Double Yellow Everywhere!

[StuGotz]

Not sure how this trend got started, maybe others can fill me in on how the process happens...what dictates a change to a roadway

from broken yellow to double yellow? An otherwise smoothly flowing roadway becomes a cage choked nightmare.

 

Seems more and more my ability to position myself from vehicles and pass them is being curtailed. I find myself "following the leader" all too often. I also find myself breaking the law more these days.

 

Fill me in. These two lane roads I once loved are gone. I have to ride out of state to find them now. My Friday commute to the cabin in the Sierra's from the Bay Area is NOW a joke.

 

Bitch-moan-groan...

 

MB>

[DaveTheAffable]

I live in California too. I have seen this also. I believe many of these roads are being 'double yellowed' without traffic surveys being done, just because it is percieved as a good thing.

 

"Double Yellow lines are good for you. They may slow traffic ultimately, but that is good for you. Speed kills. If you pass, you will go faster. The less passing allowed on state roadways, the fewer "passing-related" accidents we will have. Your government wants to take care of you."

 

(mini-rant on.... A certain leader in New York wants to control how much soda you can order. He has decided soda is bad for you. But that did not stop him from attending a 'hot-dog' eating contest and celebrating with participants who gorged themselves with 30, 40, 50, even 60 hot dogs. He also helped the city celebrate 'donut day'. Mini-rant off)

 

[CVA-42]

I don't get it, either. In the mountains of North Georgia, I will sometimes see a double-yellow stretch that can easily justify (in my untrained view anyway) broken yellow, even for cars as opposed to bikes. Then I'll see a stretch of broken yellow where I wouldn't try for a pass in a car and maybe not even on a bike.

[Quinn]

I would just guess sight distance, speed limit, traffic load, number of accidents, number of driveways/population are factors for determining double or single lines. Maybe there are new guidelines with the increase of puny cars instead of pony cars.

 

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[enfoman]

You can always relocate to Vt where it is always legal to pass on the double yellow IF it is safe to do so! I believe it is a carry over law from when many farm vehicles were on the road. They still are today and it is very nice to do this in Vt. Most cagers there are very nice to the riders, they ride the shoulder and actually allow bikes to pass them!

[blackyam]

I would just guess sight distance, speed limit, traffic load, number of accidents, number of driveways/population are factors for determining double or single lines. Maybe there are new guidelines with the increase of puny cars instead of pony cars.

 

Hi. I get that. But when a road used to allow passing, gets repaved, and then is restriped double yellow ... annoying! A stretch of Hwy 65 in Ca comes to mind. And this does seem to be happening in more places. Really annoying.

 

---John.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

It is usually the least common denominator factor that drives the change. In other words, the road is designed to accommodate only the dumbest driver.

[Paul Mihalka]

I guess it's everywhere. A 10 mile stretch of road between home and work had 3 passing zones when I first used it. In about 10 years it had 3 repaints. At every repaint they took away one of the passing zones. Now there is none. By my gut estimate traffic density is the same as ten years ago and there is no new housing. At least I know if there is a slow one in front of me where I can pass if nobody coming opposite. Dear officers, please don't swear at me!

[Bill_Walker]

I would take a look at the rate of head-on collisions on the roads in question. I would think that a high rate might be used to justify removal of passing zones. Gotta remember the big picture: when we're too cheap to provide (or too obsessed with some vague notion of "freedom" to require) adequate driver training, we ALL pay for the resulting mistakes.

[Stan Walker]

Keep in mind paint is cheap, lawsuits not so much.

 

Stan

[Paul Mihalka]

Minor hijack: A big to West Virginia. They really seem to have passing zones everywhere where it is possible.

[EddyQ]

The cagers trend up in the NE is to totally ignore the lines, signs and especially the motorcycle coming up on blind turns.

 

Yeh, it wakes you up on that morning commute when a pickup comes around a blind turn in your lane across the solid line.

 

Sure, this is a different topic, but it keeps my speed down and passing is something that just doesn't happen all that much.

[TyTass]

Minor hijack: A big to West Virginia. They really seem to have passing zones everywhere where it is possible.

I don't remember where I read it, Paul, but in researching roads for RCR routes I stumbled across a report that (I believe I remember correctly) was tied to the WVDOT site discussing this very subject. Their reasoning for so many passing zones was the wide variety of vehicle classes using the same roadways, as well as a wide variety of conditions those vehicles might drive it (weather, heavy loads, etc.).

 

I would think that because of the relatively light traffic density they feel they can accommodate many (if not all).

[upflying]

The "new" Vasco Rd, south of Antioch is all double yellow with raised delineation markers. Old Vasco road used to be broken white lines.

Every fatal accident always results in lawsuit against the State of Ca for faulty roadway design.

