White Yellow Lines On Road Lines Meaning and Rules – Mumbai

“Road types and lane systems (White and Yellow Road Lines) are part of traffic rules. Traffic rules are a must-know when driving on any road, Mumbai is no option, and listed traffic rules must be followed.

But do you know the rules and meaning of those white and yellow lines right in the middle of the road and lanes? No, then you are on the right page. Let us know what are those dotted strips and single & double lines.”

Road Safety Sign Board
Road Safety Sign Board

Road Lines Markings Meaning

White vs Yellow Lines: In Simple words, a WHITE line means a ‘Guideline’ to be followed by a driver & a ‘YELLOW’ line means ‘Restriction’ and should be followed strictly. Yellow lines are usually seen on hilly roads, Low visibility zone & mountain passes and are indicating a driver about more careful driving required.

Yellow Solid Line Zebra Crossing
Yellow Solid Line Zebra Crossing

White Broken Centre Line: Usually seen on a TWO-WAY lane, a White BROKEN center line means you are allowed to overtake in that particular patch of road. Of course, considering proper visibility & safety.

Dotted Broken Single Road Line Centre
Dotted Broken Single Road Line Centre

On a ONEWAY MULTI-LANE road (Like Highways), It means that you are permitted to change the lane in a specific patch with White broken lines.

Also to note, there is no separate meaning for ‘Long Broken Lines’ & ‘Short Broken Lines’. They are merely drawn considering the road location & speed So that the visibility of lines is clear for the driver.

White Solid Centre Line: In simple words, you are not allowed to cross lanes (1 Way Road) OR overtake (Two Way Road).

Solid Single Centre White Line
Solid Single Centre White Line

Dual White Solid Centre Lines: Level up on road safety, Two parallel solid lines in the middle of the road mean, You are strictly not allowed to cross the lane and consider these lines as if they are a ‘Physical Divider’ which one cannot cross/jump over by the vehicle.

Usually one can see these kinds of Dual White Solid Lines in low visibility locations like Hilly areas & mountains (Ghats).

Combination of Solid & Dotted Lines: Rarely, Yet on many roads one can see these combination lines which are 2 parallel lines with one being SOLID & the other DOTTED.

If a driver sees a WHITE SOLID line on his side of the road (Right Side) means he is not allowed to overtake or cross lanes on that patch. While the driver on the opposite side of the lane can overtake/cross lanes.

Looks like discrimination, But the safety experts have considered this purposely by looking at the patch of the road.

For example, If that portion of the road is hilly / slope, A driver moving down the slope can easily overtake with the speed control, while the driver on the THICK WHITE line side is heading towards a hill and might not be able to. So, considering the road safety norms, The Solid and Dotted combination was introduced.

Dotted Solid Parallel Lines
Dotted Solid Parallel Lines

Yellow Box Junction: Also called ‘Checkered Yellow Patterns’ on road junctions. As of December 2021 & Upcoming year 2022, Mumbai traffic police have not been introduced, But might be soon, So here is what that means.

In India, In around March 2017, Bengaluru / Bangalore city got its first Yellow Box Checkered Patterns introduced at a few traffic junctions. The prime motive is the ‘Safety of Pedestrians’ crossing roads at these junctions. Past Pedestrian accident records at such road junctions show that the visibility of approaching vehicles while crossing gets too low due to another vehicle blocking the junction area.

So, targeting to keep junctions clear and visible, These checkers are drawn. The RULE applied for these Yellow Box Junctions is “YOU CAN NOT STOP ON THESE CHECKERS”, What that means is, Only start your vehicle and cross the junction from these Yellow boxes when you are sure the other side (Exit) is clear.

Yellow Box Road Junction
Yellow Box Road Junction

Rumble Strips on the Road Means: These are physical strip lines in a group of 5 to 7 or more, which one finds majorly on Highways. Upon crossing those little bumpy strips, Drivers experience a little vibration in the car which is actually meant to give a little shake to the driver and be in alert mode (In case little tired or sleepy, etc).

Usually, rumble strips are installed at roads which the very next patch needs some alertness or attention, May a junction or some important curves be noted. So, shaking a little and keeping safe is the motive of the transport department of Mumbai and around India.

Road Rumble Strips Mumbai
Road Rumble Strips Mumbai

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Greetings, I am Deven, the founder of Mumbai77. With immense passion, I have dedicated my full-time efforts to continuously learn and update important information about Mumbai city. Currently, I am a full-time blogger residing in Mumbai. Since its establishment on July 7, 2007, Mumbai77 has attracted millions of pageviews. Our website aims to provide valuable information, including my personal reviews and experiences, to assist individuals worldwide in their search for updated information about Mumbai city.

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