Nearly taken out - heavy traffic so be careful

DonDaddyD

I turn left from my road and join Merton road heading towards South Wimbledon. A liong line of traffic, nothing is moving. I'm not going fast, more rolling along. I'm filtering on the left between the curb and cars and am approaching a side road.

As I go past the side road a car decides to turn left at the same time. There was no indiciation no checking mirrors or blind spots. It was on her part a reactionary move because she couldn't take sitting in traffic any longer. It was so close I could feel my cost brush her window. Had I stopped abruptly I would have crashed due to her cutting across me. My only option was to swerve with the car and flow around it. She brakes and cannot stop saying sorry.

"SMIDSY"

My reply.

"Not good enough, how about looking"

IMO in long lines of traffic people are more prone to swerving out of the traffic in an effort to head down a side road. So be careful.

Cafewanda

She'd seen you earlier, liked the look of you and wanted to get your attention. She lost her nerve once contact had been made

whyamihere

Y'know how many of us say to never, ever, EVER filter on the left? This is why.

DonDaddyD

Cafewanda wrote:

She'd seen you earlier, liked the look of you and wanted to get your attention. She lost her nerve once contact had been made

Is that why you insisted I "go on" when I saw you near Clapham South?

DonDaddyD

whyamihere wrote:

Y'know how many of us say to never, ever, EVER filter on the left? This is why.

I'm sorry, but that's nonesense. The same thing could happen on the right, what if you're approaching a road you need to turn left up and what if you can't filter up the right because the road is too narrow.

In fact, I'm making a seperate thread about this.

iPete

whyamihere wrote:

Y'know how many of us say to never, ever, EVER filter on the left? This is why.

There are plenty of times when its perfectly safe, you just need to slow down and remain cautious every time you approach the opportunity for a car to suddenly turn left & take even more caution and preferably go to the right for HGVs & buses etc.

barry_kellett99

I'm firmly in the camp that says filtering down the left is at your own risk. Unless there is a cycle lane there, no car driver is going to shoulder check when turning left, A car in the right lane moving into a left lane will have to shoulder check so that they arent pulling in front of another vehicle.


If you feel its safe to do it go on ahead, but dont expect it to be without inicident.
Another danger is a car in slow moving traffic slowing to signal a right turner coming the other way to make their move and blissfully unaware cyclist comes trundling through on the left of the car thats just stopped and gets T-Boned.


Its not really as safe as filtering on the right in my opinion. But you are free to make your own decisions and choices based on what you think.

rolf_f

barry_kellett99 wrote:

I'm firmly in the camp that says filtering down the left is at your own risk. Unless there is a cycle lane there, no car driver is going to shoulder check when turning left, A car in the right lane moving into a left lane will have to shoulder check so that they arent pulling in front of another vehicle.


If you feel its safe to do it go on ahead, but dont expect it to be without inicident.
Another danger is a car in slow moving traffic slowing to signal a right turner coming the other way to make their move and blissfully unaware cyclist comes trundling through on the left of the car thats just stopped and gets T-Boned.


Its not really as safe as filtering on the right in my opinion. But you are free to make your own decisions and choices based on what you think.

+1. As it happens, I don't count on drivers shoulder checking even when there is a cycle lane. I always try to look for clues that drivers are going to move left even if I am clearly in my own lane. Saved me from getting knocked over by a bus last week that decided, without indicating, that it was actually a bicycle and not a but at all.

Headhuunter

Yeah I had moments like that a couple of years ago and now I try to remember never to filter on the left when there's a side road. One time I was absolutely steaming along with the traffic moving a little more slowly on my right. I had a fair amount of space as the road was quite wide when all of a sudden one of the cars in the queue decided to throw a left into a side road. I literally missed the bonnet by a whisker. I could hear the passenger screaming at the driver "watch out, watch out". The only choice I had was to take emergency evasive action onto the pavement or hit the car, so I chose the former, luckily the pavement was completely clear or I would have hit a load of pedestrians at 15-20 mph.

It doesn't always help to filter on the right though, about 6 months I was heading into Greenwich from Deptford passing alongside a gridlocked queue of traffic along the right. There was no traffic coming the other way. Suddenly a driver decided he'd been stuck in traffic too long and decided to throw a u turn and head back the other way, as he pulled out I was passing and I literally clipped his wing mirror as he turned...

will3

barry_kellett99 wrote:

. no car driver is going to shoulder check when turning left, .

