Straddling white lines

[touch]

I always straddle the middle of the road on B roads when its dark. Its nothing to do with potholes or getting a smoother ride, it just gives you a lot more time to react when various deer, rabbits, foxes, badgers and pheasants jump out in front of you.

(obviously i dont go round corners in the middle of the road tho)

 

[whitecrook]

TBH, I would have questioned your old man as to why he thinks you should have been in your lane at all times? Why? What difference does it make what lane you are in if there are no cars around?

 

[Clarkey]

From the highway code:

ok, proven wrong. Anyway, what kind of country lane is wide enough to have double white lines on bends anyway, certainly none around here.

 

[Sp00n]

I cut visible corners but i certainly dont straddle the middle of the road.

 

[Ed]

what kind of country lane is wide enough to have double white lines on bends anyway

I think the definition is being crossed to suit respective arguments. Some country A and B roads are quite narrow, relatively speaking. Country roads that are unmarked I tend to define as 'lanes'. I think this needs to be better clarified when arguments in this thread are put forward as it's too easy to distort the context.

Anyway, all this devils advocate work is thirsty. I'm opening a bottle of rioja.

 

[div0]

I can't think of many occasions where I would straddle 'clearly marked lanes', such as a major A road - but having spent a lot of my time up north, where there are tons of B roads and smaller A roads, then I would regularly drive towards the centre of the road, especially at night.

Doing so avoids the worst of the pot holes, also avoids many potential hazards such a puddles at the side of the road. and as someone else has said, it takes you slightly further away from any animals that are in and around the hedgeways that tend to run alongside such roads.

 

[Begbie]

I do the same, espically on tight B roads. Makes it more comfortable and less wear and tear on the car. Don't deem it unsafe as always take blind corners and hidden dips as far in on the left as possible.

 

[DannyDan]

I do it on country roads that I know (so I know where the side roads etc. are). Wouldn't do it over a solid white line though.

 

[NathanE]

If it's a normal sized A road with clearly defined road markings and cats eyes and you have little other reason to go in the middle of the road then TBH you look like a *** doing it. And will probably get pulled by the cops before long...

If it's a back road with little to no road makings then it's fine and it is actually safer. If a fox or deer jumps out you have 2 options on which way to swerve (if you have enough time to do so anyway). Whereas if you weren't in the middle you only have one way to swerve and potentially a reduced time to react.

 

[Dogbreath]

That's ridiculous. Of course it's not. Most accidents happen at junctions.

So positioning yourself on the road to be able to see as far ahead as possible, without endangering other road users would seem to be a sensible thing to do, yes?

Define 'properly'.

-adjective

• adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstances; fit; suitable:
• correctly, or in a satisfactory way:

 

[Tony Williams]

If I'm overtaking parked cars I usually straddle rather than goto the right hand lane apart from that I don't straddle.

 

[JRS]

A444. From Burton towards Nuneaton, heading to Coventry (you hit the A5, then the M69, then head into Coventry from the Wyken end). I tend to use *all* of the road on that run, for a few reasons:

1) It's usually veeeeeeeeery early morning, so there's no bugger around.
2) The road is in a slightly poor state of repair on the standard driving line, given that no-one in authority actually knows that road still exists.
3) It's bloody good fun.

And 3) holds true in both of my cars - in the Seicento I can drive at the absolute limits of the car if I have all of the road and still be well within both the actual and sensible speed limits of the road. In the Olds, the run is far too enjoyable to be legal if I can get up to the speed limit - and I need all of the road to do that. That might just be me who thinks that hurling 5000lb of Detroit scrap down a road like that is fun, of course....

 

[NickXX]

I couldn't give a hoot. I've found my own method of driving, which is not only more comfortable, but safer too.

You highway code waving choads can stick firmly to the left - makes it easier for me anyway

 

[Scania]

That might just be me who thinks that hurling 5000lb of Detroit scrap down a road like that is fun, of course....

Almost as much fun as 44,000kg's of articulated truck.

I do it too whenever visibility allows.




It makes things a lot smoother if you have to turn less for corners and can increase visibility.

Absolutely.

Use as much road as you want, subject to conditions.

 

[Ed]

So positioning yourself on the road to be able to see as far ahead as possible, without endangering other road users would seem to be a sensible thing to do, yes?

Of course it is. I haven't posted otherwise.

-adjective

• adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstances; fit; suitable:
• correctly, or in a satisfactory way:

Comedy genius.