Road Rules And Common Courtesies.

[SeanD]

As I said earlier, Bikers should stay out of everything but the left lane (where possible, and where not turning right) period. Most bikers don't drive that fast except in traffic jams, and tend to hog up the lanes just where you can't overtake. It's quite funny sometimes to see a biker with sarong flapping in the breeze and no bike jacket driving slowly in the middle of the road, and a hundred cars following behind him with no room to overtake. Biker is totally oblivious to what's going on behind him, although it would not be funny if you're actually driving behind him.

[serialkiller]

Add This,

Golden Rule..

"Always tap your headlights for incoming vehicles once you notice the Traffic Cops."

[CK2]

Add This,

Golden Rule..

"Always tap your headlights for incoming vehicles once you notice the Traffic Cops."

+1

[nexus]

Add This,

Golden Rule..

"Always tap your headlights for incoming vehicles once you notice the Traffic Cops."

nicely said dude :appl:

[E L N I N O]

Digging an old topic here I have couple of doubts regarding some road markings we have in our roads. Perticularly the one in the picture below which is taken from FB.

- Are these treated like the "double lines"?

- Can't we cross them to enter a byroad?

- Is this an alternative way of dividing the roads instead of using real cemented islands?

[Magnum]

+1 for a great post.

If I may add one or two of my own observations...

Paying attention to the lane you're driving in. If the lane leads to a traffic light where you can only turn right or left, occupying that lane simply cause its empty, whizzing past everyone else and then cutting into traffic once again slows everyone else down even more. The same courtesy applies to when stuck in traffic on a single lane road. Driving past everyone else on the opposite lane and then cutting in somewhere in the middle is just plain annoying. We all want to get to where we're going. Nobody's special.

Being aware of vehicles approaching from the rear. If someone wants to overtake you, let him. Hogging lanes is a bad idea and might cause road rage. On the same lines, if you aren't driving too quickly, chances are you can occupy the left side/lane of the road.

Driving straight and true. It doesn't help when people sail all over the road.

And stop switching on the hazard signal when going through a four way junction for Christ's sake! What is wrong with people?

And do not accelerate even more when someone is trying to overtake, I usually let go off the accelerator a lil

[The Don]

Digging an old topic here I have couple of doubts regarding some road markings we have in our roads. Perticularly the one in the picture below which is taken from FB.

- Are these treated like the "double lines"?

- Can't we cross them to enter a byroad?

- Is this an alternative way of dividing the roads instead of using real cemented islands?

No, those are meant to be considered as traffic islands, without the physical barrier being present. You should not cross them ever, but continue until you see a break and safely make a u turn and come back.

Also with regards to junction boxes, there is one exception to the keep clear rule. When you are turning right you are allowed to wait in the junction box with your right indicator on.

[E L N I N O]

No, those are meant to be considered as traffic islands, without the physical barrier being present. You should not cross them ever, but continue until you see a break and safely make a u turn and come back.

Thanks Don, but aren't they considered islands only if they have speed bumps or diagonal lines between the two solid lines? Because often I have seen places where these two solid lines extend just after a real cemented island divider. If they both mean the same, then I wonder why they didn't get it done in cement in the first place.

[The Don]

Thanks Don, but aren't they considered islands only if they have speed bumps or diagonal lines between the two solid lines? Because often I have seen places where these two solid lines extend just after a real cemented island divider. If they both mean the same, then I wonder why they didn't get it done in cement in the first place.

I don't really know the answer to your question. Perhaps because the road is narrow, and in an emergency you can move into that space to avoid an accident.

I actually went through the highway code to find the answer but this particular marking is not covered. Don't know how up to date this is http://www.####/highwaycode.php

I wonder if people understand the difference between single and double lines as well. A single white line you may only cross to avoid an accident or to turn right. A double while line can only be crossed to avoid an accident.

[Chanaka Gunawardena]

The red & Blue flash lights you bought from ebay is not going to make you a V*P. Stop using them !

[Watchman]

The red & Blue flash lights you bought from ebay is not going to make you a V*P. Stop using them !

Yep, they just show how big a P you are

[ramishkad]

The red & Blue flash lights you bought from ebay is not going to make you a V*P. Stop using them !

Yep, they just show how big a P you are

When I see one of these I immediately recognize the driver as someone suffering from small penis syndrome and trying to make up for it with fake lights. How legal are these actually?

Edited January 10, 2015 by ramishkad

[sathyajithj99]

First I thought these lights were only fixed in vehicles belonged to 'bodu bala sena'. I would not be surpriced if I see even marutis with these lights in the near future :-D

[Hoonigan]

When I see one of these I immediately recognize the driver as someone suffering from small penis syndrome and trying to make up for it with fake lights. How legal are these actually?

They are not

[E L N I N O]

I don't really know the answer to your question. Perhaps because the road is narrow, and in an emergency you can move into that space to avoid an accident.

That might be the case to have an extension but Don today I came across the following marking which cannot be explained by any of the theories.

There are no byroads on either side so it can only be used to make a U-turn. Does anybody have an idea?

[E L N I N O]

I came across the following marking which cannot be explained by any of the theories.

