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So every day, at least ten times a day, I'm stopped in my tracks by some car ahead of me turning right either into a driveway or onto a cross street. I usually have time to move to the left and pass them if they signal, but it seems too often that they don't signal and just turn right.... and then wait there for a pedestrian or other car to move so they can complete their turn.
The car isn't getting anywhere faster than if it just sat straight in the lane and not blocked me. It's also not allowing other cars to pass.
Has anyone heard of a law or regulation aganist this? In effect, obliging cars to remain in a straight posture until they can quickly execute a turn.
p.s. what's worst is when they do this OVER A BIKE LANE.
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So every day, at least ten times a day, I'm stopped in my tracks by some car turning right either into a driveway or onto a cross street. I usually have time to move to the left and pass them, but it seems too often that they don't signal and just turn right.... and then wait there for a pedestrian or other car to move so they can complete their turn.
The car isn't getting anywhere faster than if it just sat straight in the lane and not blocked me.
Has anyone heard of a law or regulation aganist this?
p.s. what's worst is when they do this OVER A BIKE LANE.
Take the lane approaching intersections and you won't have to worry about it.
Yeah, what he said. I think I got more aggressive, maybe assertive is a better word, in taking the lane when I got tired of just this sort of thing happening. I've learned to take the lane even if I'm the one that's turning, to keep from getting cut off.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation's Bicycle and Pedestrian Division publishes guidelines on the design of bicycle facilities. They discourage the use of striped bike lanes on roads with many driveways and intersections because such striping encourages these right-turn conflicts by encouraging automobile traffic to turn right from a position left of through-traveling cyclists. NCDOT instead endorses wide outside through lanes on such roadways.
If there is significant turning traffic, I stay farther to the left, to discourage drivers from passing me just before turning right. This also makes it easier for me to avoid a right hook, and prepares me for merging farther left to overtake on the left side of a right-turning vehicle.
Bike lane or not, a right-turning driver should approach the rightmost edge of the roadway before turning, so as to discourage anyone, and cyclists in particular, from trying to overtake on the right as he turns. A right-turning driver should fully block the bike lane while waiting for pedestrians or other traffic to clear. The right-turning driver has priority over overtaking traffic because he is the one in front, and has the right to use that section of road first on a first-come, first-served basis. It is also unreliable to expect right-turning drivers to repeatedly check their blind spot while waiting to turn right.
Steve Goodridge
http://humantransport.org
Many driver don't signal, get over it.
I don't understand your dilema. I prefer if cars start their turn as it makes it easier to pass them as it opens up more space.
Al
If you were in a car, you would be blocked just the same as if you were on a bike.
Maintain a good following distance behind any car, and if a car begins a right turn then move to the centre of the lane. If it's safe to pass on the left then do so, otherwise wait until the car has turned. Since you're now in the centre of the lane, there's less danger of the cars waiting behind YOU to try and pass you when the space in front is clear.
So every day, at least ten times a day, I'm stopped in my tracks by some car ahead of me turning right either into a driveway or onto a cross street. I usually have time to move to the left and pass them if they signal, but it seems too often that they don't signal and just turn right.... and then wait there for a pedestrian or other car to move so they can complete their turn.
The car isn't getting anywhere faster than if it just sat straight in the lane and not blocked me. It's also not allowing other cars to pass.
Has anyone heard of a law or regulation aganist this? In effect, obliging cars to remain in a straight posture until they can quickly execute a turn.
p.s. what's worst is when they do this OVER A BIKE LANE.
In California at least, anyone turning right is required to drive "as close as practicable" to the right edge of the road. If there is a bike lane, motorists are required to merge into the bike lane before turning right, and are allowed to do it up to 200 feet prior to the turn.
The reasoning behind these sensible laws has already been presented by Stephen Goodridge. In short, it's to avoid single-point path collision between right-turning motorists and thru cyclists at the intersection.
Sounds like you're riding too far to the right as you approach intersections (including intersections with driveways, alleys, and side streets, as well as those with major streets) where you're not turning right.
If you're interested in learning more about safe traffic cycling, you might want to check out the following books:
Effective Cycling by John Forester.
Cyclecraft by John Franklin.
Streetsmarts by John S. Allen. http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/index.htm
Serge
In California at least, anyone turning right is required to drive "as close as practicable" to the right edge of the road. If there is a bike lane, motorists are required to merge into the bike lane before turning right, and are allowed to do it up to 200 feet prior to the turn.
To bad the law is nearly impossible to follow. Have you ever tried to make a right turn in a car from a 45mph road? To do it smoothly one needs to keep right wheels about 4ft from curb.
Al
That's why bike lanes are not the best place to be.
If you were in a car, you would be blocked just the same as if you were on a bike.
Wrong. If you were in a car, other cars would (almost) never pass you, slam on the breaks, and turn right.
Maintain a good following distance behind any car, and if a car begins a right turn then move to the centre of the lane. If it's safe to pass on the left then do so, otherwise wait until the car has turned. Since you're now in the centre of the lane, there's less danger of the cars waiting behind YOU to try and pass you when the space in front is clear.
This is fair advice--we cyclists have to wait our turn, too. But this doesn't work when cars pass you immediately before an intersection.
That's why bike lanes are not the best place to be.
Agreed. Generally, when cars can turn right, you need to be in the middle or left side of the traffic lane. This is especially true if the road has a bike lane. (Please note the word "generally," there are exceptions.) Being in the middle of the lane will discourage most right hooks.
So every day, at least ten times a day, I'm stopped in my tracks by some car ahead of me turning right either into a driveway or onto a cross street.
Yesterday, a driver sped by me on a rural road only to pull into the driveway that I was approaching. What did it save him - 2 seconds! That's like speeding up at a crosswalk to make sure the car gets there before the pedestrian.
my wife is totally guilty of doing this, and when I catch her doing it, I tell her. I also make sure she is aware of a cyclist when we pass him near and intersection. (but like all wives, she is never wrong, and this usually leads to a small fight). But I won't give up until she learns, or until I am hit by a motorist doing the same thing.
When riding on the streets and if possible. I intentionally ride in the road at intersections to avoid getting clocked by clueless motorist.
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