You are driving on a road with double white lines in the centre; the line nearest to your side is solid and the line on the other side is broken. Ahead, a cyclist is riding at a slow, steady pace of around 8 mph, and the road beyond is clear and safe to use. What does Rule 129 allow you to do?
- Cross the solid line to overtake the cyclist, because Rule 129 specifically allows crossing a solid line nearest you to pass a pedal cycle moving at 10 mph or less, when it is safe to do so
- You must not cross the solid line under any circumstances, no matter what is being overtaken, until it becomes a broken line
- You may only cross the solid line to overtake motor vehicles, not pedal cycles or horses
- Crossing the solid line is allowed only if you first activate your hazard warning lights to alert oncoming traffic
Why A? And why not the others?
Correct answer: A. Cross the solid line to overtake the cyclist, because Rule 129 specifically allows crossing a solid line nearest you to pass a pedal cycle moving at 10 mph or less, when it is safe to do so
Rule 129 states that a solid line nearest to a driver must not be crossed or straddled unless it is safe to do so and one of a limited set of recognised exceptions applies; those exceptions include entering adjoining premises or a side road, passing a stationary vehicle, and overtaking a pedal cycle, horse, or slow road maintenance vehicle travelling at 10 mph or less. Since the cyclist here is moving at roughly 8 mph and the road ahead is clear, crossing to overtake fits squarely within that exception. Claiming the line can never be crossed regardless of what is being overtaken ignores these recognised exceptions entirely. Restricting the exception to overtaking motor vehicles gets the rule backwards, since the specific carve-out exists for slow pedal cycles, horses, and maintenance vehicles, not for overtaking other motor traffic. Requiring hazard lights before crossing is also incorrect, since Rule 129 conditions the manoeuvre on it being safe to perform, not on activating hazard warning lights, which are not a legal precondition for this manoeuvre.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 129 (double white lines, GOV.UK)