Cyclists often pass stopped cars on the right and arrive at the front of the line. I understand that this is often infuriating to car drivers, but there is a pretty reasonable explanation for this.
Cyclists are required to ride to the right. When stopped in a line of cars, I don’t know without a signal who might turn right. Car drivers DO NOT look right before turning right. I move to the front of the line because I can pull far enough in front of the first car to ensure that he sees me and does not turn right into me. If I am five cars back, I don’t know what cars might be at the right turn point when I arrive there.
If, on the other hand, every car that was turning right used a signal, I would be able to properly position for that contingency.
Are there any other cycling behaviors that drive car drivers crazy, but really are safer?
I’m going to predict this thread is not going to go in the direction you say you intend it to.
On heck, I’ll start it off. I don’t think the action/behavior you described in the OP is actually a safer, or necessary cycling habit. If you keep your place in line, it is up to you to avoid contact with any vehicle in front of you, regardless of their direction of travel, and even regardless of their signaling their intent. Same applies to someone in a car following someone through an intersection.
I agree that it would be fantastic for everyone on the road to have a higher level of awareness of the vehicles and hazards around them than they do, no question. At the same time. someone turning right has no reason to check if someone is passing to the right of them. No one should be, neither automobile, motorcycle, bicycle, etc. You stay behind a vehicle until it departs the road in front of you, either by accelerating away from you, or turning. Either way, you stay behind until it does.
Using this “right turners never see us” example as a justification to pass on the right all the way to the front of the line doesn’t pass the sniff test. You simply should not ever be in their 3’o’clock.
Understand that where I live, most of the intersections do not have dedicated right hand turn lanes and thus, the right lane can go straight or turn right. Without signals, even if I hold my place in line, I can’t know if a car will turn and once it does, I am pretty screwed. Additionally, this is a big city and I am much slower than the cars. I can try to sit behind a car, but that doesn’t guarantee that the car behind me does not catch up and turn.
Nothing here really contradicts my point. You say, if the car in front of you turns, you’re screwed. Why? If you are behind that car, as you should be, you wait for it to do whatever it’s going to do, and then you move forward, same as any of the vehicle would have to do.
Your point about a car overtaking you and then turning right, sure I can see that as a hazard, and I make a point of never overtaking a bike when approaching an intersection.
I’m not anti-cyclist, I’m just not sure your justification of moving to the front of the line holds water.
I ride a bike and I drive a car. I cannot understand why this would be infuriating. Seems perfectly normal to me. (It infuriates me, though, when they just keep going right through the red light.)
Drivers have no problem passing cyclists without moving left to another lane (as if they were passing a car) so should have no problem letting cyclists pass them when they are standing still. You can’t have it both ways.
First off, where I live, filtering to the front of an intersection is legal. Most car drivers are unaware of that.
Second, I have to ride to the right and share a lane with cars. Cars are capable of moving at higher speeds and thus, I don’t have the option of staying behind cars. By filtering to the front, I am increasing my safety and making myself far more visible. If the front car actually has a right turn signal on, then I position behind the front car and in front of the second car. What I am not is a motorcycle with the speed to stay in position between the two cars. The two times I was hit, the drivers PASSED me legally and then immediately turned right into me.
Let me ask you a question, have you ever actually tried commuting by bicycle?
Nope. Commuting by bicycle is not reasonable for me given the distance and roads traveled between here and there. I do commute about half the time on my motorcycle, so I’m perfectly aware that there are plenty of people willing use their cars to bully.
I would never think of overtaking a cyclist at an intersection, but if it happens as often as you say , I can see your point of needing to move to the front of the line.
I have no problems with these, as a driver. What does make me annoyed is when a cyclist goes to the front, then doesnt make a right turn, instead waits for the light so as to proceed straight ahead. This blocks those car which want to make a right turn on red- OK in CA.
Rolling stop signs? OK. Blasting thru stop signs like they don’t exist? Bad.
I appreciate that you can understand my view. Honestly, I work very hard as a cyclist in the most lethal city to ride a bike to be legal and safe. I ride with the same drivers every day and I like to think that because I strive to do what is legal, we seem to have a mutual respect.
At the same time, I truly wish that the cops would work harder to give out more citations to both car drivers and cyclists.
I think that this year, we have had 14 cyclist fatalities. In my opinion, the cyclist was at fault in more than half of those. The reason, many of the cyclists were riding bikes because they lost their license to DUIs.
I see car drivers make a right turn by flinging themselves across three lanes of traffic and I have seen cyclists do the same thing. It is identical and I want it treated identically.
If you are in the front car at an intersection, how can I know what you are going to do? The turn signal!!! If no turn signal = going straight and turn signal = turn, then I am not going to have a problem knowing what to do.
If you are front car with signal on, I will pull up next to you and if you look my way, I will indicate that you are free to turn and I will wait.
The reason cyclists filter up is because when signals aren’t used, we have to assume that you might turn right or might go straight. I am moving up front so that hopefully I can make eye contact and we can indicate to one another what to do.
if a bicyclist stopped at the rear of the line of stopped cars they might not even make it through that light.
stopping in a traffic lane, which a bike lane is, without a reason (not having the right of way is a reason) impedes traffic behind you and is illegal.
bicyclists have the right of way over all motorized traffic which is a fair and safe thing.
In my state, cyclists have exactly the same rights and responsibilities as any other vehicle. Thus, cyclists do not have right of way any more than cars.
I find it screamingly infuriating when a cyclist will pass me while I waiting on my bike for a red light so that they can then run the light. I have screamed at them and received the customary bird. That should be infuriating to both drivers and cyclists. I will not roll or run a red because it isn’t right, legal or respectful of other traffic.
The only times I will filter up is if the lead car at a light is doing something that holds up traffic. Typically this is when they are trying to turn left on a two-way street. I’m content to wait my turn but there is only so much delay I will put up with from drivers.
Kudos to you. Unfortunately for cyclists, you are going to be judged by example of the guy that passed you, and not by the example you are setting.
As a motorcyclist, I get judged by this jackwad, not as the responsible, law-abiding citizen that I am.
But, can we all agree that this is wrong on all levels?
Anyway, what gets me concerned is when a cyclist is riding up on the right past a long line of cars stopped at a light which has turned green during their maneuver. Every time I see it happen, I’m watching out for a disaster until the car the bike was next to has moved totally past them.
