If your in a dedicated left turn lane...

[byegad]

I would rather make the signal and avoid any misunderstandings.

 

[Dan B]

I signal if (a) telling people what I'm doing is likely to influence their actions; (b) the change in their actions is desirable

So I almost never signal for a left turn unless I am also slowing down (for following drivers) or unless there are people crossing or waiting to cross. If neither of those is applicable, who else is going to need to know?

 

[ufkacbln]

Similar situation...

Pointed out that given I had a prat revving his engine and shouting just to the right of my back wheel, the aasumption was that he was likely to left hook and that keeping my hands on the brakes was preferable.

 

[pshore]

Pulled up to the stop line at a RAB the left lane has an arrow indicating left only, there is no straight on just left or right, I am in primary position and some prat in a car tries (unsuccesfully) to squeeze past between me and the pavement then gives me grief for not indicating.

I gave him some 1 and 2 fingered hand signals later as he got stuck in traffic again and asked him if he new what that meant .

Seriously though does anyone think its neccessary to indicate in a compulsory left turn lane?I may do anyway in future as obviously some motorists are too dense to work it out.

It is possible that the driver has in the past seen a timid cyclist in the left lane to go right, especially if the main route goes right and the left lane is nearly always empty. By being in primary in the left lane they have mistakenly thought you were going right.

I can see how they made that mistake, the trouble is some people can't put their hand up and say sorry, they try to blame everybody else when things go wrong. Fingers and swearing is never going to help our cause although it is hard to not to be angry if they have caused your adrenaline to start pumping.

I am always amazed at how few people can predict what is going to happen in front of them. I guess they are all driving or riding with tunnel vision.

 

[HJ]

Highway Code Rule 103: Signals warn and inform other road users, including pedestrians. However, if you in a lane that is marked as left turn only, it should not be necessary to signal left as are you following the signs on the road which the other road user should also have seen. Sadly many drivers are not aware that the Highway Code applied to them

 

[skudupnorth]

I would not bother indicating if it was a left turn only lane and like others have said only if it would influence someone elses actions.I've started indicating past potholes now,sign of the times eh !
The driver was a pratt and obviously needs to freshen up his highway code knowledge....i hear it has pictures to help if required

 

[Chutzpah]

I wouldn't indicate, just as I wouldn't indicate in that situation if I was driving.

 

[Banjo]

I would not bother indicating if it was a left turn only lane and like others have said only if it would influence someone elses actions.I've started indicating past potholes now,sign of the times eh !
The driver was a pratt and obviously needs to freshen up his highway code knowledge....i hear it has pictures to help if required

Some of the potholes round here could serve as roundabouts.

 

[brokenbetty]

I would indicate, as I would if I were driving.

I'm surprised the general feeling is no. I would never rest my own safety on the assumption that every other road user knows that stretch of road as well as I do or has seen all pertinent road markings.

Consider the alternative position. You are approaching a roundabout. To your right a car is also approaching the roundabout. They are in a left turn only lane but not indicating. Would you carry on to the roundabout?

 

[Dan B]

Consider the alternative position. You are approaching a roundabout. To your right a car is also approaching the roundabout. They are in a left turn only lane but not indicating. Would you carry on to the roundabout?

I wouldn't trust their indicators if they were. Not until I see the wheels move

 

[mickle]

I never indicate left on the bike unless there is someone waiting to come out of where I'm turning into (courtesy). And only when there is no-one else around.

As far as anyone else near me on the road is concerned their behaviour should be the same whether I'm heading straight on or turning left. Firstly there's a tendency for drivers to impatiently close the gap in anticipation of the vehicle/cyclist in front turning left - to start accelerating before the person in front is safely out of the way. If I don't indicate they stay where they are. Or the situation where someone tries to overtake or just drive along side mid-turn as they turn in to the road with you. If you don't indicate and think you're heading straight on they're slightly less likely to attempt this. The other classic is someone waiting - lined up to turn in to the same road as you are (coming in the opposite direction and turning right across your path). In the past when I've indicated to turn I've had them try to turn in to the road at the same time as me. So for those idiots too it's safer to let them think I'm travelling straight on.

 

[Garz]

I experienced that yesterday mickle (In the past when I've indicated to turn I've had them try to turn in to the road at the same time as me) and they received the disappointing head shake.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Consider the alternative position. You are approaching a roundabout. To your right a car is also approaching the roundabout. They are in a left turn only lane but not indicating. Would you carry on to the roundabout?

I would - and frequently do - in a lorry. But probably not on a bike.

 

[PK99]

Pulled up to the stop line at a RAB the left lane has an arrow indicating left only, there is no straight on just left or right, I am in primary position and some prat in a car tries (unsuccesfully) to squeeze past between me and the pavement then gives me grief for not indicating.

I gave him some 1 and 2 fingered hand signals later as he got stuck in traffic again and asked him if he new what that meant .

Seriously though does anyone think its neccessary to indicate in a compulsory left turn lane?I may do anyway in future as obviously some motorists are too dense to work it out.

There is a set of traffic lights locally with a left indicating arrow in the LH lane.

I regularly see cyclists stopped in that lane at the red light in a variety of positions from gutter to primary, who go straight on when the light changes - i think it useful to indicate and would certainly expect a car to indicate in that position. The more information you give people the better and safer (with the exception that i do not signal left on the bike when turing into a junction on the left if i am being followed by a car for fear of tempting a left hook)

 

[summerdays]

I never indicate left on the bike unless there is someone waiting to come out of where I'm turning into (courtesy). And only when there is no-one else around.

As far as anyone else near me on the road is concerned their behaviour should be the same whether I'm heading straight on or turning left. Firstly there's a tendency for drivers to impatiently close the gap in anticipation of the vehicle/cyclist in front turning left - to start accelerating before the person in front is safely out of the way. If I don't indicate they stay where they are. Or the situation where someone tries to overtake or just drive along side mid-turn as they turn in to the road with you. If you don't indicate and think you're heading straight on they're slightly less likely to attempt this. The other classic is someone waiting - lined up to turn in to the same road as you are (coming in the opposite direction and turning right across your path). In the past when I've indicated to turn I've had them try to turn in to the road at the same time as me. So for those idiots too it's safer to let them think I'm travelling straight on.

I agree with all of that, and so I wouldn't be indicating when I was in a left turn lane.

There is a set of traffic lights locally with a left indicating arrow in the LH lane.

I regularly see cyclists stopped in that lane at the red light in a variety of positions from gutter to primary, who go straight on when the light changes - i think it useful to indicate and would certainly expect a car to indicate in that position. The more information you give people the better and safer (with the exception that i do not signal left on the bike when turing into a junction on the left if i am being followed by a car for fear of tempting a left hook)

If they are in an ASL at a red light then I would hope they should be ahead of the cars anyway when the lights change.

There is part of the A38 where this happens a lot as there is a cycle lane to the left of a left turning lane and straight on lane, which can lead to all sorts of possibilities. I never cycle in the cycle lane and have been known to cycle in a position almost to the right of primary in that lane when going straight on sometimes (depending on the traffic flows in the two lanes). Whilst the cyclists should be positioning themselves better (and the council shouldn't have put in such a daft lane in the first place!), the following motorists should be aware of the potential for cyclists to be going either direction and therefore give them a little space. Whilst that junction seems to be an accident waiting to happen (and there have been accidents there), somehow hundreds of cyclists get through it daily with most who are going straight on not being in the lane for straight on.