Yup, this old palm has caused many a brake light to glow in fear and wonderment. ;)

If you are seriously worried about motorists ignoring the 3 foot rule, go old school. Put a horizontal flag sticking out into the lane on the rear of the bike. Nothing scares motorists as much as a long jagged scratch on their paint jobs

I would call Public Works and get them to sweep that turn NOW if that is the problem, that's their job after all. If that won't fix it, a mirror for you and a dinotte tail light and a flag stick would be my solution. You have to make yourself look bigger. I sometimes borrow a small tractor from a neighbor up the road. When I use the tractor on the road, I am mostly driving on the shoulder with one tire just riding on the white fog line. Cars always wait to pass the tractor even though there is plenty of room- far more room than when I am bicycling the same road but cars always pass dangerously when I am bicycling that road. Now I have started taking the entire lane with my bicycle and that is working also. Look BIG.

Sure its fun to watch cars brake to avoid your hand, but I have a hard time placing any part of my body out into traffic to stop speeding cars. I'm just saying that if people are really passing within inches of you, then sticking an arm out to stop them is awfully risky. It may work 99 times in a hundred but that's not really good enough. It also means the OP has to keep constant watch over the left shoulder while taking this corner. Is that wise when he says there are patches of gravel in the right wheel path and that cars try to pass on the right when he's in the left wheel path?

as to the human cars' mention of the hand, I use the 'hand lane claim' a lot and it is effective much of the time.

are you watching behind you with a mirror to adjust your lateral position for overtaking traffic?

left bias in a right turn lane will get you either passed on the right or swooped on from the left; you can ride a do-si-do with overtakers, as they approach, you move a bit more right, then back to your safety bias again. this is a technique described by good old Helmet Head as 'dynamic lateral lane positioning'.

You misunderstand, if you are already controlling the lane by your lane position on the bike, adding the outstretched hand helps to increases control of your space. Body language plays a part in riding safely, to some motorists we are nothing but a pole standing still as we are perceived as having a high amount of predictability. Add a human element, something that removes that perception of "we are going to be in this exact spot now till hell freezes over" and you generally get more consideration of your space.

The outstretched hand should never be used at the last minute and I can't find a reference by the op having trouble with cars passing on the right.

Another option is to take a sidewalk on the right (visible on picture) before the turn, if traffic is crazy and there are not that many people walking on it. It may slow you down and illegal but much safer.

I have a crazy section of road with lots of cars during peak hours at 5:30 pm and no shoulder during my commute, so I ride the sidewalk for a mile to avoid traffic all together. During winter months the sidewalks are piled with snow and nobody cleans them though. I almost never see any people walking on sidewalks.

Did you even bother to read the thread??? *boggle*

Red line and a handlebar-mounted air-horn.

-Kurt

1. If they are already passing within inches of you, it's a bit late to be sticking your hand out.
You wanna signal them before it is too late and while you still have plenty of time to respond if they decide to blow you off. Over 4 decades I think I have done it more than a mere 100 times, and I still have all my pieces parts. ;)

2. You don't need to keep constant watch over your left shoulder. Unless traffic is moving at light speed, a flick of the eye to the mirror and/or a head check should get you through the turn.

3. If cars can pass you on the right when you are turning right, you are way too left.

I see a lot of comment about trying to get more passing clearance, but that is not what the problem as originally stated or as clarified in followup posts seems to be. I think a more days of experience (if using a mirror) will result in comfort with the patterns of traffic as well as consideration of what a right hook is vs. a late merge and what is unsafe vs. what feels rude.
I also wouldn't stick my left arm out - it is a left turn signal and better used to get left side clearance. Maybe a left arm right turn signal - make your intent absolutely clear and some drivers may decide to wait and merge behind, but if they do pass and swoop in front of you, as long as you don't have to emergency brake I wouldn't worry about it.

and riding safely right would prevent any real need to be doing any emergency braking or swooping to avoid a car anyway. don't always need to control a lane you could be sharing.

of course this is on a unique in time, case by case basis. I think this behavior from motorists is quite common on large roads with high speed differentials between bicyclists and motorists. They are moving twice or more your speed, heck, unless THEY brake excessively, you've got little to worry about!

don't sweat it is my suggestion. as long as its not a semi jacknifing in front of you while you barrel into the RTO lane doing 24 MPH i wouldn't worry about it!

I think Bek and I agree!

First the Chile earthquake knocks the earth off its axis and shortens our days, now this! :twitchy:

http://www.rbthieme.org/images/Armageddon.jpg

Green line invites, at the very least, a "pinch" in the turn radius. Looks like you've done what you can as in taking the lane.

stay right and signal