Lorry and rules of the road query

blueeyed

Just a quick query,

yesterday I was driving through Killarney and a Lorry had parked on the road, blocking myself and all the traffic behind it... I stopped behind it thinking it would move on, then a guy came to the back of the lorry unloading a load of hotel linen stuff and started gesturing aggressively for me to drive around the lorry-this would mean crossing a continuous white line and driving towards potential oncoming traffic, however my view was blocked because a:the long vehicle b:there was a bend on the road

Just wondering did the lorry driver break the law, or are they allowed to stop and unload for so long?

Berty

If there was a yellow line then he cannot stop just because he feels like it. Loading bays are there for a reason and I used to drive a truck around Galway and Limerick City so I KNOW sometimes people tend to park where they like so the bays can be full.

This leaves little excuse for blocking up a public road.

Yes the driver the law.

blueeyed

Ok thanks Berty, I was too stressed yesterday to check if there's a yellow line, but im sure there is because its a single traffic lane so no parking is allowed (just wasnt sure if unloading was allowed).

boomer_ie

My understanding is that it is illegal to park opposite a continuous white line as you are forcing traffic to cross the white line which initself is illegal.

godtabh

boomer_ie wrote: »

My understanding is that it is illegal to park opposite a continuous white line as you are forcing traffic to cross the white line which initself is illegal.

I was gona post the same

Fey!

Back in the days when we had clampers in Galway, they (the clampers) and the traffic wardens used to say that they couldn't clamp/ticket a commercial vehicle on a double yellow line because they were allowed to stop there.

From my understanding of the rules of the road, this is BS; i don't think that anyone can stop on a double yelow line, not to mind park. I feel that they were afraid of the truck drivers, so were just giving excuses.

As for crossing the white line, you can cross a continuous white line to overtake slow moving traffic if and when it is safe to do so. I'd imagined that this would also apply to overtaking a stopped vehicle.

_Kaiser_

Fey! wrote: »

As for crossing the white line, you can cross a continuous white line to overtake slow moving traffic if and when it is safe to do so. I'd imagined that this would also apply to overtaking a stopped vehicle.

I don't think you can? Otherwise everyone would be doing that at rush hour!

However this is one situation where a bit of common sense is required and seeing as the truck driver wasn't about to move, the OP was right to carefully go around him when the opportunity arose.

Beta Ray Bill

kearnsr wrote: »

I was gona post the same

I think this is correct

mickdw

Of course you can cross a solid white line.
Mainly allowed in the case of v slow moving/stopped obstruction, also to overtake pedestrians etc etc. Common sense must be used but from the lorry drivers end of it, he must not park where it would cause another driver to have to cross the white line when adequate sightdistance etc is not available. So he was wrong to cause you to have to blindly drive onto the wrong side of the road. Alternatively, maybe it was quite safe to overtake and you were simply afraid to cross the white line?

boomer_ie

mickdw wrote: »

Of course you can cross a solid white line.
Mainly allowed in the case of v slow moving/stopped obstruction, also to overtake pedestrians etc etc. Common sense must be used but from the lorry drivers end of it, he must not park where it would cause another driver to have to cross the white line when adequate sightdistance etc is not available. So he was wrong to cause you to have to blindly drive onto the wrong side of the road. Alternatively, maybe it was quite safe to overtake and you were simply afraid to cross the white line?

I hope your being sarcastic,

The appropriate section from the ROTR

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/traffic-signs-road-markings/road-markings.html

Carawaystick

boomer_ie wrote: »

I hope your being sarcastic,

The appropriate section from the ROTR

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/traffic-signs-road-markings/road-markings.html

The rules of the road state "except for access" which allows you access that part of the road in front of the loading or unloading lorry.

This was in a town with a 50 or 30 limit? This happens the whole time.

Commercial vehicles are allowed stop on double yellows to load or unload for up to 30 mins unless that section of the road is a clearway at the time.

