Passing on double yellow question

[ElBando]

I, and everyone I know, when encountering some type of slow moving equipment, farm vehicle, etc. always passes that vehicle even when it's a double yellow line. Of course you wait until it's safe naturally. The other day while behind a farm tractor on a winding country road I saw in my mirror what I thought was a State Trooper and hesitated to pass because of this. Now this farm tractor wasn't going THAT slow and the thought was in my mind....is this OK? I mean is there some type of law that handles this or is it one of those " if nothing happens its alright " things? There are times when you HAVE to pass on a double yellow line, like when following a trash truck that is crawling at a snails pace. I'm just wondering what everyone else does. Any LEO input would be welcome. What is the rule...unwritten or otherwise.

[OldRider]

Years ago I was in court for a speeding ticket and the guy in front of me had done just what you described. The judge said he didn't care how slow the tractor was going, double yellow is still double yellow. Fined the guy.

[loren]

double yellow means dont cross me

but the bike can probably pass a farmer without crossing the yellow lines

if the tractor is pulled over a bit

being from wisconsin, i have lots of farmer passing experiences

[Rich218]

In Florida, as I'm sure in most other states, it is ALWAYS illegal tp pass on a double yellow line, be it slow moving farm equipment, a slow moving motorhome or any other slow moving "vehicle". The double yellow line is there because passing at that point is dangerous. It might be on a curve, an upcoming railroad crossing, a hill that you can't see oncoming traffic, etc. Hopefully, the slow moving vehicle pulls off to the side of the road and allows faster moving traffic to pass. There were numerous times I pulled off the road while driving my motorhome up a hill to let traffic pass. Unfortunately, there are less considerate drivers out there that keep on driving slowly. And yes, you can get a citation for passing on a double yellow line. As a deputy sheriff, I can empathize with these drivers that pass on a double yellow, but the danger factor is too great to ignore.

[wingman57]

You MUST wait! The lane has to be clear and unobstructed to pass in the correct lane.

The law is the law and it doesn't bend on "what we think" it means.

JMHO

[BusmanOils]

In Ontario, Canada it is not illegal to pass on a double yellow line. It is only a suggestion that it is not advised but supposedly because you can't see the line in winter it is not enforced as a law.
Now as I have said before I travel a lot in the States and must admit that I have passed on double lines before because it is just habit. I will need to be more careful in future.
On a seperate note, I have heard that it is illegal to pass on the right side in some States. Can anyone enlighten me on that one? Bill

[FIRE UP]

Gents,
Yep, double yellow is just what it is. You're not supposed to pass at all, period! But, I also can sympathise with many of you that have been trapped behind inconsiderate drivers/equipment/motor homes/horse trailers and many many others. Many of them will pull over if and when they get a chance, some won't. Common courtesy and common decency is and was not always issued to these folks when they were and are born.

Back to the subject. I've done it, that is, passed on a double yellow, the SO hates when I do it and I'm not too happy with myself when I do it but, I'll be da.....d if I'm going to follow a hay hauler that's all those pieces of hay coming off at me and her and I won't pass because someone years ago decided to paint a double yellow? I, like many of you, wasn't born yesterday, we have the time, the experience, the knowledge of what it would take to overtake and safely pass in a situation like those. It's not right, I know it, but as many of you LEO out there that are reading this, neither is stupidity, no common sense or common decency when someone has passed several opportunities to use a pull over but, kept on going while there's piles of autos and bikes etc behind them. Just my 2 cts.
Scott

[TXREALTOR]

Some states it is illegal, others it is advised not to pass on the shoulder. If in a state that it is advised not to pass on the shoulder and you do, If anything happens your fault or not, its all on you.
This is my observation and not knowing all state laws take it for what its worth.

[trialsman]

Originally Posted by Rich218

The double yellow line is there because passing at that point is dangerous.

I agree......if.....you're driving a car or truck with little or no acceleration and cannot judge speed and distance.

If I'm on the 1800 and enjoying the road, the double-yellow just tells me to check for LEOs before I pass, which takes a fraction of the distance it would take just about anything else on the road.

Made that mistake once, I came up behind a slow moving pickup and followed him for quite a while waiting for the double yellow to stop. I finally got tired of his "10 under" crap and passed. What I didn't realize is that John Law had also caught up and was right behind me.

He only wrote me for the illegal passing and not the 20 over when passing.

[Teaser 1]

In W.V. about 95% of all two lane roads are double striped for their entirety. If you don't pass on the double yellow here, you won't pass for endless miles. I understand double strips on hills, blind curves, etc but they go on forever here even with substantial lengths of straight roadway. It's totally ridiculous here and way overmarked.

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by trialsman

I agree......if.....you're driving a car or truck with little or no acceleration and cannot judge speed and distance.

If I'm on the 1800 and enjoying the road, the double-yellow just tells me to check for LEOs before I pass, which takes a fraction of the distance it would take just about anything else on the road.

