CenturionIM

I was waiting at an intersection to do a left turn. It's a two-lane road and I am in the left lane but I stayed a bit to the right of the left lane because I think the car behind me might turn left too. That way they can pass me while turning if they want.

When I got the green though, what happened was the car behind me sped up and tried to go straight. As I was trying to turn left I was right there in his way. A collision is narrowly avoided.

What did I do wrong? I did not see why the driver thought I was going to go straight, I would be in the wrong lane if I was trying to do that. Should I just always take the lane from now on?

Fargo Wolf

You should have stayed to the center of the lane, or to the left side of said lane and signalled for a left turn. By keeping to the right side of the lane, the driver most likely assumed that you were going to go straight.

nashvillwill

Yes, you should have been in the center of the lane. Why would you want to give them the chance to pass you while turning anyways? That's asking for trouble. Conversely, if you hug the left side (showing intent to turn), you invite them to squeeze past you to continue straight. I would hold the middle of the lane before and during the turn. Move AFRAP (if you choose to share) only after the turn is completed.

FenderTL5

I usually center up in the lane when I go through intersections, particularly those with turn lanes.
I'll move to the correct FRAP position (varies with road conditions) after clearing through.

CenturionIM

I moved to the right of the lane because there have been motorists who tried pass me on the right. but yeah I should firmly place myself in the middle next time and signal clearly.

I still do not know why the car assumed I would be going straight. If I did I would be riding in the fast lane,( or by his reckoning, middle of two lanes). The lanes are definitely not wide enough for sharing.

hallux

If the left lane wasn't a turn-only lane, why would they assume you're turning? I would actually be at the left side of the lane, or centered, and signal the turn as the light cycle was nearing green for me.

Chris516

1. By your 'road position', you 'communicated' to the motorist behind you, that you would be continuing straight, instead of making a left turn.

2. Also by your 'road position', you invariably 'communicated', that the motorist could 'step on the gas'. Sure motorists' will do it regardless of 'road position' of the cyclist. But your existence on the road will not be 'pigeon-holed'.

3. You should 'take the lane'. I won't say outright because that will be up to you. I 'take the lane' 90-95% of the time.

4. Read this article written by a retired police officer and cycling instructor: https://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/144260/54

CenturionIM

going through that article right now. Thanks all.

GamblerGORD53

Wrong wrong wrong.
If possible, you should have just used the crosswalk like a ped and crossed on the red light, then proceeded on the green light to the left.
I NEVER dangle like that in the middle with zero median protection and traffic piled up. CAR-like turns are totally unnecessary and dangerous. If you are going to wait for a clearance, then you will likely wait most of the 30/45 sec cycle anyways.

Leebo

^^^ Car like turns? Unless you are taking the lane and uhh, flowing with traffic, like a car. As stated, take the middle of the lane and signal, be aware of idiots.

Chris516

Biking on the sidewalk, is the worst recommendation.

He wasn't 'dangling in the middle of traffic' as you imply. He just had bad 'road position' at the traffic light.

B. Carfree

When a lane isn't wide enough to share, take the center of it. You still need to keep your wits about you to compensate for the many motor vehicles that are operated by half-wits.

FBinNY 

The operative word here is "might", as in the car might turn left. That means the car might go straight, as indeed it did.

Your mistake was in assuming a 50/50 proposition or worse, and setting yourself up for a fail. You know you're turning left, but not sure about the car, so the right place is to it's left, with you taking the narrow left to the center line, with the car swinging around you if it turns. Later on you can move right to your preferred lane position.

The other alternatives include taking the center of the left lane, so there's no issue of ho's doing what, or as I often do at a light, engaging the driver and agreeing on who's doing what.

Brandonub

Wait, are you suggesting that I ride across the road, unclip, pull to the side, dismount, and then wait for the light to turn before walking across the road? I don't really know what to make of that suggestion, it just seems bizarre to me. If you lack the comfort level necessary to make a perfectly normal maneuver, that's your call, but you shouldn't dispense that advice as if it's grounded in reality.

FBinNY 

This is fine and probably correct advice for Cub Scouts and Brownies, but totally inappropriate for adults. A bicycle is a vehicle, and can be ridden as one on the road, same as a car or truck.

The error of the OP's lane placement becomes apparent if one envisions him as being in a car instead of on a bicycle. Then he wouldn't place himself to the right of another car if planning a left, unless the road was marked for one mandatory left turn lane and an optional left turn (2 left turn lanes). The right place is squarely in the left lane, or at the left side of it, unless he reached an understanding with the driver about their intentions.

