My understanding was that drivers:PeterA5145 wrote:See Down the Hatch on my website for a detailed look at the subject.
1. should not enter a hatched area bounded by a continuous line on their side;
2. should only enter a hatched area bounded by a dashed line on their side if it is necessary to do so.
The second one of course begs the question what is meant by "necessary". I see tailbacks locally caused by drivers waiting to turning right but staying out of the hatched area, even though it is bounded by dashed lines, when if they pulled across to occupy the hatched area there would be room for following vehicles to get past. In this context I would interpret "necessary" as necessary in order to avoid causing an obstruction. However - as always - they manage to create so much confusion that most people just stay out of the hatched areas "to be on the safe side".
Also near me, there is an inadequately short right turn lane at some traffic lights, and before that there is a wide hatched area. It is perfectly safe (and arguably perfectly legal) to use the hatched area as an extension of the right turn lane, but few people do, and you sometimes get dirty looks (or even get hooted at) if you overtake in the hatched area to join the right turn lane.
(Peter will probably know where I mean in both cases; they are both in the "village" where I live.)
It seems clear to me that if there is a dashed line on one side of a hatched area, the intention is that one can cross it to overtake - or to position yourself to turn right - if necessary. If this is not the case, then why on earth did the HA put "get back to your own side of the road" arrows at the end of the dashed line sections when they dumbed down the A6 between Stockport and New Mills? I've yet to see anybody overtake on these sections, so they might as well have prohibited overtaking altogether. Enforcement by FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt).