Using a toucan to turn right: banned?

[SA_SA_SA]

I have a vague memory of somewhere stating that using the "green pedal cycle" phase of a toucan to turn right onto the main road itself was somehow forbidden but can find no reference in law?

Am I mistaken?

[gaz]

If you can find no reference in law I'm sure I wouldn't be able to either.

I'd imagine that if an accident (or significant near miss) occurred then it might be prosecuted under RTA 1988 Section 28/29 for dangerous /careless cycling.

[Elizabethsdad]

I have often walked my bike across a pelican crossing in order to get to the other side of a busy road in order to then cycle on in that direction.

[thirdcrank]

I have a vague memory of somewhere stating that using the "green pedal cycle" phase of a toucan to turn right onto the main road itself was somehow forbidden but can find no reference in law?

Am I mistaken?

Perhaps you have misunderstood what you read, unless I've misunderstood your post.

As I see it, there's nothing to stop a cyclist who is crossing a road on a toucan crossing, leaving the crossing and joining the main carriageway before they get to the other side. However, a cyclist on the carriageway may not legally do the reverse of that, ie join a toucan to cross the roadwhile the signals are at a STOP phase, because they would be contravening the STOP requirement. ie When traffic is stopped by the signal, a cyclist can only join a standard toucan from the footway. Around here, they have installed mini sliproads (which they call "jughandles" IIRC) to farcilitate this and, perhaps more to the point, they have installed signs along the lines CYCLISTS USE TOUCAN FOR RIGHT TURN. I presume these are only advisory, but I doubt it would help a compo claim if it were shown that the signs had been ignored.

[Bicycler]

Seems a perfectly legitimate use of the toucan to me.

[boliston]

this sounds almost as daft as the rule that says you can only use an advance stop line if you have used the gutterside feeder lane - no logic!

[SA_SA_SA]

.... unless I've misunderstood your post......

You understand my post correctly: so it sounds like I have perhaps misunderstood the direction of the forbidden right turn as you suggest.

... However, a cyclist on the carriageway may not legally do the reverse of that, ie join a toucan to cross the roadwhile the signals are at a STOP phase, because they would be contravening the STOP requirement. ie When traffic is stopped by the signal, a cyclist can only join a standard toucan from the footway. Around here, they have installed mini sliproads (which they call "jughandles" IIRC) to farcilitate this and, perhaps more to the point, they have installed signs along the lines CYCLISTS USE TOUCAN FOR RIGHT TURN. I presume these are only advisory, but I doubt it would help a compo claim if it were shown that the signs had been ignored.

There are no jughandles on my local toucans but I sometimes similarly turn right off the road to path by turning left,stopping, then crossing toucan crossing.

[thirdcrank]

I'm not sure which bit of the thread is being described as daft. The most obvious thing - to me at least - about trying to use a toucan to turn right without first going up onto the pavement is that unless you are Mr Tickle there's no way of pressing the button to stop the traffic.

[beardy]

I frequently used the crossing as "cover" while turning right as it holds the motors back long enough for me to angle across the road and onto the pavement without entering the crossing before they are released.

Or possibly entering the crossing near to the other side just to use its dropped kerb.

[LollyKat]

I frequently used the crossing as "cover" while turning right as it holds the motors back long enough for me to angle across the road and onto the pavement without entering the crossing before they are released.

Or possibly entering the crossing near to the other side just to use its dropped kerb.

I sometimes do this on a crossing near home - it's right outside the police station

[Tonyf33]

As I see it, there's nothing to stop a cyclist who is crossing a road on a toucan crossing, leaving the crossing and joining the main carriageway before they get to the other side. However, a cyclist on the carriageway may not legally do the reverse of that, ie join a toucan to cross the roadwhile the signals are at a STOP phase, because they would be contravening the STOP requirement. ie When traffic is stopped by the signal, a cyclist can only join a standard toucan from the footway. Around here, they have installed mini sliproads (which they call "jughandles" IIRC) to farcilitate this and, perhaps more to the point, they have installed signs along the lines CYCLISTS USE TOUCAN FOR RIGHT TURN. I presume these are only advisory, but I doubt it would help a compo claim if it were shown that the signs had been ignored.

TC, could one dismount at the red light and walk or even carry the bike (through the red) to then join onto & across the toucan without breaking any law?

[kwackers]

I think you can get too preoccupied with the technicalities of situations like this. The trick is to realise that for all the 'bikes are vehicles' mantra, they're not really.
There are so many loopholes as folk try to fudge things to try and make it all work that I honestly think it's not worth worrying about.
The best you can do is obey the 'spirit' rather than get tied up with the technicalities of the law (with safety being the primary concern).

[thirdcrank]

... TC, could one dismount at the red light and walk or even carry the bike (through the red) to then join onto & across the toucan without breaking any law?

I doubt if the issue has ever been decided and as kwackers implies, it will hopefullynever be. If only because we'd have a lot less to discuss on cycling forums. My own interpretation is that if you are pushing a bike you are driving a vehicle but if you carry it you aren't.

(Before anybody jumps in about Crank v Brooks - or is that Brooks v Crank ? - that concluded that somebody pushing a pedal cycle is a foot passenger AKA pedestrian, which is a separate issue.)

[snibgo]

My own interpretation is that if you are pushing a bike you are driving a vehicle but if you carry it you aren't.

With great respect to TC, I disagree. Driving a carriage on footways isn't allowed but pushing a bike on footways is allowed. Therefore pushing a bike isn't "driving a carriage". Perhaps TC is distinguishing between "carriage" and "vehicle".

It seems to me that walking across a stop line at a red light while pushing or wheeling a bike isn't prohibited. (It may be unwise, of course. And it's worth mentioning that skooting is cycling.)

[SA_SA_SA]

But isn't pushing a bike over a road stop line "propelling" it and as such forbidden by the normal red traffic signal law (mentioned by TC elsewhere) ?

If the toucan was red for road vehicles, I presume a very nearby approaching or waiting on-road cyclist could legally dismount before the stop line, wheel the bike up onto the pavement to the share area at the toucan signal poles and either walk or cycle across as normal.