GamblerGORD53

Even MORE bizzare is risking your neck weaving across 2 lanes of busy traffic, slamming on the brakes at the intersection,
UNCLIPPING you stupid shoes. holding up traffic that may or not be also turning, waiting for a break in oncomming traffic,
And finally turning left when the light is Maybe still green.... IF someone doesn't ram your from behind while looking rearward for a chance to weave around you.

ALL that to MAYBE save seconds off an otherwise 100% safe turn my way.
Of course if traffic is at 50% or less then it wouldn't matter.

Last year I actually saw such a DUFUS making a left turn from the middle of 6 busy lanes into a quiet street.
He was at the front of the line and standing on the centerline and waited thru the red light as I came by. I just had to stop and shake my head at this LUDICROUS activity and wanted to shout "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, just fing cross on red." I could see the drivers from both directions were thinking what are we supposed to do with this dork????, while they squeezed by. Being in the center of the lane changes NOTHING, it's still fing STUPID.

Brandonub

The impression I take from this is that you're really, really bad at riding a bike. If that's the case, your approach of getting off the road and walking at intersections is probably the safest approach possible, I concur.

howeeee

every location is different, where I grew up and live now people ride their bikes on the sidewalks and if you are not on a road bike it is by far the safest way to go. I understand their are areas in the country where it is frowned upon. When i am in a car and a bike is near, I do everything possible to make it safe for the biker no matter what he is doing and that is what all drivers of cars should do, but they all dont,

gcottay

This opinion, to which the poster has every right to hold and state, is not shared by the huge majority of experienced riders or by those who teach cycling safety.

DX-MAN

Go buy a bus pass, and get off the bike which you obviously don't know how to operate.

What you say here is pure cowardice and insanity.

GamblerGORD53

Oh sorry .... I didn't help all you guys recruit new deciples to the Chip Seal Dufus VC club this thread.
The OP almost got run over between 2 lanes of cars and you think you know what he should do ??? hahahaha

I've ridden FRAP my whole life. No hits, no runs, no errors. I've ridden thru plenty of highway merges lately.

How many LAB mullahs have died this year again ????

Where is the dent in that green pickup this week ??? Both those overpasses have 12 ft shoulders.

turbo1889

If your going to make a vehicular left turn you should not leave enough space to your left to tempt anyone vehicle to pass you on that side or try to share the lane with you on that side. If there is more then one left hand turn lane (some intersections are set-up that way) then take the right most left hand turn lane dead center. If there is only one left hand turn lane that is left hand turn only, then again take that lane dead center. If the left most lane is both a left turn and straight through lane you should leave more room in the lane to your right with your bike in the left edge of the lane to clearly indicate to others behind you that if they want to pass you and continue straight they need to pass you on the right side (it is legal to pass someone waiting or preparing for a left turn on their right side). Drivers of full size heavy vehicles will often give you more room and be more careful when passing you on the right side then they will when passing you on the left side, this is due to the left side driver positioning of the vehicle controls so their visibility on their left side is better and they have a better idea of how wide their vehicle is on the left side. I won't go so far as to suggest that this means that cyclists when sharing a wide traffic lane with a car should routinely ride in the left edge of the lane (as crazy Greg suggests) but when preparing for a left hand turn in the left most traffic lane in the direction of travel that is not a left turn only lane it does indeed more then makes sense.

DX-MAN

OK, you accuse US of 'vanity' (The OP almost got run over between 2 lanes of cars and you think you know what he should do ??? hahahaha), yet you started YOUR post with WRONGWRONGWRONGWRONG. Do as I say, not as I do?

If you're going to take a lane in traffic, which OP DID, then you damned well BETTER be riding VC. If YOU, personally, choose not to, then don't. But YOU are not the yardstick by which right and wrong are measured. The rest of us, who are counseling lane position, do so from our own experience (as I'm sure your silliness is from your own). BUT, OP asked the question. WE answered, as did you -- telling EVERYBODY they were wrong, and to cross an intersection like a pedestrian.

And, BTW -- it's "Doofus", not "dufus". You can't even insult people correctly. Disagree with ChipSeal all you like, but he's not the one riding in long floppy shoes.

Chris516

DITTO 100%

His 'Wrong Wrong Wrong' did give me a little laugh but, it had nothing to do with biking. Go on YouTube and look for the Canadian rock band Loverboy's 'Working For The Weekend'. One version of the video shows all the band members haggling over the title of a new album. At one point Lead Vocalist Mike Reno says 'Wrong, Wrong, Wrong' in reference to going to the record company about the title for the new album.