overtaking on hatched road marking

[Austin]

Lots of roads round here (sunny lancashire] have hatched areas painted on them to either mark out a right turn area or just to separate the traffic and make the road look narrower than it is. What are the laws on riding or overtaking in these areas.

Some are bounded by dashed white lines - so I think they are OK to go in, or cross onto the otherside even. Others though are bounded by solid white lines - so I guess those are out of bounds and shouldn't be crossed - same as a normal solid white line.

I am sure the official answer is "not recommended" as marking out a danger zone. But, what's the law - any traffic cops or barrack room or even real lawers out there?

[miss P]

When I was doing my advanced training the official line (no pun intended) was that you should never cross a solid line but it was ok to cross a dotted line - even if this meant crossing hatchings - as long as it was safe to do so.

That said hatched areas are hatched for a reason, so use your judgement wisely.

[LaughingBob]

When I was doing my advanced training the official line (no pun intended) was that you should never cross a solid line but it was ok to cross a dotted line - even if this meant crossing hatchings - as long as it was safe to do so.

That said hatched areas are hatched for a reason, so use your judgement wisely.

Spot on. Crossing a solid white line (if your caught obviously!) is an FPN(E) 3 points and a £60 fine.

[Whealie]

I think the rule is that even crossing the dotted lined areas you must be clear that it is safe to do so and you can exit at the other end.
I was in my van in static London traffic waiting to get into the right hand lane to turn right. I had my indicator on. When the traffic moved forward I started to pull over - not turning yet, just pulling into the lane marked with a right-hand arrow. I was waiting until after the striped area before pulling over.
Evil Knevil, however, was doing about 40mph up the outside of the traffic across the striped area overtaking me at a right-hand turn junction. He drove into the wing mirror and glanced his left boot against my front wheel arch and veered straight across the road, coming to a stop some 40 or 50 yards up the road on the wrong side (past the right-hand turn). Luckily for him there was nothing coming in the opposite direction (all stopped at a red light) otherwise he'd have been giving the bus driver a blow job by the time he stopped.
As it was his bike was only damaged by his own boot and he had a sore foot. He drove off after we'd exchanged details.
For the record, seven months later, Evil Knevil hired a no-win, no-fee lawyer to try to get £5,000 out of me, claiming it was my fault, the damage to his bike had grown and the list of his injuries ran to several pages.
Luckily I had reported the incident to my insurance company on the day it happened, who had sent a lawyer to take statements and looked at the road layout. When we contested it, he realised that overtaking a car indicating at a right-hand turn when driving through a striped area was, actually, his fault.
So, while it is legal to go through the striped areas with a dotted border - care is needed.
Whealie

[icenian]

while it is legal to go through the striped areas with a dotted border - care is needed

Wise words.

My own rule is never to do this if there's any vehicle around that might reasonably be expected to pull into the lane. So if it's a right turn lane for traffic travelling in your direction, never use the hatched area until the far side of the turn. If it's a right turn for traffic coming towards you, you should be OK if there's no oncoming traffic, but never if there's something coming towards you (lots of drivers use the hatched area before they reach the right turn lane, so in this situation the whole area is dangerous). Naturally, presence or absence of cars' indicators is completely irrelevant

Some years back the law was changed to state (something like) that you shouldn't cross a broken line either, unless it was "necessary" to do so. There was confusion as this seemed to make them the same as solid white lines (which you can still cross if you need to, to avoid an accident to get around an obstruction). Subsequently, after MAG/BMF people questioned this, some "clarification" was offered that if you were making a manouver such as a safe overtake, it would be deemed "necessary" to cross the broken white line and that would be OK (presumably drifting accross the broken line for no good reason would technically be an offence).

Makes it sound like a slightly grey area to me. I wouldn't trust a bike hating copper not to pull you for it. If they ever invent a camera for it you're scr*wed!

[YEN_POWELL]

According to my copy of 'The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002' a hatched marking with a broken line legally means the following.

length of road along which drivers should not overtake by passing through the marking unless it is seen by the driver to be safe to do so.

also
Part of the carriageway which vehicular traffic should not enter unless it is seen by the driver to be safe to do so.

This document was
made 16th December 2002
Laid before Parliament 10th January 2003
Came into force 31st January 2003

Only £40 from HM Stationary Office.

[HelmetHair]

I could be wrong here, but I have a nagging feeling I read that you should not enter a solid hatched area unless it would be dangerous NOT to do so? Or is it my old age playing tricks...

[Whealie]

From the Highway code (http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/10.htm):

109: 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 diagonal stripes and bordered by solid white lines, you should not enter it except in an emergency.
If the area is marked with chevrons and bordered by solid white lines you MUST NOT enter it except in an emergency.
Laws MT(E&W)R regs 5,9,10 & 16, MT(S)R regs 4,8,9 & 14, RTA sect 36 & TSRGD 10(1)

[Austin]

I think there are 4 things emerging here, and only one of them is clear:

1. A solid white line bounding a hatched or chevroned area means it is a no go area, except in an emergency.[this, b the way is the clear one!]

2. If bounded by a dashed white line then you can go into it or even across it, if it is safe and [/u]necessary.

3. Safe is probably reasonably evident although is always a matter of opinion and I guess a traffic cops view of safe would carrv greater weigh t than mine despite the fact that it would be me taking the safe judgement/risk. But what the heck does necessary mean?!!!! I take it filtering to the front of a queue or just overtaking slower traffic wouldn't count.

By the way I haven't got a prosecution pending, I just use the hatched areas to my advantage and wondered if I was breaking the law.

[YEN_POWELL]

Nothing wrong with filtering to the front of a queue on hatching. I design road layouts and if I really don't want people on the hatching, I replace it with a bloody great solid island and foot high trieff kerb.