How to Avoid This Right Hook?
 

I've got a new job, and I commute on a road I'm not used to, at all. A 45mph road with four lanes. For the most part, I have no problems riding on it.

The only time I have troubles is when I'm preparing to turn right down another road.

See the attached diagram.

I'm fairly far left in the RTOL, but every morning I have numerous cars accelerate past past me and then cut right in front of me. Its made for a couple close calls already. Its a fairly long turn lane, and I don't mind it so much until I get real close to the turn.

How do you guys avoid this?

Red line is me on the bike, blue line is the car. Keep in mind, I intend to turn right here as well.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...8&d=1267219879

I would get out in the lane before making the turn. I also have a Dinotte 140L tail light and use a mirror.

Each time you ride there you have to be alert and adjust to the traffic.

Interesting, in that the lane line is striped solid all the way to the traffic island, indicating in most states that you aren't supposed to cross that line (Safe to cross dashed lines; not so for solid lines). This may be a big part of the problem ;-)

Definitely the cars shouldn't be crossing them to go past you (although it is not strictly illegal in some states unless it is a double line). I would move out into the lane where the blue line is. After the other cars turn off, then you can move closer to the right if you're more comfortable there. And everything 10 Wheels said. And everything he implied.

I would likely do just what it seems you're doing. Position myself far enough to the left in the lane to turn inside a right-hooking car, but not so far to the left as to allow a car to pass me on my right. I would also approach this turn with one eye in my mirror to read when a driver is going to right-hook me so I know in advance the "signal" I am going to give when we come out of the turn.

If you're intending to turn right at the same point as the car, take the lane. Make them have to slow down to avoid hitting you.

I'll try some of these suggestions. The concern I have with riding in the outside thru traffic lane is I would have cars passing me on my right.

There can be a steady stream of cars in the morning rush hour, and I'm not sure I would find a suitable gap to move back into the right turn lane in time.

Take which lane? I'm already taking the lane for my destination.

No, I wouldn't do this. I wouldn't ride far enough to the left to allow a car to pass on my right.

This is one reason why:
Another is that if you're in the turn with cars passing on your right, you might find it tough to find a gap that allows you to shift back to the right after coming out of the turn.
It also looks like being to the left of a right turning car in that turn could get you squeezed into the left lane after coming out of the turn. Drivers going straight through the intersection in that lane wouldn't expect this.

I think you're already doing it correctly. It's the drivers who are wrong in this case. Undoubtedly the drivers initially see you (since they do go around you) but they either misjudge your speed and think they have enough time/space to merge back into the RT lane, or they just don't care. Either way, I would continue to ride as you are in the leftish part of the RT lane.

Somebody has to bring this up: It looks like there is a decent side path alongside both roads. What are your reasons for not using this?

The turning lane, you have as much right to use the whole lane to turn as a cager does.

I would do the green.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/...85a7896e_o.jpg

Oh.... are you turning right at that spot? I thought you were going straight. If you're turning right, you're already doing it right. Don't leave enough room for cars to pass on the right if you're turning right.

It sounds like you are already doing everything you should be doing. The only other thing really to consider is avoiding this intersection completely since it seems like the risk of getting right hooked is very high. Or perhaps attach a flag to your ride??? Maybe find a way to hop onto that side path a block or two before this intersection... Then resume riding on the road when you are safely away from this intersection. Maybe you can get law enforcement to monitor and cite drivers that are violating that solid white line.

Another thing you can do is to complain to local law enforcement about the problem drivers. Keep complaining and they'll eventually send a cop out there one morning when you ride by. Send the complaints in writing if you have to.

Then the driver who couldn't wait 5 seconds for you gets to wait 30 minutes while the cop has him pulled over.

I'd go with the above green line suggestion as well. The right turn lane seems wide enough to stay right and allow for cars to safely pass. The concrete path looks inviting as well if it's not a sidewalk.

I also would look at taking the thru lane and then turning right after the concrete Island. Avoiding the ROTL all together.
yellow line is an option for me.Attachment 139191

I encounter a similar situation frequently.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...8&z=20&iwloc=A

I'll monitor traffic in my mirror and adjust my speed as necessary to accomodate any last minute right turning traffic. So long as you are entering the necked-down area of the right turn lane with no one to your left, you have nothing to worry about. A mirror makes it easy to adjust your speed to stay in front of or behind any other potential right turning traffic.

