Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

AdelaidePeter
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Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby AdelaidePeter » Mon Sep 24, 2018 3:16 pm

The news.com.au article "The double dividing line rule many Aussie drivers are getting wrong" https://www.news.com.au/technology/inno ... 3ea99348a0
news.com.au wrote: Under NSW road rules, you can cross a dividing line to enter or leave a property or road “by the shortest route”.

For example, it is legal to turn right over dividing lines when coming out of a petrol station or shopping centre, unless there is a sign specifically stating you can’t.

This rule applies to both double and single unbroken road markings.
(My emphasis).

My reading of the ARRs 132 and 134 - and yes, I checked the NSW versions here https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/vi ... 2/rule.132 - is that the news.com.au article is wrong; you can cross a single solid line but not a double solid line. Can someone else confirm that I am not (or am!) losing my mind?

AdelaidePeter
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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby AdelaidePeter » Mon Sep 24, 2018 5:48 pm

OK I see, there is an additional, NSW-only rule, 134(3-1).

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AUbicycles
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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby AUbicycles » Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:39 pm

The silly thing about Australia is that each state has different road rules. Many are similar but the differences do create a headache...

I would be more familiar with the NSW laws which allows a motorist to cross over unbroken lines (double or single) when it is safe.
Cycling is in my BNA

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biker jk
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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby biker jk » Wed Sep 26, 2018 6:30 pm

AUbicycles wrote:
I would be more familiar with the NSW laws which allows a motorist to cross over unbroken lines (double or single) when it is safe.
Only when passing a cyclist, entering or leaving a property by the shortest route.

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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby Jmuzz » Thu Sep 27, 2018 6:43 pm

biker jk wrote: Only when passing a cyclist, entering or leaving a property by the shortest route.
It's entering or leaving the road, not exclusive to a property.
(3–1) Without limiting subrule (2) or (3), a driver on a road with a dividing line (whether or not continuous) may drive to the right of the dividing line to enter or leave the road by the shortest practicable route.
You can also cross to pass an obstruction.
Which is a grey area for interpretation. They do say that a slower vehicle isn't always an obstruction, but also sort of implies that at some unspecified slowness it is.

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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby Scintilla » Fri Oct 12, 2018 12:12 pm

Victorian Road Rules - rule 134

"(3) If the dividing line is a single continuous or broken dividing line, or a broken dividing line to the left or right of a single continuous dividing line, or 2 parallel broken dividing lines, the driver may drive to the right of the dividing line—

(a) to enter or leave the road; or

(b) to enter a part of the road of one kind from a part of the road of another kind (for example, moving to or from a service road or emergency stopping lane); or

(c) to park in angle parking on the opposite side of the road provided that the driver does not need to perform a U-turn to reach the parking area."

Entering or leaving the road (even a right turn) across double-lines is legal in Victoria.

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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby Scintilla » Fri Oct 12, 2018 12:14 pm

Jmuzz wrote:
biker jk wrote: You can also cross to pass an obstruction.
Which is a grey area for interpretation. They do say that a slower vehicle isn't always an obstruction, but also sort of implies that at some unspecified slowness it is.
"Unreasonably slowly"

A bicycle being ridden at 10 kmh, or even less, will never be judged to be unreasonably slow. A bicycle proceeding along the road is "not blocking traffic; it IS traffic"

AdelaidePeter
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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby AdelaidePeter » Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:31 pm

Scintilla wrote:Victorian Road Rules - rule 134

"(3) If the dividing line is a single continuous or broken dividing line, or a broken dividing line to the left or right of a single continuous dividing line, or 2 parallel broken dividing lines, the driver may drive to the right of the dividing line—

(a) to enter or leave the road; or

(b) to enter a part of the road of one kind from a part of the road of another kind (for example, moving to or from a service road or emergency stopping lane); or

(c) to park in angle parking on the opposite side of the road provided that the driver does not need to perform a U-turn to reach the parking area."

Entering or leaving the road (even a right turn) across double-lines is legal in Victoria.
Is it? I don't see any allowance for crossing 2 parallel continuous lines there. It's allowed in NSW because they have an extra rule, 134(3-1).

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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby AdelaidePeter » Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:37 pm

Scintilla wrote:
Jmuzz wrote:
biker jk wrote: You can also cross to pass an obstruction.
Which is a grey area for interpretation. They do say that a slower vehicle isn't always an obstruction, but also sort of implies that at some unspecified slowness it is.
"Unreasonably slowly"

A bicycle being ridden at 10 kmh, or even less, will never be judged to be unreasonably slow. A bicycle proceeding along the road is "not blocking traffic; it IS traffic"
Yes; "obstruction" is defined in the ARR dictionary, at least in the SA version: "obstruction includes a traffic hazard, but does not include a vehicle only because the vehicle is stopped in traffic or is travelling more slowly than other vehicles." So by my reading, bicycles (and other slow moving vehicles) are not obstructions.

However some states have added a specific exemption for passing bicycles (which I'm not 100% sold on, to be honest).

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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby Scintilla » Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:22 pm

AdelaidePeter wrote:However some states have added a specific exemption for passing bicycles (which I'm not 100% sold on, to be honest).
Every state except Victoria it is the case now. The drivers do it regardless in Victoria anyway, and the exemption is only "when safe".

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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby WMH » Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:27 am

This is a real safety issue in NSW ever since the law was changed to allow drivers to overtake cyclists across double white lines. I was traveling along Harris Street, Ultimo and in the process of turning right into Thomas Street when a car came up behind me and overtook on the right, almost hitting me. I had indicated my intention just before but had at that moment both hands on the handlebars to get maximum acceleration as the road is up hill at that point.

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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby mikesbytes » Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:54 am

WMH wrote:This is a real safety issue in NSW ever since the law was changed to allow drivers to overtake cyclists across double white lines. I was traveling along Harris Street, Ultimo and in the process of turning right into Thomas Street when a car came up behind me and overtook on the right, almost hitting me. I had indicated my intention just before but had at that moment both hands on the handlebars to get maximum acceleration as the road is up hill at that point.
If you have it on camera then I'd suggest submitting it
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Not about cycling, but a safety issue about double white lines

Postby human909 » Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:18 am

WMH wrote:This is a real safety issue in NSW ever since the law was changed to allow drivers to overtake cyclists across double white lines.
This safety issue exists in most situations even without the law change.

Like most cycling safety issues it stems from complete incomprehension of why cyclists might be behaving in a certain way, often accompanied by deliberate disregard for the safety of the cyclist.

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