Right Turn on Red
 

A couple of times, I've had a car driver behind me at a signalized intersection ask me to move over so they can make the right turn on red.

I always refuse. If I had the time, I would ask them if they would ask a driver of a car to move over so they can make the right on red, but as was the case this morning, the light turned green before I could ask the question.

Wonder why the car driver thinks a person on a bike should accommodate their need to shave a few seconds off of their commute? Would they ever ask a driver of the car in front to move over? What about a motorcyclist?

Just chill, man. The light will turn green in a few seconds. And we will be on our way. I'll go straight and you can have your right turn.

Right Hooks are Killers of Cyclists .. :notamused:

If someone has their turn signal on indicating right when they are right behind me, I'm slowing for the stoplight, and I'm at the front of the line, I move far left to let them by. I have two lights on my route where 90% of the cars turn right. Moving far left lets them by. I've had cars pull AROUND me on my left to turn right if I don't do this, so letting them by on the right is a safety plus.

By moving left I let them by and keep them from right hooking me.

I have scootched left a bit occasionally. I've never had anyone ask. It would be much easier if people put their signals on ahead of time, if I know what they're doing, I can help them more easily.

Well, realistically how many cars can step sideways a couple feet to make room?

Do you think these drivers have come away from these encounters with a positive attitude towards cyclists?

Does "Share the Road" not work in both directions?

My initial reaction also to the snarky OP, FWIW.

While in the right lane at curbside, if there are a lot of cars, I may even wait until all pass. Or more often I filter through to the head of the line while the cars are stopped, then "take" the right lane, leaving enough room to pass on my right, and I signal my intention to the car behind me to proceed directly forward when the light changes.

Yep. I'll either move left to let them by on the right or get off the road on the right so that they can make the turn and progress through the light. I have no desire to hold up cagers.

+1 on shifting to the left side of the lane before I stop.

I'm with OP, I never let them by and just ignore them if they honk or ask to get by. Once I let a landscaping truck/trailer pass me on the right and just missed getting clipped by the extended mirror. It's a safety issue not a politeness issue.

Sure I let them by even before they ask. I give them room and point to go ahead and turn. I would rather not have a impatient car behind me and I would like to be viewed as sharing the road. Strangely enough some will not go ahead when I point the way through. I only ask once so there is not a "this or that" back and forth. Let the traffic flow man!
V

Is there a right hand turn lane? In either case, which works out in most intersections I encounter (I understand this may not be the case for you) I filter far enough ahead of the line that 1) everyone knows I am there and 2) to give enough room for right-turners to go. I understand it is frustrating, and in the few times I've been asked/honked at, I don't give either, but it's not that big of a deal to accommodate someone when it's as easy as the above mentioned maneuver.

As much of a fan as I am of calling out those who do wrong to cyclists on the road, this is not an instance where being a cock just for the sake of it is necessary, if there is a preventive measure you could take to avoid the situation altogether. Like I said, I understand this might not be the case for you.

If there's a right turn lane I don't use it if I'm not taking a right. In that case I'd be in the through lane, in the middle, holding cars back until I've cleared the intersection and it's safe to pass. I move in traffic as if I'm a slow moving vehile, that's the law....

I had a soccer mom beep me for a right turn. I think she wanted me to get on the sidewalk, but I moved to the left of the lane. By the time I managed this maneuver, the light turned green. This has only happened once in my cycling lifetime. Before the 3 foot law in California. (I don't think anyone is aware of this law, along with the child helmet law.)

If there's a line of cars at a red when I roll up, I go all the way up in the shoulder/bike lane past the stop line, to avoid right-hooks, and wait for green. If I am first to reach a red light, I will go to the left of the right lane so cars can right-on-red around me.

Like others, I move as far to the left as I can so that cars can go around on my right, but there are places where the lane simply isn't wide enough to allow that. Once in that situation I had a guy holler that I should get out of the road so he could turn. Where did he think I was going to go? I honestly think that for some drivers there is a kind of cognitive block about sharing the road with people on bikes. I don't think he meant to be rude. It was like he couldn't process the thought "I'll have to wait for the light to turn green just like I would if there were a car there."

I usually turn on red myself, so I understand cars' desires for doing so. If its a not turn-only lane, I too would just stick left if I was going straight.

Its never happened to me, but bicycle or solo motorcycle I'm mindful of where I stop so I don't block right turning vehicles if possible.

