Solid white line rules - Overtaking

andy2k

andy2k

andy2k

Associate
Joined
15 Jun 2005
Posts
610
Location
Swindon, UK
Ok, today i was driving along a road in somerset, a 60 mph limit, and i have a vectra infront of me, and a limo infront of him. Traveling around 45mph.

So i went to overtake as the road was clear, and just before i pulled back infront of the limo 'apparently' i was on the opersite side of the road when the road markings became double solid lines. Even though im sure i was back on my side before they started.

There were no signs warning you the lines were going to appear they just did, and in the dark on an unknown road i dont see how i would have known they would change, apparently i was over the wrong side for 100 yards before pulling in.

I've been offered fixed penatly 3 points £60, but im certain i was innocent. They have no video evidence just two officers opinion who were in the car behind the limo, so i would say not completely inview of the road markings in my position.

Any idea if i can get jusice on this, as i did not commit an offence and i find it ridiculous.

Thanks for taking your time to read this.
 
unlucky!

whats the reg of the unmarked car and some more details please, might help others in that region ;]
 
can't remember the reg, it was an old shaped saloon vectra in silver, with two blue lights on the bottom of the windscreen. Think it was on a T plate.
 
You arent going to get away with it, video evidence or not. 2 police officers views is as good as video in a court of law. Take it on the chin imo
 
If you used the "I couldn't see that the line went solid up ahead" defence then they'll just come straight back with the "well if you couldn't see that far up the road wtf where you doing overtaking?".

I know you can see oncoming cars via their headlights but the fact remains that, by using the above defence, you're effectively admitting to "driving into the unknown" which won't go down well.

Also, why did the lines turn solid? Usually this happens because a bend or blind crest is approaching and you shouldn't be overtaking. Even if you claim you didn't see the lines go solid, you should have seen the approaching bend and they can simply claim you were on the wrong side of the road far too close to the bend or crest which was dangerous.

You aren't going to win this, take the points tbh.
 
The solid white line - did it apply to the otherside of the road as well, or did they still have normal hazard lines? If they did, then technically you didn't cross a solid white line at any time!
 
Were you not the one who got caught driving without insurance too? :D bad luck punk!

Here, I would admit it straight away and take the small fine. My fiances brother was accused of doing the same thing by "one" officer of patrol, with no evidence. He denied it and it went court where he lost. £60 fine to £400 :eek: + the points
 
Thanks for all your replys. there was no throwback arrow before the solid line. Just went solid with no warning.

A light crest and bend in the road, but i knew there was nothing dangourous in this manovour. I was back on the correct side, before the being close to the bend.
 
You can't argue with undercover coppers - they are traffic police and the courts will trust their judgement.
 
andy2k said:
Thanks for all your replys. there was no throwback arrow before the solid line. Just went solid with no warning.

A light crest and bend in the road, but i knew there was nothing dangourous in this manovour. I was back on the correct side, before the being close to the bend.
Click to expand...

Take phots and you will be in the clear, I suspect that they were there and that's why plod was taking his time.
 
andy2k said:
...but i knew there was nothing dangourous in this manovour. I was back on the correct side, before the being close to the bend.
Click to expand...

Thus speaks the voice of inexperience.

Andy, I'm not having a go - I've done a few seriously dodgy overtaking manoeuvres myself, one of which went wrong, and very nearly horribly wrong - but I knew they weren't dangerous at the time... :)

The fact that you didn't see the double whites coming speaks volumes. I'd put money on there being at least one warning arrow telling you get back over and you just didn't see it because you were focused on the overtake.

Take the points and the fine. Live & learn.

When things go wrong on the road, they go wrong quicker than you could possibly believe.

Hav
 
andy2k said:
Thanks for all your replys. there was no throwback arrow before the solid line. Just went solid with no warning.

A light crest and bend in the road, but i knew there was nothing dangourous in this manovour. I was back on the correct side, before the being close to the bend.
Click to expand...
Sorry but something doesn't add up here. Was there genuinely no throwback arrow before the line went solid? Can't believe they'd have missed painting such arrows but then I spose it's possible.

More of a concern is that you claim you were back on the correct side of the road before the upcoming bend became a hazard. By whose judgement? Surely the central line became solid at a point where they considered you should no longer be on the wrong side as it was too close to the bend. Yes, you may have been in a more powerful car which could have completed the manouvre in safety even after the solid line had started but I suspect you'd have had to exceed the posted limit by quite a margin to do this as a 15mph differential isn't much.
 
Am I right to assume if you got caught without insurance that an extra 3 points will cause you to lose your licence?

Never overtake a car with extra aerials...

EDIT > Just seen you got a SPD in court by looking over a past thread. In that case just take the 3 points. You were lucky they didn't give a Careless driving charge.
 
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