Dual Carriageway

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

So. I had an assessment last week and picked up a ‘minor’ for speeding. It was on a dual carriageway that had a central area that was not tarmacked but was just a grassy section.

It probably used to have two lanes either side of this grassy strip, that was wide enough to park a vehicle in, but one direction had had the outer lane chevroned off.

Later on the O Licence holder was chatting with me and agreed that part of that road was a DC and part a SC. His take was that the road only had one lane available in one direction, so that was SC and thus 40 for a truck whilst the other was two lanes and thus 50 with the grassy barrier between them.

Confused yet? So, thanks to Wheeltapper on the A74 thread I have borrowed his image. Some of you may recognise it, and if you ‘think’ of this hypothetical road as a non-motorway A-road, would it be a Dual Carriageway or Single Carriageway, and thus 40 or 50mph for trucks?

2

Its 40 there is no central barrier

3

So the grass section doesn’t count then?

I can understand it on places like the A5 where there are just wider white line sections in the road, that’s clearly a SC but the grass in the middle?

4

That’s a DC as it’s got a physical divide.

5

The grass in the middle makes the road ‘seperated carriageways’ so it is a dual and not SC = 100% legally correct

Generally any road where the carriageways are seperated by something other than paint or plastic cones will be under DC rules

6

That’s a dual carriageway and the HGV speed limit is 50 mph unless there’s a signposted slower limit in force.

A dual carriageway has lanes going in opposite directions separated by a central reservation or barrier.

7

Saratoga:
So. I had an assessment last week and picked up a ‘minor’ for speeding. It was on a dual carriageway that had a central area that was not tarmacked but was just a grassy section.

It probably used to have two lanes either side of this grassy strip, that was wide enough to park a vehicle in, but one direction had had the outer lane chevroned off.

Where is this road so we can look it up on google streetview ?

8

A38 near Droitwich

I was travelling east bound when I was told off about it, and he said there was no crash barrier in the middle so it was a single carriageway. I replied it had a grass verge in the middle, that was the barrier that separated the traffic and thus it was a dual but he disagreed. On the return journey I did 40 so didn’t get marked down…

9

Presumably you mean the bit in the picture bellow.

I was told the same as you a few years ago by an assessor at a Droitwich company, I don’t think he believed me when I told him he was wrong :unamused:

Sometimes you just have to bight your tongue if you want the job :sunglasses:

A38.png

10

tachograph:
Presumably you mean the bit in the picture below.

I was told the same as you a few years ago by an assessor at a Droitwich company, I don’t think he believed me when I told him he was wrong :unamused:

Sometimes you just have to bight your tongue if you want the job :sunglasses:

0

That was the return section and that is also where the TM/OLH told me that that was a single carriageway as there was only one lane for the traffic to drive in. Both were conflicting. One was the ‘national assessor’ for this multinational firm that held every licence category plus ADR,FLT,HIAB and also trained blue light drivers… Hmm…

11

Well according to the highway code.

The above is a dual carriageway

The Government:
Dual carriageways
A dual carriageway is a road which has a central reservation to separate the carriageways.

Based on that rule, the road should be NSL or 50mph for Trucks unless otherwise stated.

12

Saratoga:

tachograph:
Presumably you mean the bit in the picture below.

I was told the same as you a few years ago by an assessor at a Droitwich company, I don’t think he believed me when I told him he was wrong :unamused:

Sometimes you just have to bight your tongue if you want the job :sunglasses:

0

That was the return section and that is also where the TM/OLH told me that that was a single carriageway as there was only one lane for the traffic to drive in. Both were conflicting. One was the ‘national assessor’ for this multinational firm that held every licence category plus ADR,FLT,HIAB and also trained blue light drivers… Hmm…

Sounds like DHL, the guy knew jack. Was telling me I had to knock the handle forward on the fifth wheel or it wouldn’t engage, I said we’ll try it with it pulled all the way out first and guess what, it worked! Also got company policy confused with law a lot.

13

Saratoga:
A38 near Droitwich
Google Maps

looks very much like a591 dunmail raise heading towards ambleside ?

14

both pictures are dual carriageway roads, and the speed limit (unless otherwise posted) is 50mph

if both the driver assessor and the O Licence holder don’t know the rules and regs of the road, what else do they not know?

15

Dont know if this is gospel but I think it was in a speed awareness course I heard it but :

If you can roll a ball across the lanes and it reaches the other side ie oncoming traffic not classed as duel carriageway , but if the ball gets stopped before the otherside of carriageway even if by a curb can class as d/c (unless of course there are not any speed signs telling you otherwise ! )

16

ROG:
The grass in the middle makes the road ‘seperated carriageways’ so it is a dual and not SC = 100% legally correct

Generally any road where the carriageways are seperated by something other than paint or plastic cones will be under DC rules

AGREED 100% no question

17

Jennie:
Dont know if this is gospel but I think it was in a speed awareness course I heard it but :

If you can roll a ball across the lanes and it reaches the other side ie oncoming traffic not classed as duel carriageway , but if the ball gets stopped before the otherside of carriageway even if by a curb can class as d/c (unless of course there are not any speed signs telling you otherwise ! )

so, a road with an armco barrier would stop a ball if you ‘rolled’ it along the road?

no, the ball would roll under the barrier, but, it would still be a dual carriageway

18

shuttlespanker:

Jennie:
Dont know if this is gospel but I think it was in a speed awareness course I heard it but :

If you can roll a ball across the lanes and it reaches the other side ie oncoming traffic not classed as duel carriageway , but if the ball gets stopped before the otherside of carriageway even if by a curb can class as d/c (unless of course there are not any speed signs telling you otherwise ! )

so, a road with an armco barrier would stop a ball if you ‘rolled’ it along the road?

no, the ball would roll under the barrier, but, it would still be a dual carriageway

What about a huge beach ball :unamused: :laughing:

19

or, how about the atlas-spheres that they used on Gladiators? :unamused:

20

shuttlespanker:

Jennie:
Dont know if this is gospel but I think it was in a speed awareness course I heard it but :

If you can roll a ball across the lanes and it reaches the other side ie oncoming traffic not classed as duel carriageway , but if the ball gets stopped before the otherside of carriageway even if by a curb can class as d/c (unless of course there are not any speed signs telling you otherwise ! )

so, a road with an armco barrier would stop a ball if you ‘rolled’ it along the road?

no, the ball would roll under the barrier, but, it would still be a dual carriageway

I think they were just trying to give an easy way of understanding the separation , but I wish id thought of that at the time !!! :laughing: :laughing: