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How to stop cars from turning in front of me?

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How to stop cars from turning in front of me?

Old 04-19-14, 12:35 PM
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How to stop cars from turning in front of me?

On my neighbourhood route, there is an intersection (kind of like a T) I come to where cars on a road to my left wanting to turn right (I'm heading straight) have a stop sign. Despite this I regularly have cars that always try to beat me and turn in front of me, cutting me off or almost T-boning me. At this point I'm sometimes going at a speed that's of an excess of 30/kmh. I sometimes give the open hand signal towards them to let cars know to stop but this sometimes does not stop them or enrages them because they have to wait another two seconds (yesterday I had a car that stopped mid-turn but then tailgated, honked and buzzed me). I'm thinking I may need to buy an Airzound or something of the sort for this, but are there any other ideas?

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Old 04-19-14, 12:42 PM
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The right hook is the most common conflict with motorists and bicycles, and everyone here experiences it a lot.

A horn might not be effective very often. It will mostly startle, or confuse drivers. They will not suspect a horn honk coming from a bicycle.

You can try holding your arm out, with a full palm, and give them a signal to slow, a couple hundred feet before the turn.
But you can't do much to stop drivers from doing it, especially if they are in a hurry and inconsiderate, you can only control how you react.

Your safety is the most important thing. Avoiding injury is a thousand times more important than being right, and taking the right of way that is yours. Losing a few seconds isn't as bad as being ran over.
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Old 04-19-14, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by HBxRider
The right hook is the most common conflict with motorists and bicycles, and everyone here experiences it a lot.

A horn might not be effective very often. It will mostly startle, or confuse drivers. They will not suspect a horn honk coming from a bicycle.

You can try holding your arm out, with a full palm, and give them a signal to slow, a couple hundred feet before the turn.
But you can't do much to stop drivers from doing it, especially if they are in a hurry and inconsiderate, you can only control how you react.

Your safety is the most important thing. Avoiding injury is a thousand times more important than being right, and taking the right of way that is yours. Losing a few seconds isn't as bad as being ran over.
Was a bit unclear - I believe my situation would be classified as a left cross or something of the sort - I actually rarely get right hooked at all.

The drivers are on a separate road to my left wanting to turn onto the road that I'm going straight on. They have a stop sign and I have the ROW.
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Old 04-19-14, 01:01 PM
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Put one of these on your helmet...Aim it at their head. Turn it off when you clear the intersection.

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Old 04-19-14, 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Nunymare
On my neighbourhood route, there is an intersection (kind of like a T) I come to where cars on a road to my left wanting to turn right (I'm heading straight) have a stop sign. Despite this I regularly have cars that always try to beat me and turn in front of me, cutting me off or almost T-boning me. At this point I'm sometimes going at a speed that's of an excess of 30/kmh. I sometimes give the open hand signal towards them to let cars know to stop but this sometimes does not stop them or enrages them because they have to wait another two seconds (yesterday I had a car that stopped mid-turn but then tailgated, honked and buzzed me). I'm thinking I may need to buy an Airzound or something of the sort for this, but are there any other ideas?
You might as well give approaching motorists the middle finger as some vague incomprehensible hand signal, all are likely to be useless at best.

I know this may sound difficult but you might consider slowing down from 30kph when approaching an intersection that you KNOW from experience has a high potential for conflict even if you have the right of way.
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Old 04-19-14, 01:40 PM
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If I'm reading this correctly, where the cars are approaching from your left and turning right, it would only be a problem in the UK or Australia (maybe a few other places).

Posting your location in your profile would help interpret the situation.

Then I have the second question. Are the cars burning the stop sign? Or stopping then pulling out as you approach?
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Old 04-19-14, 08:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Nunymare
On my neighbourhood route, there is an intersection (kind of like a T) I come to where cars on a road to my left wanting to turn right (I'm heading straight) have a stop sign. Despite this I regularly have cars that always try to beat me and turn in front of me, cutting me off or almost T-boning me. At this point I'm sometimes going at a speed that's of an excess of 30/kmh. I sometimes give the open hand signal towards them to let cars know to stop but this sometimes does not stop them or enrages them because they have to wait another two seconds (yesterday I had a car that stopped mid-turn but then tailgated, honked and buzzed me). I'm thinking I may need to buy an Airzound or something of the sort for this, but are there any other ideas?
I will be going 40-48kph most of the time. I happen to see a motorist about to make a dangerous pass, I go out to the line. So, They have to pass, as if they were passing another car. So, They can't straddle the line to pass.
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Old 04-19-14, 09:56 PM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
If I'm reading this correctly, where the cars are approaching from your left and turning right, it would only be a problem in the UK or Australia (maybe a few other places).

Posting your location in your profile would help interpret the situation.

Then I have the second question. Are the cars burning the stop sign? Or stopping then pulling out as you approach?
I'm in Canada. As for your second question, I get a little bit of both.

I've attached a pic of what I'm trying to explain here... the blue arrow is my path and the green arrow is the other car's intended path, with the stop sign. (hopefully it's clear - gotta love these neighbourhood designs nowadays...) The street supposedly is a two lane street..

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Old 04-19-14, 09:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Nunymare
I'm in Canada. ....

Above is what you drew, and below is what you said. Maybe you can see why I was confused.

Originally Posted by Nunymare
On my neighbourhood route, there is an intersection (kind of like a T) I come to where cars on a road to my left wanting to turn right (I'm heading straight) have a stop sign.....
In Canada, someone coming from your left and turning right wouldn't affect you at all unless it was very wide turn.
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Old 04-19-14, 10:07 PM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
In Canada, someone coming from your left and turning right wouldn't affect you at all unless it was very wide turn.
Apologies about the confusion...just one of those moments...

The problem with this is that it's a relatively narrow neighbourhood street - there is no road divider but there is really only room for two cars going opposite directions (sometimes there are parked cars on the side of the road making it so much worse). Every time it seems that when people try to squeeze by they end up turning into the (thankfully empty) oncoming lane, or they cut me off by turning right into my path.
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Old 04-19-14, 10:14 PM
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The only thing to do in situations like this is to take a lesson from the animal world and do what it takes to make yourself appear bigger or more threatening. Obviously we're not endowed with abilities like that so do the next best thing, and move left to the center of the lane to raise your profile, and project the image of someone coming through no matter what.

It's the same thing I do to prevent left crosses, and believe it or not, you can project the "I'm coming through" message.
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Old 04-19-14, 10:18 PM
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Most likely drivers will respond to this. What they do after they realize how you tricked them into stopping, well, who knows?
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Old 04-19-14, 10:23 PM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
The only thing to do in situations like this is to take a lesson from the animal world and do what it takes to make yourself appear bigger or more threatening. Obviously we're not endowed with abilities like that so do the next best thing, and move left to the center of the lane to raise your profile, and project the image of someone coming through no matter what.

It's the same thing I do to prevent left crosses, and believe it or not, you can project the "I'm coming through" message.
I've always believed that many drivers don't pay attention to cyclists because they are screened from the drivers' conscious thought by being perceived as "not a threat". My idea was to mount a giant alligator or tiger head on my back to trick their brain into having to acknowledge what looks like a threat, and therefore requiring some conscious attention. If I ever find a vicious enough stuffed head that I can use I am going to try it. Maybe combine with a loud roar sound.
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Old 04-19-14, 10:35 PM
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Take the lane.
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Old 04-19-14, 10:36 PM
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This might be one of those situations where a flashing 1200 lumen front light is helpful. It might wake some motorists from their stupor in which they are only processing motor vehicles. It won't do anything for the ones who see you, process what that means and then choose to violate your right of way. You can find such lights for about $30 on Amazon, or pay a bit more for something that will last.
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Old 04-20-14, 08:55 AM
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The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have sav'd my life. Henry The Fourth, Part 1 Act 5, scene 4, 115–121 It doesn't matter if you are in the right in theory, as a cyclist you will always lose when you come up against a car in actuality. So swallow your pride, bridle your bravado, adjust your adrenaline. Do what it takes to stay alive. It does you no good to assert your "right-ness" by throwing yourself under the bus.
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Old 04-20-14, 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by BobbyG
It doesn't matter if you are in the right in theory, as a cyclist you will always lose when you come up against a car in actuality. So swallow your pride, bridle your bravado, adjust your adrenaline. Do what it takes to stay alive. It does you no good to assert your "right-ness" by throwing yourself under the bus.
Agree 100%. However the actions one takes before can prevent being cut off this way. My advice is ride in a way to signal your presence and intent, but be ready to make an adjustment if/when necessary.
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Old 04-20-14, 09:16 AM
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On one of my commute routes, I have a problem intersection similar to the OP's, whenever I get within a couple of blocks of the intersection, I turn my on my very bright headlight system, and to strobe mode, this seems to have curtailed a good number of crossover maneuvers being made by motorists.
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Old 04-20-14, 10:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Nunymare
On my neighbourhood route, there is an intersection (kind of like a T) I come to where cars on a road to my left wanting to turn right (I'm heading straight) have a stop sign. Despite this I regularly have cars that always try to beat me and turn in front of me, cutting me off or almost T-boning me
Back off and let them go ahead of you, before proceeding through the intersection. That's how I handle a similar intersection where I live.
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Old 04-20-14, 02:45 PM
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If you can safely take the lane do it! However even that might not stop em! You can try playing around with lights and horns or just accept it and anticipate it as an unfortunate part of cycling. People do this all the time get used to it.
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Old 04-20-14, 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by walrus1
If you can safely take the lane do it! However even that might not stop em! You can try playing around with lights and horns or just accept it and anticipate it as an unfortunate part of cycling. People do this all the time get used to it.
Oh, I'm used to it... I ride the same route every day year round so this is nothing new for me. And agreed about taking the lane not stopping some people... sigh.
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Old 04-21-14, 05:06 PM
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
You might as well give approaching motorists the middle finger as some vague incomprehensible hand signal, all are likely to be useless at best.
Agree

...you might consider slowing down...
Or speeding up.

We all have our own style.
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Old 04-21-14, 06:39 PM
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I pass through a similar intersection frequently, and have the same problem with drivers ignoring my right of way and forcing their left turn beside or in front of me. I've come to expect it and just ride to stay out of their way. I tell myself I'd prefer that they be in front of me rather than behind and trying to pass me.
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Old 04-21-14, 07:06 PM
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Every driver is different, so a method which might work for most drivers might not work for that one particular monster truck driver.

Advancing based on the assumption one trick will work for EVERYONE is dangerous if not suicidal. There's just too many factors to ever be sure every driver will see (or most importantly, care) that you are going to assert your right of way.
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Old 04-21-14, 07:46 PM
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A bright front flashing light is the best thing you can use to cut down on left crosses. But you should always ride defensively and give yourself an out. Whether that be slowing down, making sure there's room to swerve or just guarding the brakes. I'm always surprised at the number of cyclists who ride in such a way that they are completely unprepared if a driver does something they are not supposed to. I've literally seen riders whose only defense to a right hook was to yell at the driver and hope it was enough to avoid a collision.

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