Turning right

[Griffinvulture]

Does anyone else get harassed by drivers when turning right? Happened to me again yesterday, entering a 30 zone, on my morning commute. Carried out what I thought was a textbook r-hand turn (shoulder check, pick a sensible gap in following traffic, indicate, shoulder check again before moving into primary whilst still indicating etc.), only to have a driver lean on the horn for about 30 seconds, then wag her finger at me as she came past on my left (it was the finger-wagging that really got my goat ). This isn't the first time either - what's going on? Are drivers expecting cyclists to pull into the side of the road and wait for the traffic flow to stop before we turn right? I've also had drivers speed up and overtake when I indicate my intention to turn right - I know it's illegal to overtake a car that's indicating to turn right, and I assumed this was also the case for bikes indicating. Any thoughts anyone??

[[XAP]Bob]

You're doing right - but as you are being distracted by the horn you might miss an oncoming gap. You could also ask if they need help fixing their horn.

[karlt]

Have to say I don't go into Primary to turn right - I go right to the right hand side of the lane. Not sure if this is current practice but it's what I was taught years ago.

[Psamathe]

Have to say I don't go into Primary to turn right - I go right to the right hand side of the lane. Not sure if this is current practice but it's what I was taught years ago.

Me too - but it is also how I was taught years ago and I have no idea about current recommended practice.

Ian

[Griffinvulture]

Should have explained that I'm actually up against the central white lines prior to turning right (hence cars can squeeze past on the left if they feel the need), I suppose I meant "taking primary then keeping going across to the right"

[[XAP]Bob]

Depending on the gap you are able to leave on the left you might choose not to go past primary, but your OP did suggest (to me) that you were going further than primary.

If you consider the squeezing past to be too much of the squeezing, then you might want to hold the lane, as most other vehicles would do when turning right.

[Slow Loris]

When I was new to cycling I often had trouble turning right – it's rarer now but very occasionally there's some inconsiderate twonk determined to barrel past regardless. I usually take primary (centre of the lane) to deter close undertakes on my left – a bus once gave me quite a fright . If there is a continuous stream of traffic the other way, I'll edge towards the centre line to encourage someone to let me through. There does seem to be a motoring mindset that bikes have no rights (pun intended) until traffic is clear behind – a non existent occurrence in cities. I one complained to my father, who used to cycle, and was told that he wouldn't have given way either and I should have pulled left . Thankfully, I find most drivers have better manners than my father .

[Mick F]

You did it correctly.
I do it that way of course.

[elmo]

I have to turn right off the main A road to get to my village. This turn is at the bottom of a steep hill on a right-hand bend so there is no forward view for overtaking. This still does not prevent cars regularly driving under my out stretched right arm whilst I am hugging the central white line!!!
I did once have a car pull out of the move then complain to me that they could not see my right arm clearly enough i.e. their manouvre was my fault!! I was at the time wearing a high viz long sleeve jacket!!

Elmo

[orangebiker]

Your manoevre sounds fine. I've had similar problems in the past, even when waiting in a right hand filter lane with cars coming the other way meaning I couldn't turn, I've had people hooting behind me in the filter lane. Also the one where they overtake on the other side of the road, even though I am in the right lane of 2, indicating right, and the left lane is totally clear.

As long as you stick your arm out obviously, and keep it there for long enough until someone lets you out rather than squeezing into a small gap, I can't see why anyone would hoot unless they are an idiot! I also always now check over my shoulder repeatedly having had a couple of near misses with people overtaking even though I'm signalling right.

[CliveyT]

I have to turn right off the main A road to get to my village. This turn is at the bottom of a steep hill on a right-hand bend so there is no forward view for overtaking. This still does not prevent cars regularly driving under my out stretched right arm whilst I am hugging the central white line!!!
I did once have a car pull out of the move then complain to me that they could not see my right arm clearly enough i.e. their manouvre was my fault!! I was at the time wearing a high viz long sleeve jacket!!

Elmo

Similar, I have a right turn on my usual commute where I will occasionally be overtaken when indicating right. Problem is there is a pedestrian crossing before the turning. So one time I was approaching the turn in primary, indicating right and I was aware of the car overtaking me (always check) and then the crossing lights go red. I stop, still in primary, the car, now on the 'wrong' side of the road also stops. By the time the light turns green we have a line of cars coming in the opposite direction all staring at the car on my right......

who had wound her window down to tell me it was all my fault

[Griffinvulture]

Thanks for all your replies, it sounds as though my technique isn't to blame! Anyone know if a car driver is actually committing an offence when they overtake a clearly right-turn-indicating cyclist?

[Mark1978]

You're doing it entirely right and the same way a car would do it. Drivers are getting upset because it's a cyclist who they automatically think is holding them up. If a car was doing the same move, at the same speed, they wouldn't think anything of it!

[Vantage]

I usually take centre of the lane when I'm about to turn right, but a few eejits who've still decided to overtake despite my signalling (which is difficult enough while trying to brake on a downward flowing slope) have been putting me off this idea and so I decided to try staying just to the left of the centre line the other night and this happened.

Yes that is the local hot fuzz and between the rear tyre and the centre line is where my bike was with its sticky out panniers...not a lot of room either side. Traffic was indeed approaching me from the other lane and yes indeed that was an undertake. These chaps are supposed to know better.
I do wonder at times.

[drossall]

As far as I know, there are no rules that distinguish between bikes and cars in the context of overtaking. What is wrong for a car overtaking a car is wrong for a car overtaking a bike, a bike overtaking a car, or a car overtaking a bike. The only difference is that, where a bike is involved, the total width required is not quite so large (but is significantly larger than some motorists assume!)

I've always been concerned that the main training that drivers have received concerning cyclists is when they themselves took Cycling Proficiency as children. That consisted of keeping out of the way of cars, waiting at the left until there was no traffic before turning right, and so on. It's not entirely surprising if they grow up into drivers who believe that that is the law, rather than a pragmatic thing to teach to young riders who may lack the judgment to deal with moving vehicles.