Must remember, must remember...

Headhuunter
Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
edited November 2009 in Commuting chat
....to watch out for traffic turning right across my path through stationary/jammed traffic on my side of the road. This has almost caught me out a few times, traffic on my side is slow moving or stopped and queuing, however the bike or bus lane is clear so I'm still moving. Turning on my left coming up, car on my right lets a car coming the other way, turning right, through and turning car blasts through without looking if there are any motorcyclists/cyclists still filtering through the traffic. Often it's hard to see the turning car waiting because of the traffic on the right which often includes higher sided vehicles and the 1st thing you know is a car suddenly coming at you round from the right.

I'm guessing in this situation, it's up to the turning car to check nothing is coming before flying into the turn, however whether or not legality is on my side, I really don't want to go down this way.

Almost happened this morning. Traffic on the Old Kent Rd was awful so I was filtering through the traffic when the road opened up into 2 lanes, 1 of which became a bus lane so I was able to bowl happily along the clear bus lane whilst the cars queued to my right. All of a sudden a Vauxhal people carrier pulls into my path, I slam the anchors on screaming and luckily the car spots me and we halt about a metre from each other. So close.....
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Comments

  • A few close ones this morning, dodgy conditions. You are dead right though, I have caught myself filtering way too fast a couple of times lately.
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  • I've actually saved the lives of a couple of cyclists as a motorist by stopping the turning-in car with frantic gesticulation. The turning car has no chance of seeing you filter, none whatsoever. Legally, you have right of way, but in all likeliness you'd be too dead to claim the moral high-ground.

    Extreme caution when filtering, especially when there's a gap left.
  • Sewinman
    Sewinman Posts: 2,131
    I always look for gaps in the stationary traffic to your right, if they coincide with roads on your left then there is a good chance someone has made room for a right turning vehicle. normally just stop pedalling and cover the breaks.

    There are few classics on my commute, you get to know the places.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    that's what I need to remember to do. There are certain places where I pretty much always remember to look for traffic turning, like along Tooley St running up to London Bridge, there's always someone turning through traffic to pass under the railway along there, but generally OKR is fairly free flowing so traffic doesn't get to turn through other traffic so I forget to watch for it
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  • Sewinman wrote:
    I always look for gaps in the stationary traffic to your right, if they coincide with roads on your left then there is a good chance someone has made room for a right turning vehicle. normally just stop pedalling and cover the breaks.

    There are few classics on my commute, you get to know the places.

    +1 spot on, apart from the 'stop pedalling' :)

    I can't claim to always get this right, though, but most of the time I do.
  • Legally, you have right of way, but in all likeliness you'd be too dead to claim the moral high-ground.
    I'm not sure that's true. If tehre is a single lane of traffic and you are filtering, I think the onus is on you to do it safely.

    Filtering and side roads do not mix. People can't see you, people don't indicate, people don't use their mirrors. Even if you are filtering on the right, people are prone to accelerate suddenly out of traffic to make a right turn. You have to be ultra cautious and paranoid and ready to stop at any moment.
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Tis my biggest concern too. Happens all too often on way home.

    I find it also happens for cars joining the queue from the left, a car in the main road leaves a gap and flashes car emerging from side road, he just pops out without checking bus lane (well for anything other than buses!)

    Best to be careful, anticipate it happening, watch for sideroads and gaps in traffic where others could emerge.

    See and be seen.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • kurako
    kurako Posts: 1,098
    Sewinman wrote:
    I always look for gaps in the stationary traffic to your right, if they coincide with roads on your left then there is a good chance someone has made room for a right turning vehicle. normally just stop pedalling and cover the breaks.

    There are few classics on my commute, you get to know the places.

    Sewinman is bang on. If there's a gap in traffic there's a fair chance some numpty is going to drive across your path. They get flashed / waved over and assume its safe without looking at the other lane.

    If the 'conscientous' driver left more of a gap it wouldn't be such a problem. This is one case where selfish drivers are a boon since they block off any crossing traffic :wink:

    Watch out for the left hook though!