A residential street has a single continuous yellow line running along the kerb edge, but you cannot see a time-plate from where you are sitting in your car. What can you conclude about waiting restrictions on this line, and what should you do if you want to park here?
- Single yellow lines never carry any waiting restriction; they are purely decorative kerb markings
- A single yellow line means waiting is restricted only at certain times, so you should look for and check the nearby time-plate before stopping
- A single yellow line has exactly the same meaning as a double yellow line — no waiting at any time
- A single yellow line only restricts loading and unloading, never general waiting or parking
Why B? And why not the others?
Correct answer: B. A single yellow line means waiting is restricted only at certain times, so you should look for and check the nearby time-plate before stopping
A single continuous yellow line indicates that waiting is restricted, but only during the times shown on a nearby plate, which varies by street and local authority, so a driver who cannot see the plate from where they are sitting must get out or move closer to check it before deciding to stop. Calling single yellow lines purely decorative is wrong because they do carry a real, enforceable restriction; the marking would not appear on a street with no restriction at all. Treating a single yellow line as identical to a double yellow line is also wrong, since double yellow lines mean no waiting applies at any time with no need to check a plate, which is a stricter and simpler rule than the time-limited restriction of a single line. Limiting the restriction to loading and unloading is incorrect too, since loading restrictions are shown by their own separate yellow kerb markings and plates; a single continuous yellow line along the kerb concerns general waiting, not loading specifically.
Source: The Highway Code: Road markings — yellow lines along the edge of the carriageway (GOV.UK)