I tried the green line once, and the cars would get waayyyyy too close for comfort. I think that position puts me too far outside of a driver's normal field of perception.

The side path will actually be an option when the weather gets better. Right now its covered with snow and ice in parts, so that's why I haven't been using it.

It won't matter in another month though when I start working from home permanently.

Only problem there is that you run the problem of being stuck at a red, now making an illegal right. Not a deal breaker in my opinion.

If the intersection is that dicey, I'd be apt to jump on the adjoining mup/sidewalk and avoid the whole thing entirely, rejoining the roadway afterwards.

I think the best you can do in this situation is take the left tire track to give you optimum avoidance maneuvering room. A helmet cam capturing some of these idiots and then reporting to the police might be an interesting project.

Also, it's a solid white, so it's not legal for you to cross back over it to make the turn. And, as you point out, even if it were then trying to find a break in the inside traffic would be difficult.

Honestly it sounds like you're doing the right thing already from your description.

I think your course looks to be the most prudent. The problem is that most drivers will probably not drop behind a cyclist. They will want to pass the cyclist and, of course, once they have passed the cyclist, they forget about them. It is just a spot that needs constant vigilence and some luck. Maybe more than some luck.

I had a similar experience commuting last week. Driver just couldn't wait and passed me right before the end of our right turn only lane, with me in the center of it.

I think you're doing the best you can. I suspect the pork-chop island is the source of some of the crowding, where drivers passing on your left plan poorly and cut in too close to you in order to avoid it.

The good thing about riding in the center of the right turn lane, or slightly left of the center, is you have lots of room for evasive maneuvers. Also, drivers passing you will telegraph their intentions by encroaching into your lane before they get dangerously close. Yes, they make you hit the brakes and maybe move right a bit, but it's usually more annoying than dangerous.

As you approach the critical area where righ hooks are a concern, turn your head left and look back at what drivers are doing. This may discourage them from trying to pass, but also give you more advance warning.

It looks like you're riding the proper way with the red line. The green line encourages a vehicle to squeeze you in your lane so I wouldn't take that route.
I have this same problem and I'm guessing in most big cities in the world that this is happening. The only thing I can add is to have your hands ready on
the brakes and to practice making really tight turns, since you and the vehicles are both turning right; you might be able to avoid a close call by just
turning at the same time in the same lane. Maybe you're already familiar with the "QUICK TURN", but if you're not this may also help:

http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/chapter5a.htm

What intersection is that? I know on the south side down here, they are fairly good about clearing all the snow off the paths(paved and sidewalk paths). I would think that most days they would be clear from it melting though, no? Doesn't seem too shady there to prevent the sun from melting it.

You're handling the intersection fine. I like the suggestions of contacting the traffic unit and using a mirror. The traffic unit is unlikely do to much unless there are lots of cyclists, though, since they could sit for quite a while before a cyclist 'causes' someone to impropertly merge into the turn lane.

Also, you could get an Airzound and give a toot to anyone who really cuts you off. If you ride the same route at regular times of day, some drivers will eventually get the message that they didn't have time to pass you. I bet a lot of them ascribe the theory that any pass without physical contact was an acceptable pass.

SH128 (Interlocken Loop) and Interlocken Pkwy in Broomfield. The path is shaded where it drops down below the highway and it doesn't melt there. They've also been doing a terrible job this winter keeping it clean. I haven't seen it without snow yet.

Entrance to the path is also a bit weird. I have to cross two crosswalks to get to it from the PnR. When I get off the bus, I'm only on the road for a mile, and waiting for it to be safe to cross at the crosswalks add quite a bit to the time it takes to get to work.

The road is the quickest path to work, and that intersection is really the only trouble I have.

I'd rather be squeezed a little then right hook squeezed a lot. Don't forget it's a 45 mph zone.

If you say to the OP that it's fine just the way he was doing it, then what's the point? He is still worried about the right hook. THe green line mostly eliminates the right hook, but this change would present other set of challenges that IMO are less dangerous then what the red line brings into concern.