Highway code

[IamtheDevilsAvocado]

Can anyone/traffic lawyers help...?

I'm trying to find the rules in highway code in what circumstances can you drive on opposite carriageway?

From recall - my test was in the dark ages..

You are only allowed to drive on opposite arriageway:

1 if directed by a traffic officer.

1. If you are passing a parked car /accident, but obvs only when it is safe to do so.

Are these the only times it is legal to do so?

An elderly relative is refusing to believe that driving for a 100 mètres on the opposite carriageway to turn right (where there are no parked cars on their side of the road...) is legal and safe....

I know it is bloody dangerous... I would have got out of the car had they not been driving at 30mph...the other passenger went mad at them...

Not least as putting us in danger as well as anyone else coming out of the occluded side junction, not expecting to see someone driving on wrong side of the road.

But can't find the law for this?

Cna anyone help before he kills someone??

What was the reason for not staying on the correct side of the road? Or is it literally both sides of the road clear, but just fancied driving on the right?

You've got in about right! Sadly....

When I asked him after we were out if the car... And I was shaking still...

He just said: I was turning right...

Yes... But you wait til the junction on your side of the road (usual 2 way street /no feeder lanes or anything).

Not a 100metres before the junction... And because of where the junction is.. You jave to crawl out of it as there are helpful hedges... So even less likely to see him before he hits them....

Did they make a mistake, and think it was a one way road so the right hand 'lane' was for the right turn. And now they're embarrassed and doubling down instead of admitting they made a very dangerous error?

I would look at the Road Traffic Act 88, and go for Careless and Inconsiderate driving (Driving without Due Care and Attention). I think it's sub section 3, not sure on that without checking though.

Report him to the dvla, he is not safe to be driving if he thinks that. Is he getting dementia?

I think rule 179 covers this.

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/road-junctions.html

Do you mean when there is a queue of traffic and people want to turn right so nip out of the queue and drive on wrong side, like a big long overtaking manoeuvre, loads in our town do this on a certain road that generally has long queue and road junctions, they are not elderly so it isn't just old people that do this

Can't add anything as to where you might find proof he was wrong, but it sounds clearly dangerous given possibility of someone coming out of junction finding a surprise coming at them and if he can't see that for the obvious thing it is I struggle to see how shoeing him anything is going to make them see the light.
I used to process insurance claims and I can tell you that the number of lives irrevocably ruined because an elderly person couldn't bring themselves to give up their driving licence long after they should is huge. I dealt with so many claims where people, either themselves or random others, were injured or killed by someone who has become incompetent but was in denial, it was tragic.
Having been through that I would report to dvla. 😔

This manoeuvre is not just the elderly though, usually it's selfish arses that can't be bothered to wait a few minutes.

Do you really mean the opposite carriageway or just the opposite side of the road? If the latter then you can cross the broken white line if nothing’s coming the other way to overtake or for advanced positioning. Use the full width of the road where safe to do so. I wouldn’t drive 100 meters on the wrong side of the road to turn right, however if the road is completely clear and you can see for some distance there’s no real risk is there?

It sounds like an overtaking manoeuvre, though when I read carriageway, my first thought was a dual carriageway as OP hasn't explained it too well.

Sorry... So... There was no queuing traffic.
It's a road in the centre of a town.

Not one way.. And he's lived there for 40 plus years... So no novel road or anything.

No dementia diagnosis. He's obviously getting slower though.

He is a very difficult character... Always been pig headed. Worsened over the last few years.
Last.time when I introduced the idea of stopping driving and perhaps using taxis /buses....

He told me he'd stop driving 'if i have an accident'.

Oh that does sound like odd behaviour if there was nothing to overtake, so a normal 2 way street and he was driving on the wrong side of the road for about 100 metres. The people I have seen doing it are always overtaking, albeit for a very long distance so still unsafe but there is a reason for it. No reason for him to be on wrong side of road.

@RedRiverShore

Oh that does sound like odd behaviour if there was nothing to overtake, so a normal 2 way street and he was driving on the wrong side of the road for about 100 metres. The people I have seen doing it are always overtaking, albeit for a very long distance so still unsafe but there is a reason for it. No reason for him to be on wrong side of road.

Exactly!

Im just incredibly worried that he'll cause an accident..

So what does he say he’s gaining by doing it? Does seem a very odd thing to do.

Do you really mean the opposite carriageway or just the opposite side of the road?

The opposite carriageway is the opposite side of the road. It’s still called a carriageway even if there are only two lanes in total.

Dual carriageway = four lanes (and central reservation)
Single carriageway = 2 lanes, one going on each direction
SIngle track = one lane (usually with passing places)

@IamtheDevilsAvocado

Sorry... So... There was no queuing traffic. It's a road in the centre of a town.

Not one way.. And he's lived there for 40 plus years... So no novel road or anything.

No dementia diagnosis. He's obviously getting slower though.

He is a very difficult character... Always been pig headed. Worsened over the last few years.
Last.time when I introduced the idea of stopping driving and perhaps using taxis /buses....

He told me he'd stop driving 'if i have an accident'.

He's going to wait until an accident to accept his driving judgement is bad. Oh no. You can report, you don't have to wait until he accepts this. If that's a step too far maybe you could warn him you will unless he takes a refresher course? The calls I've had to make when dealing with insurance claims. To people crying over the consequences of people just like him would make your hair curl. But I'm sure any paramedic /fireperson/undertaker would say similar. You know the situation and him, all we can say is you're right, he did wrong and he got lucky.

The Highway Code states that you must drive on the left in rule 160:
“keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road
keep well to the left on right-hand bends. This will improve your view of the road and help avoid the risk of colliding with traffic approaching from the opposite direction
drive with both hands on the wheel where possible. This will help you to remain in full control of the vehicle at all times. You may use driver assistance systems while you are driving. Make sure you use any system according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
be aware of other road users, especially cycles and motorcycles who may be filtering through the traffic. These are more difficult to see than larger vehicles and their riders are particularly vulnerable. Give them plenty of room, especially if you are driving a long vehicle or towing a trailer
select a lower gear before you reach a long downhill slope. This will help to control your speed
when towing, remember the extra length will affect overtaking and manoeuvring. The extra weight will also affect the braking and acceleration.

...and rule 179 says
“Well before you turn right you shoulduse your mirrors to make sure you know the position and movement of traffic behind you
give a right-turn signal
take up a position just left of the middle of the road or in the space marked for traffic turning right
leave room for other vehicles to pass on the left, if possible.”

This covers your dilemma, I think!

The opposite carriageway is the opposite side of the road. It’s still called a carriageway even if there are only two lanes in total.

No, its a single carriageway road as you state, so there can’t be an “opposite carriageway”

Dual carriageway = four lanes (and central reservation)

No, any number of lanes with a physical divider.

Not one way.. And he's lived there for 40 plus years... So no novel road or anything.

It wasn't that I thought it was one way, more I was wondering if he had a lapse of... Concentration?... Something? And behaved as though it was one way with a right hand lane for the turn. But when you pointed out to him what he'd done wrong he can't admit to being wrong so is now trying to say that it was perfectly fine. Not because he actually believes that, but because to not say that would be admitting they were dangerous.