Turning Right in Irvine, California

[Frylock]

You may be able to google this better than I have. Or you may have a similar setup in your city.

Here in Irvine, most streets have bike lanes. Several feet before intersections, the line between the other lanes and the bike lanes becomes dotted. I have always used this dotted section as the right turn lane. However, I realized the other day that my wife is not doing this–she turns right from the rightmost non-bike lane.

I can’t find online anything specifying which of these procedures is correct? Anyone know? Or know how to know?

-FrL-

[silenus]

I’ve always done it your way. AFAIK, that is why they dot the line.

[Monty]

According to this from the California DMV (italics mine):

Bicycle Lanes
A bicycle lane is shown by a solid white line along either side of the street, four or more feet from the curb. The white line will usually be broken near the corner and the words “BIKE LANE” will be painted in the lane. When you are making a right turn and are within 200 feet of the corner or other driveway entrance, you must enter the bike lane for the turn. Do not drive in the bike lane at any other time.

You may park in a bike lane unless a “No Parking” sign is posted.

Pedestrians are not allowed in bike lanes when sidewalks are available. Drivers of motorized bicycles should use bike lanes carefully to avoid accidents with bicyclists.

[cantara]

As a cyclist and driver, I always treat it the same way as you, bike lane or not. If there is no bike lane, I still treat the curbside as the cyclists right of way.

As a driver, if there is a cyclist coming along the curbside of the road and I want to turn right, I pull over to the right side of the road (before the cyclist gets too close) to ensure that the cyclist is not going to try to pass me on the inside. That is a recipe for pain.

As a cyclist, I want the drivers to get right over to the right side of the road if they are turning right. If you get these wingnuts who have to initiate their right turn from the left side of the lane and forget to signal, there can be trouble when it surprises the cyclist.

I have to say that my psychic abilities have improved somewhat when approaching intersections on my bike.