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Sir Eoin O Fada Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 3760 New England, NSW Gender:	Road markings Apr 20^th, 2025 at 4:02pm Can anyone explain why the line markings on our main roads are now wider than of yore? Or explain why the formerly single interrupted centre line is now a double interrupted line? Apart from using more paint, what is achieved?
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Gordon Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 21898 Gordon Gender:	Re: Road markings Reply #1 - Apr 20^th, 2025 at 4:20pm A conspiracy by big paint.
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chimera Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 15433 Armidale Gender:	Re: Road markings Reply #2 - Apr 20^th, 2025 at 7:20pm Skilled P drivers can effortlessly do 130 and should be privileged to 150kmh. Two such road kings would meet at 300kmh. A gap between them is one small step for mankind.
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Leroy

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Re: Road markings
Reply #3 - Apr 20^th, 2025 at 7:34pm

Sir Eoin O Fada wrote on Apr 20^th, 2025 at 4:02pm:

Can anyone explain why the line markings on our main roads are now wider than of yore?
Or explain why the formerly single interrupted centre line is now a double interrupted line?

Apart from using more paint, what is achieved?

Because drivers with less than 20/20 vision can clearly see the markings. Also with many newer cars that have radar and lane keeping warnings it makes it more reliable for the radar to notify the driver when crossing lines.

Before anyone jumps off a bridge I'm just explaining why, I'm not an advocate for anything.

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Sir Eoin O Fada

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Re: Road markings
Reply #4 - Apr 21^st, 2025 at 10:19am

Leroy wrote on Apr 20^th, 2025 at 7:34pm:

Sir Eoin O Fada wrote on Apr 20^th, 2025 at 4:02pm:

Can anyone explain why the line markings on our main roads are now wider than of yore?
Or explain why the formerly single interrupted centre line is now a double interrupted line?

Apart from using more paint, what is achieved?

Because drivers with less than 20/20 vision can clearly see the markings. Also with many newer cars that have radar and lane keeping warnings it makes it more reliable for the radar to notify the driver when crossing lines.

Before anyone jumps off a bridge I'm just explaining why, I'm not an advocate for anything.

Sounds reasonable, can you throw any light on why the older, thinner markings are used on many rural roads?
I’m also curious as to why the delineating lines are continuous when if they were interrupted in the usual way only half as much paint would be needed?
Thus saving the taxpayers hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars Australia wide.

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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 53282 At my desk.	Re: Road markings Reply #5 - Apr 21^st, 2025 at 8:36pm The interrupted lines have a different meaning.
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Sir Eoin O Fada

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Re: Road markings
Reply #6 - Apr 21^st, 2025 at 8:56pm

freediver wrote on Apr 21^st, 2025 at 8:36pm:

The interrupted lines have a different meaning.

Not when they are used to delineate the road.
Have a deko on U-Tube, many foreign countries have interrupted lines marking the outside edge of the carriageway.
Of interest is the fact that, until recently, the continuous line at the side of the road was treated legally the same as the continuous centre lines and it was an offence to cross it unless stopping or turning.
Simply pulling over where there was a sufficiently wide shoulder to allow traffic to pass was an offence.

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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 53282 At my desk.	Re: Road markings Reply #7 - Apr 21^st, 2025 at 9:00pm Quote: until recently https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/lines#:~:text=You%20must%20not%20cross%20the,vehicles%20to%20overtake%20or%20pass. Quote: You must not cross the continuous white line at the edge of the road unless you are:
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Grappler Racist Filth Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 90511 Proud Old White Australian Man Gender:	Re: Road markings Reply #8 - Apr 21^st, 2025 at 9:45pm Black marks on the roads are not trucks emergency braking - they're slow natives... (OOOOOOH!)
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Gnads

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Re: Road markings
Reply #9 - Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 11:28am

freediver wrote on Apr 21^st, 2025 at 9:00pm:

Quote:

until recently

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/lines#:~:text=You%20must%20not%20cross%20the,vehicles%20to%20overtake%20or%20pass.

Quote:

You must not cross the continuous white line at the edge of the road unless you are:

Quote:

You must not cross the continuous white line at the edge of the road unless you are:

overtaking to the left of a vehicle that is turning right or making a U-turn

driving a slow-moving vehicle—to allow other vehicles to overtake or pass.

You can cross a continuous white edge line and travel for up to 100m when you are:

entering or leaving a single lane road

turning at an intersection from a single lane road

stopping at the side of a road—unless signs or markings say not to.

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/lines#:~:text=You%20must%20no...

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Sir Eoin O Fada

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Re: Road markings
Reply #10 - Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 12:40pm

Gnads wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 11:28am:

freediver wrote on Apr 21^st, 2025 at 9:00pm:

Quote:

until recently

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/lines#:~:text=You%20must%20not%20cross%20the,vehicles%20to%20overtake%20or%20pass.

Quote:

You must not cross the continuous white line at the edge of the road unless you are:

Quote:

You must not cross the continuous white line at the edge of the road unless you are:

overtaking to the left of a vehicle that is turning right or making a U-turn

driving a slow-moving vehicle—to allow other vehicles to overtake or pass.

You can cross a continuous white edge line and travel for up to 100m when you are:

entering or leaving a single lane road

turning at an intersection from a single lane road

stopping at the side of a road—unless signs or markings say not to.

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/lines#:~:text=You%20must%20no...

‘’Recently’’ was when a New England grazier was towing a horse float and pulled over the line to let a police car go bye, they promptly pulled him over and charged him, courtesy was not part of their thinking.
Naturally a bit miffed he complained and, for a wonder, was listened too.
The details were plastered in the local papers.

But why use a continuous line when an interrupted line would do and save half the paint?

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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 53282 At my desk.	Re: Road markings Reply #11 - Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 1:08pm Quote: But why use a continuous line when an interrupted line would do and save half the paint? No paint at all would save even more money. Double even. But only the fraction of the saving you would get from no bitumen.
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Sir Eoin O Fada

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Re: Road markings
Reply #12 - Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 7:18pm

freediver wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 1:08pm:

Quote:

But why use a continuous line when an interrupted line would do and save half the paint?

No paint at all would save even more money. Double even. But only the fraction of the saving you would get from no bitumen.

True, and when, some 25 years ago the NSW Government, in their collective wisdom, told country councils that they could no longer tar narrow roads, they had to make all bitumen roads wider.
A number of councils solved the problem posed to their finances by putting the rippers through the suddenly unsuitable roads and making them into black gravel roads that met the Government’s standards.

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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 53282 At my desk.	Re: Road markings Reply #13 - Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 9:05pm We spend an absolute fortune on rural roads that get fairly light traffic. A bit of paint is the least of our concern.
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Gnads Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 33661 Gender:	Re: Road markings Reply #14 - Apr 24^th, 2025 at 8:39am freediver wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 9:05pm: We spend an absolute fortune on rural roads that get fairly light traffic. A bit of paint is the least of our concern. Many of the people that live down those rural roads feed us. They're rate & tax payers too.
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