CastIron

Nice thing about leading tour groups so far OTB is you get to ponder these things. So, after an unusually stern pre-race lecture about centerline violations I'm left to wonder how this works in corners. After all, you have a couple of deputies working the corner to close traffic and the centerline goes right to (not through, obviously) the intersection. So clipping the apex in a left hander would technically take you over the line, but really wouldn't (IMO) violate the intent of the rule at that point. So anyone care to take a stab at it?

Mtn Mike

It depends on how comfortable the organizers/officials are with their traffic control. A corner in which traffic is stopped in both directions is technically safe to cross the centerline. However, around here, the officials say to the racers, "we can not tell you that it's okay to cross the centerline at the corners". Haven't said that, riders will hardly ever get a penalty for crossing the centerline at a corner that’s controlled with DOT signs and flaggers.

Being an entry level road official myself, I can tell you that pretty much the only rule that's always enforced in amateur/lower catagory road racing is the centerline rule. Cross it on an open road and you're either DQ'd or get a stern warning. I think we're allowed to give some leeway on corners that have traffic stopped in both directions.

MDcatV

IME - centerline rule is not enforced on corners.

BUT, I keep reading on these boards about poorly promoted races where there are no road guards and police at intersections/corners. If this is the case, remember there is no one controlling traffic.

CastIron

Just to be clear: I'm referring to intersections fully controlled by uniformed officers stopping all traffic. My presumption is that inside that zone the rule is essentially moot.

MDcatV

wont be enforced as long as you're in the race caravan. if you're OTB and behind the last vehicle of the race caravan, you arent in the race any longer, you're just out riding and should follow all the traffic rules you do when not in a race.

CastIron

Hell, Saturday I could've conducted a lunar landing and not been noticed I was so far back.

Mtn Mike

Yes, your point is probably moot in that situation. In fact, in states that I'm aware of, a certified flagger holding a "stop/slow" paddle has the same legal authority to stop traffic as a uniformed police officer. The question is whether the drivers will actually stop if there is no officer. Again, this goes back to how comfortable the organizers are with their traffic control. There are some grey areas. To give another example where the centerline rule doesn't apply, you obviously have to cross the centerline when you make any left turn. Since traffic is hopefully controlled, racers can cross the centerline.

FatguyRacer

This is mostly true. I'll give you about 200 yds ahead and 200 yds after to get it together and get back over. There was one set of left/right combos at the TOWC that we gave everyone alot of lattitude to get thru becuase they had road guards posted there.

MDcatV

... and it was appreciated!

thanks for a good job of officiating on saturday/this past weekend!

FatguyRacer

You welcome! I had a good time but I also wished I was doing the 40+ race with my teammates. So conflicted!!!

Oh well, just paying my dues. The quicker I get to B and then A level, the quicker i'll be able to work the big NRC and UCI pro events.

aicabsolut

I also appreciate the good work done by the officials at this road race. I liked that the motos would swing wide going into the right hand turns and let the field follow. It made things much nicer on some of the narrower roads. The guards also did a great job of controlling traffic there and at the TT turn-around too.

cmh

I haven't seen a race out here with intersections controlled by unifiromed officers. They are generally controlled by a volunteer in an orange vest with a hand held stop sign. I've also never seen the centerline rule strictly enforced around corners.

Val23708

ive had a corner guard yell to me that i'm clear and to cut the left turn apex on a TT once...

many times i've seen the local CHP (highway patrol) car parked out on the more heavly traveled corners (along witha volenteer).