Ask an expert


chodg747

What does a solid white line lane marking mean. For example where the dashed lane markings turn into solid white markings southbound after the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

ABayliss

A solid white line is to demark traffic lanes where traffic is being directed to stay in the lane. These lines should not be crossed as they are designed to direct traffic flow in a particular direction, often towards a motorway on-ramp or off-ramp.

cscrjcoles

I have to agree with ABayliss above,unfortunately ask Phoebe and the NZTA disagree,see below.

Q: When it comes to road markings, what is the difference between a solid white line and a broken white line? I ask because I was nearly wiped out recently by a car that came at me across a solid white line and into my lane. I thought that was illegal. Roy Dickson, Forrest Hill.

A: Andy Knackstedt, of Land Transport New Zealand, says that a lane is defined as "a longitudinal strip of roadway ... separated from other parts of the roadway by a longitudinal line or lines or paint or raised studs ... " So solid or broken white lines define lanes, and in law there is no difference. The police agree. In practice, a solid white line is used to give warning of pedestrian crossings, intersections, on curves, at the edge of a road, or wherever emphasis is needed to remind you to stay in your lane. Your aggressor was a bad and dangerous driver, and should have stayed in his or her own lane.

Please could you clarify this issue and bring it to the attention of the NZTA.

Furthermore ask Phoebe has also commented that the solid white lines South of the Auckland Harbour bridge, dividing lanes may be crossed.

ABayliss

I think in essence we are saying the same thing. Solid white lines are to emphasise that you should stay in your lane. As Andy Knackstedt has said when referring to a driver who crossed the lines "your aggressor was a bad and dangerous driver and should have stayed in his or her own lane" so is saying that the solid white line shouldn't have been crossed.
While solid white lines are designed to direct the traffic and emphasise that the traffic should not cross the line, unlike yellow lines, it is not strictly illegal to do so. However, any driver who does cross the white lines does so at their peril, and in the event of an accident will have a lot of questions to answer, and almost certainly be considered to be at fault.
Although this may not sound as black and white (excuse the pun!) as you might have liked, the advice is that you shouldn't cross the solid white lines as they are designed to make you stay in your lane, and certainly not to do so if there is other traffic about.

chodg747

I believe solid white lines are there to indicate that drivers should only cross them with extreme caution. I would say that if an accident is caused when a driver crosses a solid white line they are at fault.
The problem is that this "definition" is not in the road code or any other readily available source except this forum and "Ask Phoebe".
The result is that drivers cross solid white lines at will, as seen every day between the Harbour Bridge and Victoria Park Over-bridge.

MaddMatt

You're dead right, but WHY oh WHY isn't it in the road code? If Andy Knacksted spent more time educating drivers on the nuances of the road code rather than pandering to the populist ignoramuses obssessed with speed and alcohol, then we'd be able to make some in-roads against those ignorant, inconsiderate morons who couldn't pass a test on the road code if their life depended on it.