Cycle Lanes & right of way

[Eddie]

Just something I have been wondering about cycle lanes and right of way. Under normal circumstances when you are traveling along a road you have right of way over cars pulling onto the road from a side road. However, when you are on a cycle lane, particularly those that are split pavement/cycle lane you have to give way to everything, including people pulling onto and off the road, people's drives, entrances to farmers fields etc etc.

This is the type of thing I am talking about:

http://maps.google.c...211.28,,0,17.57

or worse

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...=MjwUIK1NB0I46YQYGn-Wng&cbp=12,102.46,,0,17.9

So i'm just wondering why this is?

 

[snorri]

So i'm just wondering why this is?

It's a sort of British eccentricity.

At least there are tyre marks on the side road in your second picture, indicating some usage.

 

[John the Monkey]

It's because cars are much more important than bicycles, of course.

Bear in mind that even where there isn't an explicit give way, some drivers will assume they have priority to cross your path, so negotiate this kind of cycle path with extreme care.

 

[HLaB]

Its mainly the way our design/ planning process has been cyclepaths are only considered as a bolt on or afterthought to the main road design

 

[pepecat]

Exactly. I tend to just ride on the road. There's a new cycle lane alongside a new road here in Birmingham, but it's so full of poles for signs about this that and the other, there's no point using it. And the road is EASILY wide enough for a car to pass a bike with no problem.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Because councils are lazy and the easiest way to meet their quota of cycle facility construction per year is to paint a white line and a picture of a bike on the pavement.

 

[HJ]

Just something I have been wondering about cycle lanes and right of way. Under normal circumstances when you are traveling along a road you have right of way over cars pulling onto the road from a side road. However, when you are on a cycle lane, particularly those that are split pavement/cycle lane you have to give way to everything, including people pulling onto and off the road, people's drives, entrances to farmers fields etc etc.

This is the type of thing I am talking about:

http://maps.google.c...211.28,,0,17.57

or worse

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...=MjwUIK1NB0I46YQYGn-Wng&cbp=12,102.46,,0,17.9

So i'm just wondering why this is?

It is a good reason for not using them...

 

[HLaB]

I'm sure everyone has seen this one

or this

 

[marzjennings]

It is a good reason for not using them...

+1 to that. I don't use cycle lanes for that very reason.

 

[Ticktockmy]

Just something I have been wondering about cycle lanes and right of way. Under normal circumstances when you are traveling along a road you have right of way over cars pulling onto the road from a side road. However, when you are on a cycle lane, particularly those that are split pavement/cycle lane you have to give way to everything, including people pulling onto and off the road, people's drives, entrances to farmers fields etc etc.

This is the type of thing I am talking about:

http://maps.google.c...211.28,,0,17.57

or worse

http://maps.google.c...,102.46,,0,17.9

So i'm just wondering why this is?

I think the council or highways authorities, understand that most car drivers have no understanding about cyclist care, so to cover their backsides, they put give way lines at every junction be it a road junction, farm entrance or field entrance.. It for you own good and well being...LOL.

If I may go off theme a tad, today out cycling along the Turners hill/East Grinstead road it a little narrow but not too bad. I hear a car behind me revving it engine, crashing of gears, eventfully the car crawled beside of me, maybe about 1 MPH faster than me, then pulled in straight at me when still alongside of me, luckily I braked it time to drop behind her, young girl maybe early 20’s.

She stopped thinking she had hit me. When I asked her why she had done it the answer was. “ I forget you were moving”.. I give up.. what can you say to that.

 

[ManiaMuse]

+1 to that. I don't use cycle lanes for that very reason.

Very occasionally they are useful. Like next to busy, 70mph dual carriageways.

Unfortunately this is where cycle paths seem (in my experience) to be least frequently found.