As others have said, when possible, I leave enough space for the right on red if I'm not taking it myself. I have not been honked at for blocking the right on red because I never block it.

When totally unprovoked, purposefully obstructing a driver (being a deliberate nuisance) is pointless at best.

If I'm going to be stopping at the light, I move to the center of the right-most thru lane. This leaves the right clear for right turners, avoids putting me in a position to get right hooked, and when the light turns green I move to the right as I ride thru the intersection (after a quick glance over my right shoulder) so the straight thru cars can pass me.

If there are already cars stopped at the intersection I will take my place in line behind the cars going straight. Again, right in the center of the lane so that motorists don't try to pass me and so that right turners see that I am well clear of their path.

Try it some time, I've never been honked at for this maneuver, and I've never been buzzed by a car from behind. There is nothing to be gained for cyclists by getting drivers upset. In fact this does the opposite as they see I am obviously trying to not obstruct them. We are trying to get more of our club members to ride this way.

Nope. It's a politeness issue. But it's alright. Own the rudeness. You and the o.p. Own it. I don't know where you ride, but a driver here, no matter how impatient, would never honk at a cyclist waiting to go through an intersection to tell them to move. I can't always move out their way because 50% of the time we are on our commuter tandem, but if I am on a much nimbler single I will squeeze right and wave cars waiting to turn right to go by on my LEFT. Or if there is a left lane I'll get in it and share it with whatever car is already in it. They rarely ever mind. And if they do, what are they going to do about it? The good karma from the right turning cars outweighs the negative energy from the car that now has to share a lane with a lowly bicycle.

How is it a right hook if you are not even moving??

Yes, if I see a car behind me with a turn signal on and I have room, I'll just move over. Have had people roll down their windows to thank me or just wave. It's a small thing but I feel good about doing it.

^ all of this. Sounds like one of the intersections on my commute.

Here in Oregon the places where you can do this are specially marked. If not marked as sharrow a bicycle cannot be in the center of that lane. Well you can, but... its rude. If I free up the right turning lane by going left into a through lane I occupy the rightmost part of it. Very likely there will be cars already there. I have no issue with being alongside cars. Cars cannot move laterally. There is plenty of room in a standard lane for a car and bicycle to occupy at the same time. I wouldn't (but have) want to do this regularly in NYC or NJ, but it is safe* to do on the West Coast. IMO cars should not be forced to move at the speed of a cyclist in that lane. I do not want cars piling up behind me at 12mph. Most llikely they will not try to pass if I am FRAP but the option is there on the table for them. Take the center lane position and you bring out the worst in a cager especially on the streets not marked as sharrows, and that would be most of them. An urban cyclist that cannot abide vehicle traffic overtaking and passing IN the lane that they are in should not IMO consider themselves fully fledged as a vehicular cyclist. But don't listen to me. I've never been hit. I've only been riding for 25 or 30 accident free years. A&S is a much more reliable fount of road-craft. You can learn more from the cyclists that have actually been hit, multiple times even. In just a couple or few years of riding.

*safe being a relative term. It wouldn't be as safe as being in the car alongside, but it is safer than BASE jumping.

I always pull as far forward as I can, like to the front of the crosswalk, while remaining about in line with the painted bike lane. That far forward, there is always room for people to right turn behind me, because the curb curves away well before it gets up to me. Still, I more often find timid drivers waiting, and I try to wave them through, let them know, yes I see you, yes I'm fine with you going through, thanks for thinking of me.

I can't speak to Oregon law, below I've pasted California Vehicle Code Section 21202 with relevant sections emphasized.

Here is a picture of an intersection I ride thru frequently:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6754.../data=!3m1!1e3

If I got there before the blue car, I would be directly in front of it. If I got there after I would be directly behind it. There is not enough room for me to stand to the right of the blue car and allow a right turning car enough room to safely pass to turn, but just enough room to temp someone to try, potentially clipping me. Also if I were to to the right of the blue car, once traffic started moving I would be vulnerable to the blue car or others in the right lane making a last minute decision to turn right. By being in the center of the lane I don't have those problems. Once the light turns green, I am well to the right of the thru lane by the time I reach the middle of the intersection and the straight thru traffic is passing me safely.
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21202. A. Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:

1. When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
3. When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
4. When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

—California Department of Motor Vehicles, CVC 21202, Operation on Roadway[SUP][5][/SUP]