On a 1800,you're in another zip code in seconds as opposed to any cage trying the same feat..

[ElBando]

To add to my question..I'd like to say I KNOW it's ILLEGAL to pass on the double yellow, just wondering what others do in the mentioned circumstance( slow tractor, etc. ). I guess what I am really looking for is LEO opinions and experiences from riders who have been confronted with LEO. By the way, I am not an impatient reckless driver, I probably am more law abiding than most.

[PappiG]

Laws were designed for 4 wheel vehicles , but for ALL to obey!... However when it comes to the double center line and slow moving objects, trash trucks, oil trucks, buggies,and farm equipment, and the likings.... if you can see far enough ahead and pass with the ability to handle your ride, GO FOR IT!!!!! I Hate dilly dallies

[gr8phun]

If I have to shift down to first I'm looking for a very safe opening.
Especially if I'm doing the Fred Flintstone walk.
Certainly check for LEO if there is one in sight I assume he/she will come to the aid of traffic.

[bugsquawsher]

Here in Texas on the back roads if there is a shoulder thats almost a Lane wide , Most will pull over to let you pass.
I practice this Also and if I see someone up behind me in a no passing zone I'll pull over if I'm Not flying myself.
Now I was in another state, I can't remember in a semi, I think it was New Mexico, Not really sure.
But I heard a conversation while on a small two lane with double yellow down the middle and Big Lane wide shoulders on both sides.
A guy pulled over to let some of us pass when this guy comes over the radio and said it was Illegal here to do that, No passing zone means no passing zone and he actually got a ticket for it. Not the guy that pulled over, but the one that passed.

[211Chuck]

While we're out here on our 8 month motorcycle tour we
have come up behind tractors going 5 MPH in 55,60 and
65MPH zones. All 3 times MO.SD.WY. we had a cop at
the front of the line behind the tractor (dumb luck)

All 3 times the Police car passed on double yellow and so
did all the rest of us... Go figure

Now if he hadn't I sure would not have passed"
I do pass on double yellow all the time if I do not see
any Police around and it is safe for my Wing to go,as
Paul & Rocky has already stated..

[ksiceman]

This is another example of the lowest common denominator rule when creating laws. Our lawmakers never considered any variables when creating such a law, did they? Based on some of the logic I am hearing here, if a vehicle is stopped in the roadway and the line is double yellow, you must also stop behind said vehicle and remain there until such time as offending vehicle removes itself from the lane.

What would the common reasonable man do? If Mr. Tractor/trash truck/stopped in the middle of the freaking road person can be passed safely, I would pass. That's me though. I am able to clearly define boundaries based on available input for the particular situation. If you want to stop and sit behind the slow crawling or stopped vehicle, more power to you.

Now before y'all get all twisted up, lets evaluate this for a second. Am I going to overtake a vehicle moving 10-20 mph below the speed limit because I am hurrying off to the bingo parlor? No. If the vehicle is chopping along at a breathtaking 10-15 mph in a 55 mph area and I can pass safely; and there is no end in sight to the double yellow, I will pass. (I say that because I have travelled through parts of this wonderful country where the line painter got a good deal on bulk yellow paint and just made the entire road a no passing zone for miles and miles.)

As for the judge, that is the an al technology that creates an environment in which people are no longer able to use common sense to make wise decisions.

[stearman]

I will pass with a double yellow if behind a very slow vehicle, there is a long and clear straight shot ahead and it seems safe to do so (no apparent blind driveways or intersections). It is a spirit of the law versus letter of the law thing.

[Fred H.]

Originally Posted by ksiceman

This is another example of the lowest common denominator rule when creating laws. Our lawmakers never considered any variables when creating such a law, did they? Based on some of the logic I am hearing here, if a vehicle is stopped in the roadway and the line is double yellow, you must also stop behind said vehicle and remain there until such time as offending vehicle removes itself from the lane.

What would the common reasonable man do? If Mr. Tractor/trash truck/stopped in the middle of the freaking road person can be passed safely, I would pass. That's me though. I am able to clearly define boundaries based on available input for the particular situation. If you want to stop and sit behind the slow crawling or stopped vehicle, more power to you.

Now before y'all get all twisted up, lets evaluate this for a second. Am I going to overtake a vehicle moving 10-20 mph below the speed limit because I am hurrying off to the bingo parlor? No. If the vehicle is chopping along at a breathtaking 10-15 mph in a 55 mph area and I can pass safely; and there is no end in sight to the double yellow, I will pass. (I say that because I have travelled through parts of this wonderful country where the line painter got a good deal on bulk yellow paint and just made the entire road a no passing zone for miles and miles.)

As for the judge, that is the an al technology that creates an environment in which people are no longer able to use common sense to make wise decisions.

Ah ha. This implies you have applied common sense, and we have absolutely no tolerance for that here in this county.

