Taking a Left Turn
 

Here is a question I have which might sound stupid, but I'm a beginner so take it easy. How to make a left turn in traffic? I've avoided busy streets and I lived in the country for a while so I never had this problem. Now I live in LA and I'm riding in traffic.

Specifically: When there are two lanes of traffic going each way. I'm all the way to the right between the right lane and the parallel parked cars. Do I stop and wait for the crosswalk and ride across the crosswalk?

It seems like I shouldn't be using the crosswalk and should be obeying all traffic laws like a car, but there's no way in hell I'm cutting over to make a left turn in traffic. I can't really ride on the sidewalks because it's just too crowded sometimes and it can be dangerous to the walkers if the bikers are weaving in and out on the sidewalk. I'm just starting to adjust to city riding and it's tough to tell where the line between pedestrian and vehicle are when you're on a bike.

Another thing that gets me is when a car is making a right turn and I'm going straight. I never know if they see me coming and I'm not going to chance it, so I usually throw on the brakes and let them turn which is sort of a pain in the ass for me. Also, most of the time they do see me and they stop before making the turn to let me go, but I've stopped out of caution already. It usually ends in a "You go" "No, you go ahead" kind of thing where we are both sort of inconvenienced.

Anyway, any suggestions are helpful as I'm trying to get comfortable with city riding. It's downright scary sometimes and not knowing etiquette and rules can make it intimidating and make me less likely to ride.

I picked up the local lawbook from the LBS. helps clear most grey areas.

also... common sense and intuition Always play a role In quick judgement

Plan well in advance for a left turn on a busy street. Glance back repeatedly until you find a break in traffic, then signal and cross over to the left turn lane. If you can't find a comfortable chance, just go straight and stop at the corner. However, instead of riding in the crosswalk (illegal in Los Angeles and most of the county anyway), ride just to the left of the crosswalk so you're technically part of traffic without impeding the cars.

+1 to common sense and intuition.

On left turns, the closer you can match the speed of motor traffic, the easier it will be. If the fastest you can go is 20 and the cars are going 45, forget it: you're better off using the cross walk. But if you can go 25 and the cars are going 30, it can be done: ramp up speed, look back and find a gap, put out your left hand and slot in. Take the left like you're driving a car.

Yep, plan ahead and look back often, then signal to get over. Motorists usually don't get mad at you as long as you are predictable and keep your line.
As for cars turning right, if they have their signal on, then I usually let them go. But keep your eyes sharp for cars without signal that speed up to you then quickly slow down, that's usually a cue that they are about to turn right in front of you.

Another option is to make a right turn at the intersection, Then a quick U-Turn and cross the intersection.

At busy intersections, sometimes walking across at the crosswalk is safest. I've not ridden in LA but I don't think I'd be very willing to try left turns with tons of fast moving cars around. Also, 3 rights = a left. Go through the intersection staying on the right, turn into the inevitable gas station or whatever, make another right back toward the way you came and another right out onto the road you wanted to turn left onto. In busy areas there are almost always businesses on the corners making this pretty easy.

Unless I'm not reading that right, that won't work if the other road also has lots of traffic as you are trying to u-turn across 4 lanes without a light. Probably illegal too.

Yeah I usually do this when I can't make it across 4 lanes of 50 mph traffic.

There are a few intersections on high-speed roads where I'm reluctant to get over into the left-turn lane, and often will do the right-turn + U-turn routine, but for the most part, I do turn left like a car. You need to start thinking early and often you need to get left way earlier than seems reasonable.

When you're going straight approaching an intersection, and a car wants to turn right into your path, the thing to do is make yourself more visible. Be assertive and ride farther out into the lane. This is also helpful for helping you prevent a right hook.

+1

This is exactly what I do ... and it works even better if there are traffic lights.

First off, it's probably best not turn left across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic if you don't have a stop sign or traffic light and there is a lot of traffic. I'm assuming you are in two lane traffic with a stop sign or traffic light.

Make your way left into the middle of the rightmost lane, taking up all of the space you can in that lane so no car can pass you. Look back to find a good gap to your left, and when you get a good gap, get into it and take up the whole lane again. Cars behind you can always pass you on the right at this point even if you have made your way left a little too early. Better safe than sorry. Once you arrive at the left turn, you should be fine to go when the traffic light changes or when people at the stop sign recognize there is a cyclist.

If you know can learn to track stand, I find it helps sometimes. I find that if I do a track stand, cars pay more attention to me and it also lets traffic know that while I don't intend to cut them off, I'm ready to take the right of way as soon as it is my turn. Then if the traffic really should have the right of way, I put a foot down telling them that it is really their turn to go. This clears up any ambiguity which tends to arise with drivers who are too polite.

I found that the more time I spent riding, the more comfortable I felt navigating through traffic and making those turns you describe. What helped me the most was that I commute 3 days a week, so I got a lot of practice before getting into road biking.

