Overtaking a cyclist as a driver - what would you do

[gaz]

wierd.


that isn't what the highway code says , (though I suppose I better checkout rule129 )
165
You MUST NOT overtake

• if you would have to cross or straddle double white lines with a solid line nearest to you (but see Rule 129)

It doesn't state that it's ok to overtake with in the White lines though does it?

 

[davefb]

It doesn't state that it's ok to overtake with in the White lines though does it?

it says earlier its okay to overtake...

then says you must not cross or straddle the lines.

whats interesting is that theres loads of 'opinion' from the motorbiking community about this.. then a few bikers who've been done for overtaking... just seems amazing there's nothing clear, when the HC makes a statement about it, yet other police seem to have another opinion..


I'm also *sure* i recall this from driving lessons that I would not get the answer correct if i said 'no overtaking' ... IE white lines do not mean that , they mean 'do not cross' ...

 

[BSRU]

I always just remember that they do not paint double solid white lines on a road for fun.
It means overtaking on that stretch of road is too dangerous, normally due to bends, brow of a hill etc and the closing speed of two vehicles could be 120mph or about 54 metres per second.

 

[Bicycle]

I would overtake with caution. There are plenty of variables, but as a rule I would look for the opportunity to pass if I thought it safe.

I would do so at 15, 20... maybe even 25 if the speed limit was significantly higher. It's never happened to me, but I might consider it at 30.... although bikes can whip around a little on the road at higher speeds.

It's a tough one.

As a cyclist (in small country lanes) I am aware that I sometimes hold up motor vehicles. I hate it when I 'grow a tail'.

If I'm 'doing a time' I tend towards the selfish, but if I'm just on my way somewhere, I often do the 'slow tractor' thing, pull in somewhere and wave my slow-moving entourage past.

When I do this it is always greeted with thanks from drivers. I know it isn't a requirement, but it seems like good manners and costs me no time.

Drivers seem to appreciate it.

 

[xpc316e]

wierd.


that isn't what the highway code says , (though I suppose I better checkout rule129 )
165
You MUST NOT overtake

• if you would have to cross or straddle double white lines with a solid line nearest to you (but see Rule 129)

The Highway Code is not law, merely good advice, and I do not know the exact wording of the offence here. I do suspect that it is not legal to overtake even if one does not cross/straddle the solid white line nearest to you. Solid white lines in the centre of the road can only be used when the road concerned is above a certain width. If the road is narrower than that width (and I do not remember precisely what the dimension is) then the 'No Overtaking' signs (white circle, red border, black car on left, red car on right) are used. They are designed to have the same effect as solid white lines, so I presume that the motorcyclist who was prosecuted was correctly dealt with.

 

[daSmirnov]

My commute goes over a few hundred metres of double white lines. Over a brow of a hill, and a slight bend. Despite the fact I do 16mph while travelling west up an incline drivers are all over the place trying to overtake me, nobody waits behind. Even right at the brow of the hill. It really irritates me, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I get unlucky and another car comes over the hill and the overtaking car swerves back into me and takes me out. Would love to have you driving behind me.

But then on the way back when I can be doing 25-30mph down it, they're still trying to get past despite the limit being 30, heck even when I'm indicating right for the roundabout, 30 metres away in primary some people still try the overtake.

 

[davefb]

The Highway Code is not law, merely good advice, and I do not know the exact wording of the offence here. I do suspect that it is not legal to overtake even if one does not cross/straddle the solid white line nearest to you. Solid white lines in the centre of the road can only be used when the road concerned is above a certain width. If the road is narrower than that width (and I do not remember precisely what the dimension is) then the 'No Overtaking' signs (white circle, red border, black car on left, red car on right) are used. They are designed to have the same effect as solid white lines, so I presume that the motorcyclist who was prosecuted was correctly dealt with.

thats true ( though i thought MUST NOT means it isnt advice but you MUST NOT )

the law basically then says 'you must obey the road marking', but the road marking of a white line is this..

http://www.legislati...ulation/26/made

the wording there is 'make sure the white line, is on your RIGHT... again nothing about 'dont overtake' ( the exemptions are listed as well...)

