South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

Evening all,

Was riding home from work this evening and a thought came to mind. A lot of my commute to work is single carriageway A road. Often, cars will move over to let me overtake.... of course I only do so when it is safe to. But my question is, is this strictly legal and if an unmarked police car or even a marked police car were to spot me doing this, would I get done. Sometimes if i dont feel comfortable to overtake, i wave the car over anyway or take a more central position in the road when they realise.

Cheers,
Nelson

I'll only overtake when I want to, doesn't matter if the car has moved over or not. I've had some Cars move over on bends and all sorts.

So long as you are sensible you should be fine. Personally I wouldn't cross a solid white line no matter what but if a car moved ever to let me pass without crossing the line I might consider it.

The law only says you may neither cross, nor re-cross, a solid white line.

If there is enough room, it is quite legal to pass a vehicle without crossing said line. All usual caveats about overtaking traffic apply - no-one should have to alter course to avoid you, you should not be flying down the outside of a line of traffic at a million miles an hour, etc., etc., .......

Highway code says..........
Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road. You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

perfectly legal if you are confident the car in front has pulled over to make room for you to pass. You still might get grief from other road users who don't know or understand the Highway code though! In which case follow them and kick their mirror off the door and hit them over the head with a copy of the highway code!

Yeah if you can do safely, ie. Have the space. You can overtake if you dont cross the line.

Another interesting one is if you are on a one-way road you can overtake on ether side, and that included motorway slip roads.

Thanks all...... duly noted. I really ought to look at the highway code again..

Nelson

scorcher wrote:follow them and kick their mirror off the door and hit them over the head with a copy of the highway code!

Damn I need to carry one in my pocket at all times for certain road users

switzplaysguitar wrote:

scorcher wrote:follow them and kick their mirror off the door and hit them over the head with a copy of the highway code!

Damn I need to carry one in my pocket at all times for certain road users

agreed! though more so when i was commuting in London. Its not been as bad since moving to Devon.

Alternatively, you could take a slightly different stance ......

Dammit, you're a biker, a devil may care rebel of the road, overtake wherever, whenever, and however you want - sod other motorists, and sod the consequences!!!

Or do what I did and not notice the car coming in the opposite direction.

TLS-Moose wrote:Alternatively, you could take a slightly different stance ......

Dammit, you're a biker, a devil may care rebel of the road, overtake wherever, whenever, and however you want - sod other motorists, and sod the consequences!!!

haha..... ive been called a rebel all my life, but thats cos im a Sri Lankan Tamil! Less of that too here in Devon!!

goatpants wrote:Or do what I did and not notice the car coming in the opposite direction.

That does NOT sound like a good time. What was the outcome... nothing more than an adrenaline rush I hope...

pics on here somewhere.

I overtake cars within the lane and try not to cross a solid line unless I have to but I will not do this when I come to crossing / zig zag lines. I've had many a car pull over to let me by near a crossing and you can see them looking in their mirror wondering why I haven't passed. I've also seen alot of bikes overtaking on a crossing, I just down think it's worth it.

Im a bikers worst nightmare cos i NEVER move in to allow bikes past!!! If its safe to do so then they can filter past me when its safe!! ive lost count the amount of times ive watched cars/vans/truck pull right in against the kerb to allow bikes past!! Unfortunately ive also seen a few near misses as they almost hit a cyclist who is filtering up the inside in slow moving traffic!!

May not be the biker Etiquette to sit in teh middle of my lane but om sure a decent rider can pass when its safe to do so, legally and without csuing a hazard to other road users.