This thread reminds me of when Jesus asked the Pharisees "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? (Mathew 12:11).

Man was not made to serve the law. The law was made to serve man. This means some common sense will always have to be applied. To blindly follow the letter of the law is not only foolish, it is dangerous.

[greyrider]

As said - it is always illegal to pass on a double yellow. Not aware of any state in US where it is not so. That said, I believe many LEOs will consider entire set of circumstances in a situation like this, some may write it up, some may not. Judgement counts, things like clear lane, potential for side traffic, tractor position in lane, etc.

That said, a good friend was killed on his bike years ago by a pick up driver who passed a slow moving hay cart in a double yellow zone. Driver chose to pass close to the crest of the hill and took my friend out head on. Easy to say he should have been able to get off the road, but sometimes it just aint so.

I will usually wait until a good clear safe opportunity presents itself. AS with many things in life, you makes your choice and takes your chances........

[bmcdonau]

Nothing to add to the double yellow conversation, but beware when passing farm implements. I was following a very wide shredder--it would have taken up the whole road if the guy driving had not been driving the tractor down the right shoulder. I went to pass him and he started moving over to the left, by the time I realized what was happening I had to pass on about four feet of the LEFT shoulder. There was a road sign coming up on his right and he had to swing out into the middle of the road for the right side of his shredder to miss the sign which put him across most of the road. I guess he didn't see me trying to pass and I certainly didn't see the road sign.

[stearman]

Originally Posted by Fred H.

[snip]

Man was not made to serve the law. The law was made to serve man. This means some common sense will always have to be applied. To blindly follow the letter of the law is not only foolish, it is dangerous.

Yup!

[Kevin&Stephanie]

I'm a LEO in a small town in Amish country. It IS illegal to pass anytime on a double yellow. In 15 years, the only time I have enforced this is when the vehicle doing the passing does so in a dangerous manner. Like with another vehicle approaching. Some people just think they own the road. I have even been ran off the road in my marked squad car. Their excuse..."I was in a hurry". I have written a few for this type of driving. If I ticketed everyone I see for passing buggies around here I would write 500 tickets a month. Just one Officers opinion.

[bandreassen]

If I have sight distance, I'm passing.

The vehicle has to be traveling considerably slower than the speed limit for me to go around.

[FazerDude]

Use common sense and be patient. People have died from getting so impatient that they make a double-yellow pass when a passing lane was only a mile away.

MAKE SURE that you truly have a good sightline before making a pass. I've seen people make dangerous passes when they don't realize that what looks like a slight dip is hiding a car.

I cross on the double-yellow if it is safe. I also pull over and take a breather if I feel myself getting impatient.

Originally Posted by Fred H.

Man was not made to serve the law. The law was made to serve man. This means some common sense will always have to be applied. To blindly follow the letter of the law is not only foolish, it is dangerous.

I agree.

If I tried to do the speed limit on my daily commutes, I'd get run over. Am I breaking the law at 10-15 over the speed limit? Yes. Would I be safe going 10-15 under the flow of traffic speed? No.

[hunzee]

Farm stuff has been known to turn left real quickly.....

[labenske]

Originally Posted by Teaser 1

In W.V. about 95% of all two lane roads are double striped for their entirety. If you don't pass on the double yellow here, you won't pass for endless miles. I understand double strips on hills, blind curves, etc but they go on forever here even with substantial lengths of straight roadway. It's totally ridiculous here and way overmarked.

I agree completely. I find myself passing in double lined areas a LOT on WV back roads. It's like they are just too lazy to do the lines correctly. There are some back roads in my area where you can see for nearly a mile with no driveways or side roads or hills, and yet they are double lined. Makes no sense.

[Cowboy26a]

Originally Posted by loren

double yellow means dont cross me

but the bike can probably pass a farmer without crossing the yellow lines

if the tractor is pulled over a bit

being from wisconsin, i have lots of farmer passing experiences

In Alabama and some other states it is illegal to pass another vehicle while in the same lane as the vehicle being passed. You can ride two abreast but can't pass.

[Virginia Wing]

The code in Virginia is black and white with no exemptions for slow moving vehicles.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp...0+cod+46.2-804

If the violation is on a hill or in a curve it is enhanced to a specific Reckless Driving violation.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp...0+cod+46.2-854

In addition the following link will further define the violation if the passing is negligent.
http://www.romingerlegal.com/va_case...a/1419963.html

Bottom line is that you can be stopped and ticketed, however the spirit of the law and common sense should apply to the officers thought process. Now we all know what that means. If it is a clear straight stretch the lines should be broken anyway, if there is a curve or hill involved then they should be solid. In areas where this is not the case and you take your chances and you are caught, then your attitude or behavior may mean the difference in this situation. Just my opinion..

[Mr.Woody]

I thought those double yellow lines were to keep the Deer from crossing the road? That's why when you see the broken lines you always see this sign..