Was I in the wrong with the police?

CRAIGO5000

Yesterday I was doing the usual commute into Manchester where a double laned road enters the city and the right hand lane filters the traffic for a right turn only at a set of traffic lights. As it's rush hour and as a cyclist, it's difficult for me to cycle on the left of the left hand lane and then get over to the right hand right turning lane as this road is a 40mph zone and so cars often tend to do 50mph when traffic is clear or simply gridlock both lanes when it's busy. Both instances make it difficult to cross over both lanes to make my right turn.

I was a set of red lights around 200m from my right hand turn (where there is another set of lights) so I find it's safer to be briefly on the right hand side of the right lane so I can then signal I'm turning right and complete my turn.

Yesterday a traffic police car followed me at the 25mph I was doing a mere 3ft from my rear wheel and then started to beep at me. I looked over my shoulder and immediately took prime position of the lane, which to be fair may have wound him up somewhat. I then immediately signalled I was turning right in this right hand turning lane. The lights turned red and stopped us both. I looked over my shoulder and shook my head at him and he did nothing.

Was I in the wrong or was he? I can't seem to find anything regarding UK road laws about briefly using the right hand side of a lane to turn right.

Even though this is the safest position for me to take as a cyclist, I want to know that it's actually legal.

Thanks!

jonny_trousers

Sounds to me like you did nothing wrong at all. What's a traffic policeman doing sounding his horn right behind a cyclist anyway? Highly irresponsible.

bails87

Yep, you're doing nowt wrong. If you got the reg or car number (printed on the roof or on the side of the car) I'd report it.

veronese68

I think you're right there. I would almost hope for them to stop me so I could ask what law I broke. Problem is I'd probably get locked up for not having any wheel reflectors.

TommyEss

If you questioned him though his argument would have been "I was only alerting you to my presence"

Personally - this is the best place for you to ride, and there's certainly no law against it - the highway code recommends you take up a position on the left of the inside lane for the majority of your riding to allow the majority of faster traffic to pass you safely - but when the traffic isn't flowing well, or you have to execute a manouevre, it becomes a rather moot point (and is a recommendation only, not a law)

Stick to your guns!

CRAIGO5000

Fair enough. I did feel I had done nothing wrong and also felt intimidated by the honking horn and tailgating antics of a so-called professional driver. In hindsight,I should have had a word at the set of lights we both stopped at but I was too far forward in the cycle ASL and didn't want the hassle of making myself late for work.

Sadly I didn't get any car details and he had his partner with him so it would have been my word against two "officers of the law". A long-winded path I don't really fancy treading.

Thanks for the replies guys.

jedster

I have a similar situation on my commute and do exactly what you do. I've ridden that stretch of road about 800 times and tried all sorts of road positions and I know for a FACT that this is the safest AND the least obstructive to other traffic. If the police stopped me for it, I'd calmly explain this and politely but VERY firmly stick to my guns.

SteppenHerring

I do this too with right turns on fast DCs. When there's a gap get hard up against the central reservation in preparation. Works better than sticking your hand out and hoping.

First.Aspect

The problem with hugging the right of any lane is what happens after you make the turn. You effectively cross an extra lane of traffic to get there and have to do so again afterwards. As annoying as it is for motorists to be held up by between zero and 10 seconds, I find its best to take the primary in such situations.

Its beside the point really. I guess that the rozzers were annoyed for the same reason, misguidedly, as other drivers. There are precedents for cyclists getting as far as court for "holding up traffic" by not riding in the gutter in the view of some numpty copper. The law is on the cyclist's side, though.