I do. It stems from being taught a good lookout when flying. Similarly I always check over my shoulder when changing lanes on the motorway - even when I'm 99% sure there's nothing there. Getting into this habit has certainly saved me a few suprises.

barry_kellett99

will3 wrote:

barry_kellett99 wrote:

. no car driver is going to shoulder check when turning left, .

I do. It stems from being taught a good lookout when flying. Similarly I always check over my shoulder when changing lanes on the motorway - even when I'm 99% sure there's nothing there. Getting into this habit has certainly saved me a few suprises.

Ok, I'll rephrase that. No car driver who also isnt a cyclist or motor cyclist ever checks. I see it all the time. I always check. Cycling makes you so much more aware of whats going on around you in traffic no matter what mode of transport you are using I feel

itboffin

Dude glad you're okay but really filtering on the left ESP in traffic, you're not goin to live long doing that!

Think of the children!!!!

always_tyred

DonDaddyD wrote:

whyamihere wrote:

Y'know how many of us say to never, ever, EVER filter on the left? This is why.

I'm sorry, but that's nonesense. The same thing could happen on the right, what if you're approaching a road you need to turn left up and what if you can't filter up the right because the road is too narrow.

In fact, I'm making a seperate thread about this.

+1

There are no hard and fast rules about filtering, or about a lot of road craft. You have to assess every situation on its own merits. If you want to be absolutely safe filtering, don't filter. But that kind of negates pretty much the only advantage of commuting on a 2 wheeled, self propelled vehicle about 44cm wide, without a/c, a sound system or suspension, doesn't it?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

itboffin wrote:

Dude glad you're okay but really filtering on the left ESP in traffic, you're not goin to live long doing that!

I agree, bad idea to squeeze in that gap that is rarely checked properly by drivers.

Aidy

Someone drove into me on Friday night, and said it was my own fault for not filtering on the left.

(I was filtering down the right, he was joining from a side road).

DonDaddyD

I'll be honest, it was completely her fault.

I was however taken by complete surprise and perhaps should have been watching her tyres (as well as her indicators) as I normally do (advice from someone who has taken defensive/offensive driving course). My spatial awareness was off.

I was impressed that I didn't go rigid, brake and fall over. Instead I was amazed at how quickly I reacted and was able to flow around her car like I studied Bruce Lee's theory of "being like water".

Headhuunter

Always Tyred wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

whyamihere wrote:

Y'know how many of us say to never, ever, EVER filter on the left? This is why.

I'm sorry, but that's nonesense. The same thing could happen on the right, what if you're approaching a road you need to turn left up and what if you can't filter up the right because the road is too narrow.

In fact, I'm making a seperate thread about this.

+1

There are no hard and fast rules about filtering, or about a lot of road craft. You have to assess every situation on its own merits. If you want to be absolutely safe filtering, don't filter. But that kind of negates pretty much the only advantage of commuting on a 2 wheeled, self propelled vehicle about 44cm wide, without a/c, a sound system or suspension, doesn't it?

I usually feel far less safe filtering down the middle of a heavily trafficked road (filtering on the right). I do it, but only if the left is blocked. Filtering on the right puts you at risk from lemming pedestrians emerging from the traffic suddenly, crossing the road and knocking you into oncoming traffic, I also find that the gap betwen traffic can suddenly narrow when a vehicle on the other side pulls round another or wants to turn right so moves across the lane. Same with traffic on your left. Drivers do check before turning right but they don't always check before drifting across to the right/middle of teh lane.

Cafewanda

DonDaddyD wrote:

Cafewanda wrote:

She'd seen you earlier, liked the look of you and wanted to get your attention. She lost her nerve once contact had been made

Is that why you insisted I "go on" when I saw you near Clapham South?

Not a chance. I'd taken an oath to 'behave myself' which I may have to rescind now that Spring is in the air

I filter on the left 99% of the time but only if there is a gap the width of 2 or 3 cyclists. This is an improvement on a year ago when 'filtering' wasn't a word in my vocabulary Actually my default is still 'line up' in traffic but I expect that to reduce in time as I get more comfortable on my bike and cycling on London's roads.

linsen

whyamihere wrote:

Y'know how many of us say to never, ever, EVER filter on the left? This is why.

