Getting ‘left hooked’. What do you think?
- Thread starter Cycleops
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Passing a moving vehicle on the left in the UK is dangerous and has to be done with caution mjr- I wouldn't do it unless I was sure the other vehicles knew I was there especially approaching a junction... everyone has their own opinion and each opinion is as valid as the next. I don't think the motorist was entirely to blame so we'll have to agree to disagree.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
True, and as the cyclist was level with the driver for much of that stretch before the left turn the driver knew he was there and knew the cyclist hadn't come past him before he started the left turn so part of me thinks the driver did it deliberately perhaps thinking the cyclist would take avoiding action... we'll never know.
My main concern is for the cyclist, he has a lack of road craft and common sense putting himself in danger like that for the sake of a video clip.
Looks to me that it's mostly the driver's fault, but that the cyclist also needs to learn from this experience. Staying safe is far more important than being 'in the right' and, as a road user (whether on a bike, in a car or on foot), the only thing I can do to influence these situations is my own actions. In this situation, I wouldn't have been alongside that blue car approaching the junction.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I think hes a nodder, who often advises contrary to well practiced and established road safety advice, who largely talks out his arriss.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
I cant be arsed to watch 15 minutes of him, but on the small amount 've seen I tend to agree.
I did watch the part with the incident in, the cars indicators are pretty much obscured fro the camera view, but the car may have been indicating, in which case cyclist should have seen i, and even if not, they put themselves in a venerable position filtering up a very narrow cycle lane with moving traffic and no escape route if a left turn came.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
There is always the problem you have to take into account - that a car may have a broken indicator bulb
how often do you check your??
I saw one a few days ago - I was riding behind and he turned left with no sign of an indication - as he went round the corner I could see his side repeater was going - the back one must have been broken!
So you can't assume he is in the wrong just because you didn't see an indicator
how often do you check your??
I saw one a few days ago - I was riding behind and he turned left with no sign of an indication - as he went round the corner I could see his side repeater was going - the back one must have been broken!
So you can't assume he is in the wrong just because you didn't see an indicator
ClichéGuevara
Legendary Member
- Location
- Kingston upon the River Hull
I accept that we should ride with our own safety in mind, but an indicator is a signal of intent, it does not give any right to follow it up with moving the vehicle unless it is safe, and will not cause others to change speed or direction, no matter what some drivers think.
Arjimlad
Tights of Cydonia
- Location
- South Glos
Did you see the footage Jeremy Vine put up, he was in a cycle lane, approaching an HGV going the same direction, the driver turned its left indicator on just as JV got to the back of the truck and started to make the turn. JV carried on in the cycle lane, & used a horn to alert the driver to his presence. I would've stopped as soon as I thought the vehicle was turning. Glad I don't ride in the city !
And equally, as an instructor once told me, a flashing indicator only tells you that the bulb works!
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
presta
Guru
This is precisely why cycle paths and lanes are less safe than riding on the road: a left turner on the right and a vehicle on the left going straight ahead, both of whom are adamant they have the right of way. Most accidents occur at junctions, not between junctions, so cycle paths reduce the minor problem, and increase the major one.
If motor lanes were laid out the same way cycle lanes, nobody would have any difficulty whatsoever in seeing the crass stupidity of it:
On the rare occasions I filter on the left, I generally stop as soon as the traffic starts moving, and always stop before the junction. Note that the cycle lane ends at the stop line about 3 car lengths before the junction, which is probably supposed to be a hint to cyclists, but ends up being another obvious recipe for conflict. The guy in the video correctly concludes that both road users are to blame for playing chicken, but fails to spot that the highway planners are even more to blame for giving them the opportunity. If there's any room to argue about who has the right of way, the road design is plainly at fault.
Recently Jeremy Vine posted a video on Twitter of an impatient driver honking at him because he was in primary position following a junction, and he quite reasonably defended this by arguing that he was avoiding the door zone of the parked cars on the left. He then blocked me when I pointed out that he'd somewhat shot himself in the foot by cycling through the door zone to the left of the queue whilst riding up the cycle lane on the approach to the ASL at the junction.
If motor lanes were laid out the same way cycle lanes, nobody would have any difficulty whatsoever in seeing the crass stupidity of it:
On the rare occasions I filter on the left, I generally stop as soon as the traffic starts moving, and always stop before the junction. Note that the cycle lane ends at the stop line about 3 car lengths before the junction, which is probably supposed to be a hint to cyclists, but ends up being another obvious recipe for conflict. The guy in the video correctly concludes that both road users are to blame for playing chicken, but fails to spot that the highway planners are even more to blame for giving them the opportunity. If there's any room to argue about who has the right of way, the road design is plainly at fault.
Recently Jeremy Vine posted a video on Twitter of an impatient driver honking at him because he was in primary position following a junction, and he quite reasonably defended this by arguing that he was avoiding the door zone of the parked cars on the left. He then blocked me when I pointed out that he'd somewhat shot himself in the foot by cycling through the door zone to the left of the queue whilst riding up the cycle lane on the approach to the ASL at the junction.
presta
Guru
That problem started with the fashion for orange bulbs behind clear lenses, instead of orange lenses and clear bulbs. The lamp cluster now reflects the whole of the daylight spectrum rather than just the orange part, so the contrast is reduced because there's more reflected light for the bulb to compete with.
