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



## roker (26 Aug 2012)

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


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## Spear (26 Aug 2012)

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.


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## Brendan Burgess (26 Aug 2012)

> you approach a much slower vehicle such as a cyclist



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.


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## roker (26 Aug 2012)

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?


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## lucozade (26 Aug 2012)

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


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## gipimann (26 Aug 2012)

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.


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## ashambles (26 Aug 2012)

> 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).



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.


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## roker (26 Aug 2012)

Looks like the Irish Rules Of The Road are not as clear as the UK rules


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## Brendan Burgess (26 Aug 2012)

> except to ...overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road works
> vehicle moving at not more than 10 mph




So it's ok to overtake a bicycle, unless of course, it's Purple on the saddle?


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## mathepac (26 Aug 2012)

roker said:


> Looks like the Irish Rules Of The Road are not as clear as the UK rules


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.)


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## callybags (27 Aug 2012)

Whilst clearly not an emergency, one could clain that overtaking a tractor was necessary to access the clear road in front.


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## Spear (27 Aug 2012)

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.


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## Purple (27 Aug 2012)

Brendan Burgess said:


> So it's ok to overtake a bicycle, unless of course, it's Purple on the saddle?



Don't bring me into this! (I can do that by myself )


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## Woodie (27 Aug 2012)

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.


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## muchmore (27 Aug 2012)

Yeah, I have heard of Gardai nailing people for crossing continuous white lines to overtake a tractor...


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## night nav (28 Aug 2012)

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


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## Brendan Burgess (28 Aug 2012)

night nav said:


> 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



Can you provide a reference for this?  Rules of the Road? The Road Traffic Act? 

Brendan


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## PaddyBloggit (28 Aug 2012)

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._


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## Brendan Burgess (29 Aug 2012)

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


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## Sandals (29 Aug 2012)

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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## Slim (29 Aug 2012)

I actually heard a Traffic Corp sergeant on local radio say that it was ok to cross the continuous white line to overtake a slow moving vehicle "if it was safe to do so". That was a few years ago and I wish I had a recording of it.


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## night nav (29 Aug 2012)

Brendan Burgess said:


> 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.



I am speaking from a farmer point of view and as a professional driver point of view who drives trucks and hackneys you are obliged to do so as not to hold up emerency vehicles


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## Brendan Burgess (30 Aug 2012)

night nav said:


> 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






> you are obliged to do so as not to hold up emerency vehicles



They are two completely different things. 

We all slow down or  pull in to allow emergency vehicles to pass. 

I don't think that a tractor has to pull in to allow ordinary traffic to pass.


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## PaddyBloggit (30 Aug 2012)

From The Mayo News (7/8/2012):

_"Another recent local court case has also caused debate. Judge Devins was  also presiding. The judge disqualified a Newport farmer, Michael Nevin,  from driving for one year when he failed to pull in to let a backlog of  cars pass his tractor, which he was driving home from Balla Mart. He  was fined on the spot by a Garda, but non-payment of that fine led him  to court, where Judge Devins accused him of ‘arrogance’.
Garda John  Daly told the court that he was stuck behind traffic doing approximately  20km/h on July 18, 2008. Up to 20 vehicles were held up by Mr Nevin, he  said, who had five or six opportunities to pull over but did not. Mr  Nevin told Garda Daly that he had the same right to be on the road as  anyone else._"

Link .


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## PaddyBloggit (30 Aug 2012)

*When are you allowed to cross a continuous white line?*

When are you allowed to cross a continuous white line?


To avoid an obstruction.
When directed to do so.
For access.
Found it here and here.


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