What's the meaning of the sign "Broken white line only marks the centre of the road"?
In Tenerife, on the road TF-21 near the Teide volcano, I've seen this sign:
It reads, both in Spanish and English:
ATENCIÓN
Linea discontinua solo indica eje carreteraWARNING
Broken white line only marks the centre of the road
I don't really understand what it means. Why does it only mark the centre of the road? What else should it do? Does it refer to overtaking? Is the sign saying that, contrary to its common meaning, this broken line does not indicate that it is allowed to overtake? It's my best guess, but I'm not convinced, because in that case I'd expect a solid line, not a broken one and a sign.
So, what does it mean? And if it's really about overtaking, why didn't they use a solid line?
Best Answer
It definitely means you mustn't assume *any meaning whatsoever, re overtaking, turning, or even whether "your" side of the road is actually all yours, exactly as it says, over and above that it marks the centre of the road.
If you're on your side of the broken line, you can't assume oncoming traffic will be entirely on the other side. The line only marks the centre, and does NOT even divide the lanes. Hence the usage on narrow roads.
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What does a broken white line down the Centre of the road meaning?
Broken white lines are used to mark the middle of a two lane highway to separate traffic on both directions. Drivers are supposed to keep left but can cross the broken line for overtaking if situations permit.What does the broken line symbol mean?
In visual language, the dashed line gives us a way to express the idea that something is not concrete. Something impermanent. It may be temporary; it may not currently exist (it will in the future or it did in the past); or it may be invisible or hidden. One way or the other, it represents what it is\u2014not solid.What does a white dotted line mean?
A dashed white line indicates that lane changes are allowed. Symbols are used to indicate permitted lane usages. A diamond indicates a lane reserved for use by high-occupancy vehicles. A bicycle indicates a lane reserved for bicyclists. Arrows show required or permitted movements at intersections.What do the white diagonal stripe markings in the middle of the road?
White diagonal stripes between lanes Also known as chevrons, these are used to separate traffic lanes or to protect traffic turning right. If the stripes are bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so.what. (Bo Burnham FULL SHOW HD)
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Answer 2
If I understand it correctly, it has to do with overtaking, but the signage is really confusing.
In Spain, a continuous line means that overtaking is prohibited and it is in no case allowed to cross the line. That means, that it is even prohibited to turn left. It is allowed to overtake bicyclists, if you are able to keep a safe distance without actually crossing the continuous line.
A broken line means that you are allowed to overtake if traffic and visibility allows you to do so safely.
The sign you have found is quite common on narrow mountain roads and used together with a broken middle line. I guess it is supposed to be a reminder that even if it is strictly speaking not prohibited to overtake (due to the broken line), the road is too narrow and curvy at most places to do so safely. You may however have a chance driving uphill to quickly overtake a bicyclist or turn left, if that is required. Had they used a continuous line, you would not even had been allowed to turn left, or pass bicyclists.
Answer 3
In many countries, it is common to indicate with the broken line that it is a place where it is safely possible to overtake.
Teneriffa is not following this usage, and to make sure people don't assume so, warns about it. Otherwise, many people would assume it is save to overtake - and have bad accidents (probably what happened and triggered the sign)
Answer 4
It means "don't rely on the lines only, use your common sense especially when invading the opposite side such as when overtaking or turning left".
The sign also intends to warn that you might encounter large vehicles taking some of "your" road just to be able to take a turn or even circulate on a straight section.
I've seen a variation of this sign in rural or mountaineous roads in Castelló. That area is very sparsely populated, there's few traffic, road maintenance could be way better and the road features (shorter straight sections, bends, mountain passes) could make it impossible to overtake for larger/heavier vehicles (buses, trucks, cars) but be perfectly fine for lighter ones (cars, motorbikes).
An accident in those sparsely populated areas could mean that help is going to take a while to arrive.
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