Ca is tired of the suits and says "screw the drivers..no passing anywhere".

[Dave39]

It's happened out here where I live too on CA State Highway 160, one mile straight stretches have become double yellow over the last year. There's been no head-ons in the last 27 years I've lived out here.

[Glenn Reed]

Minor hijack: A big to West Virginia. They really seem to have passing zones everywhere where it is possible.

 

They start them early too. When I was coming around corners out there, I knew I was getting to the straight bits before I saw them, because the lines would change to allow passing before the corner even ended! I didn't make use of this for passing, but for info about the unfamiliar roads, and it made it much more enjoyable.

[Mister Tee]

It's happened out here where I live too on CA State Highway 160, one mile straight stretches have become double yellow over the last year. There's been no head-ons in the last 27 years I've lived out here.

 

It's very aggravating. I don't even ride that road anymore.

[Dave_zoom_zoom]

You can always relocate to Vt where it is always legal to pass on the double yellow IF it is safe to do so! I believe it is a carry over law from when many farm vehicles were on the road. They still are today and it is very nice to do this in Vt. Most cagers there are very nice to the riders, they ride the shoulder and actually allow bikes to pass them!

 

 

Lets all give a great big cheer for Vt. :clap:

 

Dave

[BailyD]

Since we are talking about passing, does anyone know the amount of speed you can use in excess of the limit in order to pass?

[Mister Tee]

Since we are talking about passing, does anyone know the amount of speed you can use in excess of the limit in order to pass?

 

Depending on your bike, posted speed limit and roadway conditions, you can use up to about 100 mph in excess of the speed limit in order to pass.

 

But in most States, you may not.

 

But to answer your question, it would depend on whether your State has Prima Facia speed limits. California for example has two types of speed limits, maximum speed limits, which are absolute, and prima facia limits, which are not. Say you are in a posted 45 mph limit on a two lane road, you can exceed 45 mph without violating California's basic speed law (CVC 22350.) Just how much is not absolute. Should you be ticketed for a violation of the basic speed law in a prima facia zone, if you can determine that you have not exceeded the design speed of the segment of roadway in question (obtainable from the State/County road department's traffic engineering report) for the roadway conditions present, then you can be found not in violation.

 

That isn't specific to passing. I don't know of any States that have a specific passing speed allowance. You would have to research your New Jersey vehicle code.

 

I know upflying is going to bite my head off, but case law is commonly cited in the above.

[Quinn]

Since we are talking about passing, does anyone know the amount of speed you can use in excess of the limit in order to pass?

 

There is a formula that uses the road's speed limit, divided by the State's budget deficeit, multiplied by the number of tickets needed to be written that month, and factors in when your state joined the union if from out of town. Sometimes they weigh your wallet during the stop to act as a multiplier for the fine.

 

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[4wheeldog]

Since we are talking about passing, does anyone know the amount of speed you can use in excess of the limit in order to pass?

 

My last citation was for this....The Colorado Statie told me that exceeding the posted limit is illegal when passing, just as it always is. So, that is up to "Officer discretion". He also told me that he could have let me go with a warning, but since I was from out of state, he was required to give me a ticket. I avoided turning a wheel in Colorado for a couple of years because of that statement.

[BailyD]

It was kinda a loaded question (although I admit I do not know the law in States other than NJ). In NJ, you cannot exceed the speed limit to make a pass, therefore the driver in front of you must be doing less than the limit in order to use the dotted line. I guess you would have to think about the intended purpose of passing other vehicles. I would guess it would be for vehicles doing less than the posted speed limit, vs. vehicles which choose to speed and find other cars on the road somewhat of a road block.

 

I rarely pass anymore. I don't find the need to and usually find some type of increased danger in doing so (many people squeezed into tiny NJ). It is just not worth the extra anxiety. Several fatal crashes I investigated involving MC's had to do with them passing. It never turns out well for them!

[OoPEZoO]

Since we are talking about passing, does anyone know the amount of speed you can use in excess of the limit in order to pass?

 

There is a formula that uses the road's speed limit, divided by the State's budget deficeit, multiplied by the number of tickets needed to be written that month, and factors in when your state joined the union if from out of town. Sometimes they weigh your wallet during the stop to act as a multiplier for the fine.

 

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You kill me Bob

 

Having a crappy day.....that made it better......and its probably closer to the truth than any legal answer

[tallman]

Down here you cn exceed posted by 5mph without getting a ticket unless something else is a factor.

In general exceeding posted limit during a pass is grounds for getting stopped.

[bobbybob]

Yes, it keeps getting worse, but why fret about it? I pay absolutely no attention to the pavement stripings. If I need/want to pass someone and there is ample space to do so *safely*, then I pass. The yellow lines are there to "control" autos, not moto's which are capable of 40 to 80 mph in about 4 seconds.