every day of your life you'd expect a person to be an expert in that field. Sadly a lot of people drive a car everyday and fall well short of that standard. I dont expect everyone to know every nuance of the highway code and RTA but I guess many would fail the theory test. Theres no continuous education, doctors who make life and death decisions have to do continuous development, but drivers who make life and death decisions dont. The only real thing policing our roads at the moment is the fear of an increasing insurance premium because of points.

I agree it's hard to judge the speed, at 10-20 I'd generally not really bat an eyelid. My experience was doing 30mph with 30mph limit fast approaching - I wouldn't expect to be overtaken in a car in that scenario but on a bike it happens because people have the wrong mentality.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I agree - I dont find people's personalities correspond well to their personalities and attitudes on the road - and some people turn into monsters!

If you did something every day of your life you'd expect a person to be an expert in that field. Sadly a lot of people drive a car everyday and fall well short of that standard. I dont expect everyone to know every nuance of the highway code and RTA but I guess many would fail the theory test. Theres no continuous education, doctors who make life and death decisions have to do continuous development, but drivers who make life and death decisions dont. The only real thing policing our roads at the moment is the fear of an increasing insurance premium because of points.

I agree it's hard to judge the speed, at 10-20 I'd generally not really bat an eyelid. My experience was doing 30mph with 30mph limit fast approaching - I wouldn't expect to be overtaken in a car in that scenario but on a bike it happens because people have the wrong mentality.

There is way too much agreement here for an Internet forum. Nonetheless, I agree broadly with your observations.

I have a favourite stretch of A-Road that goes from NSL to a 30 limit near the top of a steep (35mph on a bike) hill. I am regularly passed by cars who then slam on the anchors as they hit the 30 and who slow me down all the way to the bottom.

It's a little thing, but it can grate on a nice dry day when a bit of descending in on the menu. It is not the sort of road where it would be prudent to pass a car on the offside at 35mph, so I brake and sit a distance behind....

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Why are so many on here Holier than though, Fact 80% of cyclists hold a driving licence (accfording to some mag i read the other night and no it was not Viz, although i did read that hahaha that "Sid the sexist",, and who can ever forget "The Bum Faced Vibrating Goats" ,, and the "Thieving Gypsy Bast**ds" hahaha)
Anyway , 80% can dive , and given a speed limit of 20MPH i doubt many would stick to 20mph or under , more like 23,24mph ,, if i do 30mph in the car (in a 30mph limit) , after a cpl of miles i will have a queue behind me . if i do 34 -35mph i dont so the general motorist does a few mph over the limit, and as ANY cyclist knows if you come up behind a cyclist doing 2mph slower than your pace you will go past them not sit behind them for several miles.

Not saying it is right , just thats the way it is

Haha just remembered Fiffa Bacon in Viz ...top mag,,, well it was 15 years ago before it sold out and became boring.