Road Traffic (TRAFFIC AND PARKING) (AMENDMENT) Regulations, 1998 section5 (4)


Bobby Molloy's shouting, not mine.

Berty

You are allowed to cross a continous white line if the vehicle or horse is travelling below 15mph(whatever that is in KPH).

ROTR

otherwise you would be stuck behind bin trucks, horses, stray plastic bags etc etc

boomer_ie

Berty wrote: »

You are allowed to cross a continous white line if the vehicle or horse is travelling below 15mph(whatever that is in KPH).

ROTR

otherwise you would be stuck behind bin trucks, horses, stray plastic bags etc etc

Where does the ROTR say that?

As far as I can see it says

All traffic must keep to the left of the line (except in an emergency or for access).

Its very clear no mention of minimum speeds etc.

Guy:Incognito

Carawaystick wrote: »

The rules of the road state "except for access" which allows you access that part of the road in front of the loading or unloading lorry.
.

The "except for access" bit is referring to somethign like a driveway that your turning right into.

galwaytt

Stekelly wrote: »

The "except for access" bit is referring to somethign like a driveway that your turning right into.

...or access to the public road ahead of you (now blocked...).......

oh, as regards the parking - even if it has a single yellow - he can still park on it.

Wishbone Ash

blueeyed wrote: »

I was too stressed yesterday to check if there's a yellow line

FFS! - how on earth could you manage to control a vehicle on a public road if you find this situation so stressful? It's a very simple situation which happens every day. Do your normal safety checks and proceed with caution.

galwaytt

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

FFS! - how on earth could you manage to control a vehicle on a public road if you find this situation so stressful? It's a very simple situation which happens every day. Do your normal safety checks and proceed with caution.

FFS ? That's a bit harsh........why would the OP look for a yellow line, unless OP is going to go parking...........? His only concern is/should be, the centre-line and traffic, both in front and behind. The presence or absence of a yellow line, is meaningless to the OP.

leeroybrown

boomer_ie wrote: »

Where does the ROTR say that?.

The ROTR is just a guide. It has no legal basis other than it was written based on some of the laws that apply on the roads.

boomer_ie

leeroybrown wrote: »

The ROTR is just a guide. It has no legal basis other than it was written based on some of the laws that apply on the roads.

The ROTR is the document people are expected to know inorder to pass their Theory Test so its more than "just a guide"

Having said that I did check the relevant legislation and it turns out that the sections are as follows:

(4) A prohibition on the parking of a vehicle imposed by article 36(2) (a) shall not apply to a vehicle parked while goods are being loaded in or on to it or unloaded from it,for a period not exceeding thirty minutes from the commencement of the parking.

(2) A vehicle shall not be parked—
( a ) on that side of a section of roadway along the edge of which traffic sign number RRM 008 [double yellow lines] has been provided;

This applies to parking it does not cover parking on a white line section of road, meaning its illegal to do so.

25. (1) Where traffic sign number RRM 001 [continuous white line] has been provided on a roadway or where two such traffic signs are provided in parallel, a driver shall not cross that sign or signs.


(2) Where traffic sign number RRM 002 [broken white line] has been provided on a roadway, a driver shall not cross that line, save where it can be crossed without danger to other traffic or pedestrians.


(3) Where traffic sign number RRM 001 and traffic sign number RRM 002 have been provided in parallel and traffic sign RRM 001 is nearer, a driver shall not cross such line, and where traffic sign number RRM 002 is nearer, a driver shall not cross the line save where it can be crossed without danger to other traffic or pedestrians.


(4) Nothing in this article shall so operate as to prevent a driver from driving across a roadway, along the centre of which the traffic signs referred to have been provided, for the purpose of entering or leaving land or premises adjoining the right hand side of that roadway.

The above section is the continuous white line section, nothing about overtaking parked vehicles or slow moving vehicles unless there has been an amendment that I havent seen.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0182.html#zzsi182y1997a25