As others have said, it's best to plan well ahead, look behind and move at the appropriate time when the coast is clear. One thing to realize is that your bike probably won't set the traffic signal sensor off, so if there isn't a car already in the left turning lane you may feel like a sitting duck out on that line. This happened to me recently where the left hand turn signal didn't change because I was the only object in the lane. Cars were whizzing by me at 50 mph so I just turned on the red because I felt it wasn't safe to stay where I was. In hindsight I should have just gone through the intersection and turned around. :o

It also helps to ride with an experienced rider to get a feel for how he/she navigates through the streets.

The more you ride the better you'll feel about it.

There's always what's called a "box turn". Go straight, but stop at the opposite corner on your right. Turn your bike, then wait for the light to turn green for the desired direction.

I'd suggest this over the turn right-turn-then-U-turn-to-go-straight method since you'll be making less movement and being easier for other users to predict.

I've got a busy intersection near my place where my choice of either a box turn or taking the left turn lane is dependent upon traffic. Sometimes it's so crowded that it's just not a good idea to move three lanes over, sometimes there's nobody else on that same block.

Now, if only people could figure this out when using an on-ramp to the freeway :rolleyes:

You'd be walking a lot in Los Angeles. It is possible. You just need a larger break in traffic, and they do happen.

Like Hao said, motorists appreciate when you are predictable and polite.


Yep, and that intersection is quite common in LA. The "box turn" would be better in that situation, but I have used the right/u-turn trick for less busy streets, as well as for circumnavigating red lights that I know won't change for a bicycle alone.

It's sounds like your working it out, use your head and do what you think will keep you safe.

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+1 on this. I tend to take the outside lane, so that I can easily go wide if for some reason my pedal doesn't engage, or if cars don't hold their line. Another thing I do, that works for some, is I try to get the attention of drivers by assertively signaling my moves. Don't use the signals in the DMV handbook, most drivers forgot them two seconds after reading that part of the handbook. I just use my left arm for a left turn, right arm for a right turn; fully extended. If I see someone on a side street that might pull out suddenly, I wave and make eye contact. Also, if you anticipate your turns early, you can move part way into the road, kind of in the way. It will help to make your presence known... Most people have blinders on when they drive, if you get into their field of view early, they will be forced to acknowledge your presence, (read: slow down) before you "jump out" at them.

That is not only dangerous. If a police officer saw you pull that stunt, he would pull you over.

Ditto

I will do that. Not using my hand, but looking for a gap in the traffic. Where the next vehicle in the passing lane, is at least four to five car lengths back. This will allow me enough time to get in the left-turn/passing lane, shift up so I am in a higher gear for speed. I will shift down, after getting in the passing lane, if there is a traffic light ahead that is a red light. If the light is green, I will stay in the higher gear to make it through the turn, before the traffic starts to come from the opposite direction.

I've seen that comment before, and I don't understand it.

I turn right (a legal turn) ... ride up the road a little ways (nothing wrong with that) ... then, when there's no traffic, I pull the U-turn (nothing wrong with that either). If there are no signs up prohibiting U-turns, vehicles of all sorts can pull U-turns. But if there's any doubt, I just make it look like I'm pulling into a driveway, or loop through a parking lot.

It may take a few minutes, but often that's less time than waiting in line, in the left turn lane, to turn left ... and I don't see anything illegal there. Why would a police officer pull me over???



(Incidentally ... as an aside ... there's a lot to be said for roundabouts! :D)

When I was a kid, my dad, who was a State Trooper (now retired), saw me cut across a parking lot to avoid a "no turn on red" intersection. He explained to me that, even though my individual maneuvers were legal, my overall intent was the avoidance of a traffic control device and therefore illegal. I remember him citing the "right turn + U-turn" as an additional example. However, I'd also wager this it would have to be a very bored cop to take the time to bust someone for this; it's probably designed to prevent larger traffic flow problems, if the law even exists in all regions. It also seems it would be very difficult to prove.

I'm not claiming to be a legal expert; just offering up a seemingly relevant anecdote.

Some intersections I've seen actually encourage the right turn + U-turn manoeuver.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left and also look up Median U-Turn Intersection.


Anyway, you're not avoiding a traffic control device by doing the right turn + U-turn method. You do the right turn, you ride up the road a little ways, you do the U-turn ... and now you're facing the intersection and the traffic control device. If you've timed it right, the light will turn green as you get there, and you'll sail across. But if you have had ride up the road a ways, or wait for some traffic to get out of the way, you may be stopped at the red light.

Yes, it seems obvious, but apparently most drivers in Sacramento haven't figured it out. When I become King, every on ramp will have a giant sign at the bottom: You must be going at least 50mph by the end of this ramp!

"However, instead of riding in the crosswalk (illegal in Los Angeles and most of the county anyway)"

Is this true? A crosswalk in Los Angeles is considered an extension of the sidewalk and I do not believe there is any written prohibition for riding a bike in a crosswalk. Not that I'd do so, but I doubt it's illegal.

Having ridden in Los Angeles for most of the past many decades, I'm fully comfortable in traffic. The only times I don't make left turns from the left turn lane is when I'm riding in heavy traffic with multiple lanes containing fast moving (and usually tailgating) cars. When that happens, and it's rare, I"ll cross the intersection, stop at the far corner, and then cross again with the light.