under or over taking ?

contone

I have been commuting 3 times a week for the best part of 4 years. It's 13 miles from home in Essex into Regent Street in central London and once i get into town I don't really concern myself with speed as i focus on self preservation. Quite a lot of my route is now bus lanes or cycle lanes which tend to make you ride on the inside of traffic. I have had 2 accidents in the 4 years, both when i have been travelling on the inside of slow or stationary cars.

Do most people feel safer on the outside edge of stationary or slow traffic or on the inside with or without Bus & Cycle lanes ?

My thoughts have been so far that when i travel slowly and carefully on the inside the worst that can happen is a unobservant driver can do a left turn on me or let someone cross them to turn across me (i never undertake buses or lorries). Either way avoidable or a very minor impact. If i travel on the outside and a equally unobservant driver doesn't check his mirror I could be pushed into a potentially fatal collision with oncoming traffic. Also someone coming towards me could be distracted or on the phone and I have no escape route ?

I do feel safer on the inside but the fact i have had 2 accidents might be telling me something, however half my route encourages me to stay inside with bus & cycle lanes.
When i do over take or stay on the outside of traffic it somehow feels more risky.

any advice would be much appreciated

Wooliferkins

I know where you're coming from. There is less room on the outside but I would suggest as many drivers only use their L/H mirrors on dual carriageways/M/ways you are more likely to be seen on the outside and if they are white line hugging just wait.

Sharkyssurfers

this is one thing that bugs me, they say never overtake/undertake a lorry or bus on the left hand side when at junctions etc..., so why build a cycle lane that side then? I must admit when on my last journey home i go in the middle of stationary traffic on a dual lane, that way drivers on the inside lane use their drivers mirrors and spot me and because the road goes to one lane the drivers on the outside have to use their passenger mirror so i get seen pretty well most of the time, you do get the odd idiot that likes to wander to see what the hold up is. If i use the same stretch of road and just try the left hand side only, drivers never spot you and you either get pushed into the kerb or have to slam my brakes on.

father_jack

I only undertake if the traffic is stationary and plenty of room . If they're to the left, then overtake on the right.

Should be fine, just don't go bombing along at 30 mph. Just filter at low speed so if someone does open the door, you have no problems with stopping.

fnegroni

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

this is one thing that bugs me, they say never overtake/undertake a lorry or bus on the left hand side when at junctions etc..., so why build a cycle lane that side then?

I think I understand what you say.

And I think I know the answer.

A cycle lane is an 'advisory' lane. Some times, it is not safe and the highway code does say cyclists are under no obligation to stick to them.

I use both cycle lanes, cycle tracks and the road. I get on and off them whenever I deem appropriate.

bails87

contone wrote:

. If i travel on the outside and a equally unobservant driver doesn't check his mirror I could be pushed into a potentially fatal collision with oncoming traffic.

But if a car going the same way as you is turning right, whil eyou're on the outside of them, wouldn't that mean that there was no traffic coming the other way? Otherwise the driver would be turning into a head-on collision. Not impossible, but less likely than someone turning left without looking for undertaking people.

And read Cyclecraft by John Franklin.

Wooliferkins

bails87 wrote:

contone wrote:

. If i travel on the outside and a equally unobservant driver doesn't check his mirror I could be pushed into a potentially fatal collision with oncoming traffic.

But if a car going the same way as you is turning right, whil eyou're on the outside of them, wouldn't that mean that there was no traffic coming the other way?

Not if they are just easing out to the white line without crossing it to take up the correct road position to turn right. This would push an unseen rider alongside the car across the line into the oncoming traffic.

bails87

Wooliferkins wrote:

bails87 wrote:

contone wrote:

. If i travel on the outside and a equally unobservant driver doesn't check his mirror I could be pushed into a potentially fatal collision with oncoming traffic.

But if a car going the same way as you is turning right, whil eyou're on the outside of them, wouldn't that mean that there was no traffic coming the other way?

Not if they are just easing out to the white line without crossing it to take up the correct road position to turn right. This would push an unseen rider alongside the car across the line into the oncoming traffic.

Possible I suppose, but in heavy traffic the car coming the other way is unlikely to be going very quick. When I 'm overtaking I like to have a safety margin between me and the cars (just like I expect cars to leave space when they pass me) so I usually ride on the other side of the white line anyway. So if there's something coming I'm stopped/ tucked back in with the traffic.

Personally I'd rather take my chances there than on the inside.

Edit, "Not if they are just easing out to the white line without crossing it to take up the correct road position to turn right." Of course, the driver should be indicating. Possibly approacing a right turn isn't the best place to be overtaking traffic? They could be turning into a driveway or something else that's less obvious than a junction, obviously.

Overtaking on the right isn't always safe, sometimes it's best to hang back for a few seconds. But on the whole, I find it quicker and safer than undertaking.