Whether to overtake a slow moving vehicle where there is a continuous white line?

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roker

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You are driving along a road with 80 or 100 km/h speed limit, with a single or double continuous white line down the centre which goes on for a further 3 or 4 kilometres, you approach a much slower vehicle such as a cyclist or tractor.
Would you:
a) Disregard the law and overtake
b) Continue slowly for a further 3 or 4 kilometres until you can overtake
 
A) overtake, with caution. Common sense has got to prevail. However, I don't know how this would play out in court if it went that far. Might depend on the judge on the day.
 
you approach a much slower vehicle such as a cyclist
Click to expand...

I don't think that a continuous white line means that you can't overtake a cyclist? I may be wrong, but I thought it meant that you can't cross the white line. If you can overtake the cyclist safely leaving a good distance between you and the cyclist without crossing the white line, then there is no problem.

In general, you should not overtake a cyclist if you can't see the road ahead. But in most cases, you will get an opportunity to overtake the cyclist very safely within a few minutes.

Overtaking a car is another matter. If it's travelling at 70 in a 100k zone, you should not overtake. If it's doing 20k in a 100k zone, you could overtake in a safe place, but as Spear says, the Garda might not understand that.
 
Exactly the point, but I meant to cross the white line with the cyclist, would you do it if there was a Garda in the queue behind?
 
Yes I would pass the cyclist even if there was a garda in the queue... If it was another car or vehicle I'd sit behind it and wait for the garda's to pull it over for driving to slow :p
 
While preparing for my motorcycle test a couple of years ago, I was doing a pre-test lesson and came upon a tractor moving slowly on the road ahead of me. There was a solid white line in the middle of the road.

The instructor said that I could overtake it and cross the white line, even though the road marking generally indicates otherwise, once it was safe to do so. He said that if the same incident occurred during the test, I should do the same.
 
Viewed in the direction of travel, if the line closest to you
is continuous, you must not cross or straddle it (except to turn
into or out of a side road or property, avoid a stationary vehicle
blocking the lane, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road works
vehicle moving at not more than 10 mph).
Click to expand...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consu.../@travel/documents/digitalasset/dg_192269.pdf

That's the case in the UK . I'm fairly sure that I saw a similar line in an Irish rules of the road at one stage, and in any case much of our rules just copy the UK system.

If you take it to an extreme and imagine a fallen tree was blocking one side of the road, clearly the Gardai would expect traffic to cautiously take steps to get around the obstacle.

But a Garda will interpret rules and individual situations in his or her own way. So be wary.
 
Looks like the Irish Rules Of The Road are not as clear as the UK rules
 
roker said:
Looks like the Irish Rules Of The Road are not as clear as the UK rules
Click to expand...
They are very simple and crystal clear IMHO.

"Single or double continuous white lines along the centre of the road: All traffic must keep to the left of the line (except in an emergency or for access)"

(Colour & bolding as per original, Page 60 ROTR.)
 
Whilst clearly not an emergency, one could clain that overtaking a tractor was necessary to access the clear road in front. :)
 
I have checked it with a good authority who has said that a slow cyclist or tractor are considered hazards, so if it's safe, it's ok to overtake.
 
Friend of mine was done by a Garda for drifting fractionally over a white line in exactly these circumstances. The vehicle in question was actually a hazzard but there was no reasoning with the Guard.
 
Yeah, I have heard of Gardai nailing people for crossing continuous white lines to overtake a tractor...
 
I think the cyclist or tractor are suppose to pull in where it is safe to do so or they can be done for driving without due attention
 
From the pg. 176 re. tractors:

A tractor used in a public place must obey the laws governing road traffic.
If you are driving a tractor, you should keep left to let faster traffic pass. Your
driving mirror must provide an adequate view of the road to the back.
Do not carry a passenger unless the tractor is equipped to carry one.
 
Thanks Paddy

I would not interpret "Keeping leftt" as being "supposed to pull in..."

Most tractor journeys are short. When they are pulling large loads long distances, they are generally aware of holding up traffic and do pull into the hard shoulder so as not to cause traffic queues behind them. I doubt if they are obliged to do so.

brendan
 
My husband under the 50 speed limit, overtook a tractor just at the end our small local town, on entering the next town, a gardai car from behind, sirens and flashing lights overtook him, while second garda signalling him to pull in, forcing us to mount the footpath. We nearly died, fined for crossing continuous white line €80 and 2 penalty points (still active). The gardai did a full check of car and even checked the kids carseat and boosters.
 
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