The worst I've found is when they are looking left, but turning right and turn right into the bike lane without even looking.
This exactly why bike lanes are death traps.
The worst I've found is when they are looking left, but turning right and turn right into the bike lane without even looking.
This exactly why bike lanes are death traps.
The worst I've found is when they are looking left, but turning right and turn right into the bike lane without even looking.
A little common sense works here. Drivers have usually checked their right hand mirror before making a right hand turn. If they passed you, they likely know you're back there somewhere.
Stay behind the lead car when approaching an intersection,whether the light is green or not.If he/she slows for a green, you can assume he/she is going to turn right(signal SHOULD be on,but we all know how well that rule applies).If the light is red, stay back anyways and keep out of the blind spot.
Passing cars on the right near an intersection is a recipe for disaster. The car has 3 areas to watch(cars coming from the left, oncoming left turns and the road they intend to turn on to) you have 1. why not think for a second or two and apply that common sense and ride defensively?
Worked for me for years.
To be honest though, now when Im making a right turn, I choke off the bike lane so cyclists cant get up beside me in my blind spot when im making a right turn in town.
Pastor of Muppets
Drivers have usually checked their right hand mirror before making a right hand turn. If they passed you, they likely know you're back there somewhere.
You do make some good points about being defensive, not sitting in the blind spot and I'm definitely not a huge fan of the bike lanes for some of the reasons you state. But, honestly, if you have driven or cycled in Vancouver you know that there is no guarantee that drivers have even looked. Our city has some of the worst drivers I have seen. The drivers in this city are barely capable of stopping at a red light.
^^^^
Good advice … if you are approaching a stopped/slow line of cars at an intersection, pick a car (not one with its turn signal on, not the one at the front of the line where the driver is distracted by traffic/lights the intersection) and get level to the front of one car and shadow the car to the intersection. Make eye contact with the driver and watch for a late turn signal.
But, honestly, if you have driven or cycled in Vancouver you know that there is no guarantee that drivers have even looked.
Thats why you give them space and dont try to pass them on the right to get to the front of the line.
fwiw, I drove and cycled in Van for 20 odd years with only one incident, a driver absentmindedly pulled out right in front of me from a side street while looking me in the eyes.
Pastor of Muppets
^^^^
Good advice … if you are approaching a stopped/slow line of cars at an intersection, pick a car (not one with its turn signal on, not the one at the front of the line where the driver is distracted by traffic/lights the intersection) and get level to the front of one car and shadow the car to the intersection. Make eye contact with the driver and watch for a late turn signal.
This man gets it.
Pastor of Muppets
What's the deal with drivers not following proper Right of Way around cyclists?
https://bikehub.ca/node/152#mva
right hand column. icbc has been dragging its feet; the gov't has been acting deaf
i'm sure they could use some help if you're interested in volunteering on the campaign
This exactly why bike lanes are death traps.
relative to what?
"Nobody really gives a shit that you don't like the thing that you have no firsthand experience with." Dave
To be honest though, now when Im making a right turn, I choke off the bike lane so cyclists cant get up beside me in my blind spot when im making a right turn in town.
it is important that drivers also understand how to respectfully use the roads with cyclists,
Most drivers dont understand how to respectfully DRIVE`
It's easy. Just split the right and middle lanes and pass the right turning cars on the left. You don't get in anyone's way and no one gets in your way.
Sometimes the best defense is an aggressive offense.
relative to what?
Bike lanes give inexperienced cyclists a false sense of security. The safest place for a bike lane would be to the left of the right lane.
Most drivers dont understand how to respectfully DRIVE`
doesn't get it (and will probably end up in someones blind spot and then post his outrage on the interwebs)
It's easy. Just split the right and middle lanes and pass the right turning cars on the left. You don't get in anyone's way and no one gets in your way.
Sometimes the best defense is an aggressive offense.
Gets it (but too many cyclists are afraid to really be part of the traffic flow and prefer to swim in the shallow end that is the curbside)
Pastor of Muppets
Bike lanes give inexperienced cyclists a false sense of security.
where did you come up with that? all of the evidence agrees and suggests you are wrong: cyclists are safer when using bike lanes than in equivalent traffic scenarios without them
The safest place for a bike lane would be to the left of the right lane.
what evidence exists regarding this scenario suggests it wouldn't be a very safe place to ride: being sandwiched between two lanes of traffic would diminish passing distances, and reduced passing distances means more and worse collisions between motor vehicles and cyclists
"Nobody really gives a shit that you don't like the thing that you have no firsthand experience with." Dave
doesn't get it (and will probably end up in someones blind spot and then post his outrage on the interwebs)
Gets it (but too many cyclists are afraid to really be part of the traffic flow and prefer to swim in the shallow end that is the curbside)
I don't think you have to be a cyclist to think that most drivers in this city do not know how to respectfully drive. I might not have your years (I've only been commuting for 6, still never had an accident) but one of the main reasons I spend so much time on my bike is that I cannot stand to drive in this city. Probably makes me biased for sure, but others will tell you that the drivers in Vancouver are terrible. Issue is that as a cyclist you are significantly more exposed and you do have a duty to protect yourself.
Bike lanes give inexperienced cyclists a false sense of security. The safest place for a bike lane would be to the left of the right lane.
This could be an issue of observation bias. I have to say, based on what I have seen, I am inclined to agree with you. I have seen the bike lanes encourage some behaviour that I have never seen repeated on a shared road. One dude literally watching the sun set to his left nearly rode into me until I shouted at him, travelled 200-300 metres without looking forward. Countless others. However, the evidence doesn't seem to support it. I would guess the issue is that you remember the most obvious examples but on average, the people who are less experiences are probably going slower and have less accidents or have one and then stop. Who really knows.
I definitely am not a huge fan of bike lanes. In some areas they are necessary to maintain the flow of traffic (over bridges seems to be the best example) but in other areas, the lane has to end at some point which is usually at the time the cyclist is most at risk (an intersection).
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