Broken white lines

 

2 or more carriageways

A broken white line separates traffic going in one direction in two or more carriageways. This means you can overtake on either left or right side of the road, and go beyond and over the white lines.

 

 

In the picture above, vehicle B can pass vehicle A and vice versa. But if you plan to drive at a slow pace, you should stay on the right lane to give way to faster vehicles — because the left lane is the overtaking lane.

 

Single carriageway

On a single carriageway, a broken white line acts as a center line. This center line provide a visual divide  between two carriageways moving in opposite directions, as you can see in the image below.

 

 

Many roads use white lines as the center line, but some roads (often in residential areas), and rural roads and lanes have no markings at all.