The only time I have nearly been taken off my bike with filtering issues was when I was filtering on the right, as it happens. Car wanted to pull out between the traffic from the right to turn right.

You just have to be very vigilant when filtering and assume everyone wants you off your bike, I guess.

Along that same road, there is a new cycle lane on the left. It's brilliant - just wide enough for bl**dy cars to park in.

Agent57

I filter on the left quite often if there's room, although I take extra care when passing junctions. Much of the time I feel it's safer than filtering on the right, or down the middle of multi-lane roads.

rjsterry

Rolf F wrote:

barry_kellett99 wrote:

I'm firmly in the camp that says filtering down the left is at your own risk. Unless there is a cycle lane there, no car driver is going to shoulder check when turning left, A car in the right lane moving into a left lane will have to shoulder check so that they arent pulling in front of another vehicle.


If you feel its safe to do it go on ahead, but dont expect it to be without inicident.
Another danger is a car in slow moving traffic slowing to signal a right turner coming the other way to make their move and blissfully unaware cyclist comes trundling through on the left of the car thats just stopped and gets T-Boned.


Its not really as safe as filtering on the right in my opinion. But you are free to make your own decisions and choices based on what you think.

+1. As it happens, I don't count on drivers shoulder checking even when there is a cycle lane. I always try to look for clues that drivers are going to move left even if I am clearly in my own lane. Saved me from getting knocked over by a bus last week that decided, without indicating, that it was actually a bicycle and not a but at all.

Lost count o the number of times I've nearly been punted into the curb by some impatient halfwit deciding to swing into the bus lane (not even a cycle lane) because he/she can't be bothered to wait. One other point: cycle lanes, ASLs and their 'tails' specifically encourage cyclists to filter up the LHS rather than the RHS.

Roastie

I'm not sure if "filtering" and "safe" belong in the same sentence. Passing a stationary queue is always a very dangerous undertaking. There is always the risk of the sudden u-turn, left turns, moving left or right for a peek, doors opening (passengers jumping out) - or road raging drivers jumping out, peds walking between the cars, motorcycles (or other cyclists) swapping from filtering down the middle to the left or right, ...

I had two cases with the last this morning - same motorcyclist in both cases who saw fit to swear at me the second time - odd, given that I was proceeding straight down the RHS of the queue and he was pulling out into my path from between the cars. Idiot.

jedster

First of all, it was the woman's fault and I'm very glad DDD is OK.

I do tend to the view that right filtering is generally safer than left filtering. Gaps tend to be narrower to the left IME. More importantly, drivers know, for reasons of self preservation, that they have to look before cutting across the opposite lane when turning right. Drivers don't expect traffic on their left and don't have do worry about their own safety - the worse that could happen is that they kill a cyclist

But in both cases you have to be very vigilant for what could go wrong and adjust your speed/road positioning accordingly.

You should never rely on drivers to do the right thing to keep you safe.

Ever.

Porgy

DonDaddyD wrote:

In fact, I'm making a seperate thread about this.

I think you should always filter on the side that's safest. 8)

will3

It;s like Deja Vuall over again

(and yes I appreciate that there are differences ;-) )

DonDaddyD

will3 wrote:

It;s like Deja Vuall over again

(and yes I appreciate that there are differences ;-) )

Are you just trying to prove a point for the sake of trying over and above actually achieving to make a point?

Blackfriars bridge has a cycle lane on the left that passes through a junction. Many cyclist have reported about its dangers. Greg66 told me to simply not ride across it. He's about the same age as my Dad so I listened.

Given that the traffic heading into the city can also head right as well as straight I'm not seeing how filtering on the right (with the intention of going straight) can be anything less than dangerous.

dilemna

Don't filter on the left especially in traffic as it's dangerous as you are in a driver's blind spot plus they do not look and don't expect you to be there. On this one I think it was 2/3 your fault 1/3 the car driver. Unless it was a dedicated cycle lane which you would still be advised to be mindful of other road users turning and cycle in a manner you can safely stop if some one pulls out.