how much room should a cyclist give a to a car when overtaking?

[Peter Armstrong]

I’m trying to Google this but all results go back to how much room should a car give a cyclist when passing.
I know that answer to that, it’s to give as much room as you would a car, but what about the other way around? Is it or should it be the same?
I want to know for myself and for when I see cyclists pass cars really close say a few inches’ gap, personally I don’t think that’s safe. I think they would blame the car if the car moved a few inches left or right and there was a collision.
The car would get the blame again if he overtook a cyclist close and the cyclist move to the left or right a foot or so. I’m confused.

 

[Bill-H]

When I taught people to drive before I cycled. I would tell them imagine a cyclist lying on their side on the bike and to give them that room, and to overtake a car parked or otherwise at least a doors width.
As a cyclist I ride past parked cars at a doors width as have been doored and it hurts!
In heavy slow moving traffic I filter as far away as possible watching for wheels turning and doors opening.

 

[Dayvo]

Do you mean overtaking or undertaking (from the inside)?

If you are overtaking them, then I would suggest that you would almost be able to touch the car with your left arm fully strtched out horizontally, but do ride with caution as unexpected movements will happen.

If you are undertaking them, be careful. You might need to scoot along with your left foot on the kerb, unless, of course, there is sufficient room to ride at a moderate speed. With undertaking, though, it is the car that decides how much space you have, hence the 'be careful' warning. And keep well behind lorries, buses and other long vehicles with perhaps limited vision.

 

[Peter Armstrong]

Do you mean overtaking or undertaking (from the inside)?

If you are overtaking them, then I would suggest that you would almost be able to touch the car with your left arm fully strtched out horizontally, but do ride with caution as unexpected movements will happen.

If you are undertaking them, be careful. You might need to scoot along with your left foot on the kerb, unless, of course, there is sufficient room to ride at a moderate speed. With undertaking, though, it is the car that decides how much space you have, hence the 'be careful' warning. And keep well behind lorries, buses and other long vehicles with perhaps limited vision.

ooo No not undertaking, you shouldnt do that at all, unless you mean filtering on the left. Filtering and overtaking.

 

[Koga]

In my view there are several scenario's to consider as this also depends on the speed you are going, how heavy and fast the traffic is and if you are carrying any luggage on the bike.

 

[Dayvo]

ooo No not undertaking, you shouldnt do that at all, unless you mean filtering on the left. Filtering and overtaking.

Wise!

 

[HLaB]

There a relative effect of a large mass passing a smaller mass. A large mass car/hgv exerts a condiderable force on a smaller mass (cyclist), whereas the smaller mass (cyclist) exerts a smaller force when passing a larger mass (car/hgv). There's also a comfort thing, when a cyclist is passed they are immediately next to the danger (car body) but a driver is separated by that same car body!

 

[byegad]

At the very least give a car the distance of a wide open car door.

 

[mattobrien]

I tend to bunny hop completely over car, thus negating the need to overtake them on either side.

On the odd occasion I am not going fast enough to clear the entire car I try to lad down on their windscreen as it tends to be on the right angle and then cycle down over their bonnet.

Clearly to do this properly in traffic there needs to be sufficient a gap between cars to land, pick up a little speed again and then execute the next bunny hop over the next car.

 

[Paulus]

At the very least give a car the distance of a wide open car door.

Very good advice there, cyclists getting doored happens too many times.

 

[SamC]

Dooring is very common (at least my line of work - personal injury claims - makes it seem like it is), so where possible overtake wide enough so that the occupant of the vehicle you're overtaking opening the door won't take you off. In reality it's not always possible, so if you're overtaking closer make sure you are looking for people in the cars - they probably won't be looking for you.

 

[Davidc]

lots.

 

[HLaB]

Like everything I suppose, I can't recall seeing an opening door for some time but I've seen loads in the last few days :-/

 

[sreten]

Hi,

A very good rule of thumb in any circumstances is ride where the inside wheel
of most cars is*. They have the same issue as you with car doors. Being where
they would put there inside car wheels, and following longer lines like a car would,
makes you far more predictable to car drivers in your intent. They don't mind
you swerving back back to the kerb, but don't like you swerving out at all.

I move towards the kerb if going slowly uphill and move out further if
hammering it downhill, the latter may seem a little odd. Thing is you
want to make sure they are sure of passing you, which takes longer
for all vehicles the faster you are going.

Riding on their inside wheel line means they should always see you
as something requiring a manoeuvre to pass, and more in the middle
of the road means they will then have to think about it a little more.

Going slowly up a hill basically just get out of the way sensibly.
Not in the gutter but not as far out as usual is polite to drivers.

Going fast I'll still near kerbhog if I can hear a big slow vehicle coming
up behind me, and stop pedalling when they go for the overtake, just
make passing easier for them. They don't like you slowing down
if they can't pull out due to oncoming traffic (as it slows them down)
but when they do pullout which you can hear, you should sit up
and go as close to the kerb as sensible and stop pedaling.

rgds, sreten.

* Most roads it is obvious and the smoothest part of the
inside road. Same with roads with typically parked cars.

 

[Gravity Aided]

This time of year, about 20 feet, because where I ride, the vehicle is probably a combine harvester. I do not want to get the point in the wrong way.