There are no byroads on either side so it can only be used to make a U-turn. Does anybody have an idea?

I was losing sleep over this marking so when I was driving to work I pulled over at a cop who even had the new traffic bike, just to clarify it myself. He stared at the pic like he saw this marking for the first time and when I asked about the legality of crossing it, he said 'ya ya you can do whatever'. But from the tone and his expressions, I was pretty sure he had no clue. Then he quickly went on asking who I am, where I work and shit. Waste of time, sigh...

[Watchman]

Sadly there's no standardization in road markings in SL. The relevant authority in charge of each areas respective roads seem to do as they 'seem fit'. An example is the pedestrian crossings in Kandy. I went a few months ago (after a long time) and it's like a drunk monkey with a paint bucket was let loose! You get crossings for every single permutation of pavement possible. It's like a map to plat "gas maaru" (exchange trees)

I'm sure those from kandy can shed some light on how this came to being...

[Watchman]

Speaking of road rules and common courtesy, this is worth the watch:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205464569875855

[charithar]

Dear All, It's a very nice thread with lots of information. Let me add my two cents to it too.

When you drive in winding roads (ones in hill country mostly) without lane markings it's better to use your horn in every blind bend just before approaching it. In that way the vehicles approaching the bend from the other side will know about the approaching vehicle. Once I drove around Daraniyagala area with a local friend he was insisting me to use the horn when approaching every bend because according to him it seemed like a custom in that area. Every time I used the horn on bends I got a reply honk from the oncoming vehicle and they were expecting a vehicle in the bend.

I guess this is pretty important because vehicles in the inner lane tend to move outwards in bends thus blocking oncoming vehicles which could be fatal in hillside roads.

[asrock]

Speaking of hilly narrow roads, if two vehicles get stuck on a narrow road, I think the vehicle climbing the hill has the right of way and the one who’s coming down should backup to the hill. Most of the time the driver whose climbing doesn’t need to backup, unless he has a wider space to backup nearby. It’s sad to see that some people doesn’t seem to know this, they wait till the vehicle that’s coming uphill to backup and give them way.

[rover]

Speaking of common courtesies how many of us think of others when it comes to parking. I have seen many occasions where one vehicle is parked occupying two parking slots. And it's quite annoying when you are driving round and round for hours just to find a parking slot and see's this kind of situation.

Also motorcyclists please try to keep a decent gap when you park alongside with other vehicles or when parallel parking so that other vehicle users are not inconvenienced.

Edited January 18, 2015 by rover

[anonymous]

Speaking of hilly narrow roads, if two vehicles get stuck on a narrow road, I think the vehicle climbing the hill has the right of way and the one who’s coming down should backup to the hill. Most of the time the driver whose climbing doesn’t need to backup, unless he has a wider space to backup nearby. It’s sad to see that some people doesn’t seem to know this, they wait till the vehicle that’s coming uphill to backup and give them way.

I always thought other way round: if both vehicles are stopped, vehicle going up needs to backup and give way to the vehicle coming down.

When two vehicles meet on a steep road where neither vehicle can pass, the vehicle facing downhill must yield the right-of-way by backing up until the vehicle going uphill can pass. The vehicle facing downhill has the greater amount of control when backing up the hill. (http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/right_of_way.htm)

• So if both vehicles are moving and there's room for one vehicle to pass, then vehicle going down needs to stop and give way to vehicle coming up.
• If both vehicles are stopped and neither can pass, then vehicle going down needs to backup and give way.

[vishkid]

I always thought other way round: if both vehicles are stopped, vehicle going up needs to backup and give way to the vehicle coming down.

When two vehicles meet on a steep road where neither vehicle can pass, the vehicle facing downhill must yield the right-of-way by backing up until the vehicle going uphill can pass. The vehicle facing downhill has the greater amount of control when backing up the hill. (http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/right_of_way.htm)

• So if both vehicles are moving and there's room for one vehicle to pass, then vehicle going down needs to stop and give way to vehicle coming up.
• If both vehicles are stopped and neither can pass, then vehicle going down needs to backup and give way.

That makes sense, backing up a hill can be a PIA and possibly dangerous. But in normal circumstances, where no backing up is involved, the vehicle going uphill has the priority.

[vishkid]

I was losing sleep over this marking so when I was driving to work I pulled over at a cop who even had the new traffic bike, just to clarify it myself. He stared at the pic like he saw this marking for the first time and when I asked about the legality of crossing it, he said 'ya ya you can do whatever'. But from the tone and his expressions, I was pretty sure he had no clue. Then he quickly went on asking who I am, where I work and shit. Waste of time, sigh...

Well, could it be possible that the traffic islands are older and the markings new and where there was a possibility of a U turn earlier, the road authority wanted to stop it (prevent the U-turn) but without building a new island extension?

[E L N I N O]

Well, could it be possible that the traffic islands are older and the markings new and where there was a possibility of a U turn earlier, the road authority wanted to stop it (prevent the U-turn) but without building a new island extension?

I took this pic at Negombo road, Ja-Ela close to Rukmani Devi statue, where the road was reconstructed recently so both islands and the markings are brand new. So either they screwed it up while marking, or had second thoughts. Anyhow the rule is clear at least