Following the recent thread about driving through a weight restriction when overweight, does anyone know if it is enforceable (fine and points, fine only) for driving through a 6 foot 6 restriction road when you do not have access, ie using it as a shortcut?
I know most of them have for “except for access” written underneath the sign, but some of them dont. 99% of them that i have seen that dont have that written up is because the road is too narrow for anything wider than a van to go down, but there is one in Bideford that i regularly go through. It does not say except for access (at both ends of the road too, which makes me think that the access sign has not been removed/stolen/ fallen off from the width restriction) but I need to go down there to make a delivery. We have been doing deliveries for years down there with no problems and i have seen other wide vehicles use this road also.
Now this road is not that narrow either, plenty of room for a lorry and car to get past each other if necessary. I think the width limit is there to stop lorries using it as a shortcut to cut out the traffic on the quay - but there is no “except for access” sign which has always made me wonder if im breaking the law every time i deliver to this place.
masetheace:
Following the recent thread about driving through a weight restriction when overweight, does anyone know if it is enforceable (fine and points, fine only) for driving through a 6 foot 6 restriction road when you do not have access, ie using it as a shortcut?
I know most of them have for “except for access” written underneath the sign, but some of them dont. 99% of them that i have seen that dont have that written up is because the road is too narrow for anything wider than a van to go down, but there is one in Bideford that i regularly go through. It does not say except for access (at both ends of the road too, which makes me think that the access sign has not been removed/stolen/ fallen off from the width restriction) but I need to go down there to make a delivery. We have been doing deliveries for years down there with no problems and i have seen other wide vehicles use this road also.
Now this road is not that narrow either, plenty of room for a lorry and car to get past each other if necessary. I think the width limit is there to stop lorries using it as a shortcut to cut out the traffic on the quay - but there is no “except for access” sign which has always made me wonder if im breaking the law every time i deliver to this place.
one for ROG and other alike but if you need to deliver down their then you have a reason for going down their anyway - if it is wide enough to get a truck and a car down then it might be as you said to stop trucks using it as a short cut. If you get stopped you would have good defence as their is no sign saying that you cant?!
I once had a sprinter than that would not fit through the bollards for the 6’6" but i was trying to use a short cut in cambridge so had to perform a 7 point turn
But if you or your company have been doing it for years i would’nt think you would encounter any hastle.
Speaking of 6’6" width restrictions can an HGV safelty use one of those lanes in roadworks
masetheace:
Following the recent thread about driving through a weight restriction when overweight, does anyone know if it is enforceable (fine and points, fine only) for driving through a 6 foot 6 restriction road when you do not have access, ie using it as a shortcut?
I know most of them have for “except for access” written underneath the sign, but some of them dont. 99% of them that i have seen that dont have that written up is because the road is too narrow for anything wider than a van to go down, but there is one in Bideford that i regularly go through. It does not say except for access (at both ends of the road too, which makes me think that the access sign has not been removed/stolen/ fallen off from the width restriction) but I need to go down there to make a delivery. We have been doing deliveries for years down there with no problems and i have seen other wide vehicles use this road also.
Now this road is not that narrow either, plenty of room for a lorry and car to get past each other if necessary. I think the width limit is there to stop lorries using it as a shortcut to cut out the traffic on the quay - but there is no “except for access” sign which has always made me wonder if im breaking the law every time i deliver to this place.
one for ROG and other alike but if you need to deliver down their then you have a reason for going down their anyway - if it is wide enough to get a truck and a car down then it might be as you said to stop trucks using it as a short cut. If you get stopped you would have good defence as their is no sign saying that you cant?!
I once had a sprinter than that would not fit through the bollards for the 6’6" but i was trying to use a short cut in cambridge so had to perform a 7 point turn
But if you or your company have been doing it for years i would’nt think you would encounter any hastle.
Speaking of 6’6" width restrictions can an HGV safelty use one of those lanes in roadworks
I imagine that I would get the same reply as what I did for the 7.5 tonne weight restriction in regard to going through a width restriction.
The 6’6" width restrictions on motorways etc are put there for safety purposes so going in one of those is likely to get a much harsher sentence with points for possibly driving without due care or even dangerous driving - depending on the exact cicrumstances at the time.
pecjam23:
Speaking of 6’6" width restrictions can an HGV safelty use one of those lanes in roadworks
Circular white sign with red border indicating no vehicles greater than 6’ 6" wide, so if you use that lane, or pass that sign anywhere, in a vehicle wider than 6’ 6" you are committing an offence and leaving yourself open to prosecution.
yep you get points and a fine… one of our drivers did it in london to get to a house and a few weeks later got the letter in the post sayin what he had done
pecjam23:
one for ROG and other alike but if you need to deliver down their then you have a reason for going down their anyway - if it is wide enough to get a truck and a car down then it might be as you said to stop trucks using it as a short cut. If you get stopped you would have good defence as their is no sign saying that you cant?!
There is a sign saying that you can’t - the width restriction sign! The white “Except for access/loading” plate below some such signs conveys an authorised exception to the posted restriction, but where there is no plate there is no exception.
On the M50 there is a narrow bridge with a YELLOW sign saying cars only in lane 2 and any vehicle in lane 1. (Except at the moment because of the roadworks!). As far as I am aware the sign is not legally enforceable, although if an incedent were to occur it may well be classed as Dangerous Driving or similar if a van or LGV was in lane 2.
But what about car-derived vans?
If the width restriction is in a red bordered circular sign it is legally enforced.
“Circular white sign with red border indicating no vehicles greater than 6’ 6” wide, so if you use that lane, or pass that sign anywhere, in a vehicle wider than 6’ 6" you are committing an offence and leaving yourself open to prosecution."
Yep…
Think the offence is:
“ Failure to comply with a road traffic signal “
( same as you get busted for, if you dont comply with any " Circular white sign with red border" Traffic Signal , )
or Traffic Lights, plus a multitude of others including visual signals from a Traffic Officer ( see Highway Code )
PS: Failure to comply with any such signals, will almost certantly add 3 points to your licence. ( if cault
pecjam23:
Speaking of 6’6" width restrictions can an HGV safelty use one of those lanes in roadworks
Circular white sign with red border indicating no vehicles greater than 6’ 6" wide, so if you use that lane, or pass that sign anywhere, in a vehicle wider than 6’ 6" you are committing an offence and leaving yourself open to prosecution.
It would be nice to see it enforced a bit more on the roadwork sections. I’ve had a few near misses on the A74M - M6 upgrade between Gretna and Carlisle, with impatient numpties overtaking on a lane width restriction, and that’s with me sitting at 80 Ks. Even seen a low-loader with overhanging CAT on the back trying to overtake the truck in front of me last week.
Andy smg:
It would be nice to see it enforced a bit more on the roadwork sections. I’ve had a few near misses on the A74M - M6 upgrade between Gretna and Carlisle, with impatient numpties overtaking on a lane width restriction, and that’s with me sitting at 80 Ks. Even seen a low-loader with overhanging CAT on the back trying to overtake the truck in front of me last week.
I’ve lost count of the amount of LGV’s overtaking me on that stretch and my cruise is set at 50mph