[edit]

in fact, if it DID mean 'no overtaking' then why would there have to be a 'no overtaking' sign... it doesn't , it means 'DO NOT CROSS THIS WHITE LINE'.... surely ?

 

[Bicycle]

But then on the way back when I can be doing 25-30mph down it, they're still trying to get past despite the limit being 30, heck even when I'm indicating right for the roundabout, 30 metres away in primary some people still try the overtake.

I recognise this one very well.

One of my rides comes back into my town on a steep, twisting NSL descent that I cover at between 30 and 38 mph.

Cars can only pass with difficulty. Lots of solid whites and lots of curves.

The limit then drops to 30 and the road straightens as it enters my town. Cars whip past me after I enter the 30 and as I slow to nearer 30 myself.

I can't get cross about it as I'm sure I've done worse in the past myself..... but it is odd.

What does intrigue me is the way some drivers wheelsuck me at over 30 mph on that drop into my town.... Don't they know they derive little speed advantage doing that when descending?

They'd go just as fast if they got into a nice tuck and hung back a little. It's the corners that limit bike speed, not aero drag... there's no need for a car to draft me at all there...

 

[Seigi]

They would probably overtake the cyclist doing 30mph.

They would probably overtake a cyclist doing 60mph (how they got to this speed, don't ask!) just to be spiteful.

 

[Matthew_T]

If I'm 'doing a time' I tend towards the selfish, but if I'm just on my way somewhere, I often do the 'slow tractor' thing, pull in somewhere and wave my slow-moving entourage past.

When I do this it is always greeted with thanks from drivers. I know it isn't a requirement, but it seems like good manners and costs me no time.

Drivers seem to appreciate it.

Whenever I see a gap in the oncoming traffic, I always wave through drivers who I can see arent going to bother overtaking. When I do so, I normally go a little bit closer to the kerb and they give me a friendly smile or thumbs up as they pass. On country roads, I dont normally hold people up as they work out exactly what speed to go so that they can pass me themselves in a gap of traffic.

I normally hold people up on town roads (because I have to take primary), but this is only for a short while. I never understand why drivers get so frustrated when at the next set of traffic lights, I am going to filter past them and give them the Devils Eye.

 

[teletext45]

what do you do when your happily coasting down the road in the car and some kids decide to join the road from the pavement without looking behind them, then weaving all over the road with no idea your behind them.


I pride myself on being a safe rider but there are some utter complete morons who give all of us good cyclists a bad name....


grrrr

rant over!

andy

 

[benb]

Well, seeing as at 15mph, that ¼mile will take 1 minute to do, I would wait until the broken lines. What's a minute here or there?

 

[Davidc]

A former colleague of mine got 3 penalty points for overtaking a moped without crossing the double white lines. Lost him his licence (over 12 points total) and he lost his job. 60 limit and the police said the moped was doing 35.

In a sensible world he wouldn't have been given a driving licence in the first place but that's another issue.

My policy is only to overtake cyclists if I can give them enough room to fall off without me hitting them, and to hell with anyone who's behind and doesn't like it. Same applies to motorised 2 wheel transport as well. Most times you only end up (after passing the cyclist) catching up with the car that was previously in front, so no time lost, and in towns the cyclist usually goes back past you at the next lights!

 

[Matthew_T]

Well, seeing as at 15mph, that ¼mile will take 1 minute to do, I would wait until the broken lines. What's a minute here or there?

But its a minute of an irrate drivers life!

 

[Matthew_T]

I beleive that there are two types of cyclists: ones who are professional (ride in straight lines, indicate, are polite to other road users) and ones who, in my mind, arent proper cyclists (ride on the pavement, swerve on the road, dont wear a helmet, flip people off, etc).