ADUK Archive

I have recently experienced a number of instances where three lane carriageways have been divided by double white lines into both single and double lanes respectively and the priority has been changed over distance.

Should the vehicles using the double lanes regard the National Speed limit as 70mph or 60mph?

Opinions would be appreciated. Many thanks.

Can you find & provide a Street View link as an example?

I might be misunderstanding your question, but a dual carriageway is nothing to do with number of lanes. It's simply where traffic going in your direction (a carriageway) is separated from opposing traffic by something physical - i.e. more than paint.

So for example...

Not a dual carriageway: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/A31 ... f01b?hl=en

A dual carriageway: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.17292 ... !2e0?hl=en

[color=#0000BF]This link shows a short section on the A303 but there are others with alternating priorities.

Yes, I agree the term dual carriageway is generally interpreted as you indicate but provided the paint is strong enough, isn't it the same thing?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/552183/A303.jpg

No, definitely not.

https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-dr ... 133-to-143

See the piece before 137.

Cheers. That appears to settle it.

Not the view of the 80mph speeders though!

I was equally confused the first time I came across this road type (though the proliferation of speed cameras on the York-Hull road meant I played it safe at 60mph).

Always worth keeping oncoming traffic in mind when you're in the middle of the three lanes. It often changes between solid and broken white line, meaning that oncoming traffic may be using it as their own overtaking lane.

chriskay wrote:

OldenBill wrote: provided the paint is strong enough, isn't it the same thing?

Well, provided the paint is strong enough to physically prevent vehicles moving into an opposing lane...

Armco non-drip gloss. Works like a charm.

triquet wrote:

chriskay wrote:

OldenBill wrote: provided the paint is strong enough, isn't it the same thing?

Well, provided the paint is strong enough to physically prevent vehicles moving into an opposing lane...

Armco non-drip gloss. Works like a charm.

"Stronger than a crash barrier" I believe people say!

true blue wrote:I was equally confused the first time I came across this road type (though the proliferation of speed cameras on the York-Hull road meant I played it safe at 60mph).

Always worth keeping oncoming traffic in mind when you're in the middle of the three lanes. It often changes between solid and broken white line, meaning that oncoming traffic may be using it as their own overtaking lane.

I am old enough to remember the "death trap" three lane carriageways in the 1960s where people overtook in the middle lane from both directions.

I think yours is a very good point, not about speed but about double white lines. I know that the oncoming traffic is required only to overtake when the road is clear but it could be just as serious as the old "death traps".

OldenBill wrote:I am old enough to remember the "death trap" three lane carriageways in the 1960s where people overtook in the middle lane from both directions.

It was such fun back then... and the car rather more slow in acceleration to make safe use of it?

OldenBill wrote:I am old enough to remember the "death trap" three lane carriageways in the 1960s where people overtook in the middle lane from both directions.

Or, as this evidence from 1939 at 48secs shows, overtaking using the far right hand side lane...

http://youtu.be/_D0tR9mAV8A

And some jolly good 1939 tailgating and parades ...

OldenBill wrote:I am old enough to remember the "death trap" three lane carriageways in the 1960s where people overtook in the middle lane from both directions.

Dorset still has stretches of three lane roads. Notably the A35 both East and West of Bridport, and the A37 stretch of the Dorchester by pass which was built in the 1980s, but a stretch of three lane on the A354 between Blandford and Puddletown has now been hatched out.

People from the 30's and 40's were certainly much more willing to overtake than they are now!