Road etiquette

[equus123]

hello good question!

my suggestion for left turns....you always generally "act like a car" in the way you move or the timing you use. you generally always do this with two or more riders but you can get away with more things if you're by yourself. but the main objective is to make sure the vehicles around you 1) know you're there and 2) know which way you're going. you generally don't get too many buttheads that won't ever let you go. most people are either overly polite or treat you like another car. if you're fearful or nervous about turning then the best thing to do is be overtly obvious about where you're going. move over earlier than you probably would which enables more cars to see you sooner and see where you're going. this way you won't have as many fears that they don't know what's going on. also, if a car waves you on to go or waits for you, always make it a point to just put a hand up as a thank you. i always try to be as polite as possible every time i'm on the road. it makes drivers happier and helps giving a nice first impression for someone who's never driven past a cyclist before. it's also important because it lets them know if what they did was good or not for the cyclist.

if you're making a left in the middle of the road you're on (i.e. not at an interection): wait until traffic coming up behind you ends or there's a break, point your left arm out to signal you're going left, and move into the lane or near the yellow lines and turn when oncoming traffic is clear.

if you're making a left at a stop sign or light with no left turn lane: you act like a car whether there's one lane or two. if there's two, get in the left-most lane. if you're in a line of cars stopped, it's usually better to act like a car (or motorcycle for that matter) and take up a space in the line of cars.

if you're making a left at a stop sign or light with a left turn lane: whether there's no cars or a line of cars, i generally ride up to the front line and wait on the right-side of the left turn lane (i.e. at the first car's front passenger side). it makes it easier for everyone, especially yourself. when the light or arrow turns green then you just pick your turning line so that the cars pass by you on your left and everybody wins. haha

[Nokomis]

hello good question!

my suggestion for left turns....

Everything she said!

If you chose to use the sidewalk route - be sure to get off & walk it across as a pedestrian.

[Torrilin]

Everything she said!

If you chose to use the sidewalk route - be sure to get off & walk it across as a pedestrian.

Seconded. For some left turns I'm comfortable turning like a car (2 lane road, light traffic). For heavier traffic, it depends on how alert I am. For an awful lot of turns downtown, there's building construction or road construction that makes a left hazardous by eating one or more travel lanes. In that case I walk my bike period. Lot easier to go slower for a block than munge up poorly signed construction traffic.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

hello good question!

my suggestion for left turns....you always generally "act like a car" in the way you move or the timing you use. you generally always do this with two or more riders but you can get away with more things if you're by yourself. but the main objective is to make sure the vehicles around you 1) know you're there and 2) know which way you're going. you generally don't get too many buttheads that won't ever let you go. most people are either overly polite or treat you like another car. if you're fearful or nervous about turning then the best thing to do is be overtly obvious about where you're going. move over earlier than you probably would which enables more cars to see you sooner and see where you're going. this way you won't have as many fears that they don't know what's going on. also, if a car waves you on to go or waits for you, always make it a point to just put a hand up as a thank you. i always try to be as polite as possible every time i'm on the road. it makes drivers happier and helps giving a nice first impression for someone who's never driven past a cyclist before. it's also important because it lets them know if what they did was good or not for the cyclist.

if you're making a left in the middle of the road you're on (i.e. not at an interection): wait until traffic coming up behind you ends or there's a break, point your left arm out to signal you're going left, and move into the lane or near the yellow lines and turn when oncoming traffic is clear.

if you're making a left at a stop sign or light with no left turn lane: you act like a car whether there's one lane or two. if there's two, get in the left-most lane. if you're in a line of cars stopped, it's usually better to act like a car (or motorcycle for that matter) and take up a space in the line of cars.

if you're making a left at a stop sign or light with a left turn lane: whether there's no cars or a line of cars, i generally ride up to the front line and wait on the right-side of the left turn lane (i.e. at the first car's front passenger side). it makes it easier for everyone, especially yourself. when the light or arrow turns green then you just pick your turning line so that the cars pass by you on your left and everybody wins. haha

I agree with all this except the last one. When you are on the passenger side of a stopped car alongside it, you may be in a blind spot to the driver. Often a car in the left turning lane will change their mind or realize at the last second they are in the wrong lane, and they will TURN RIGHT instead, and run over you. Yes, they are "wrong", but it will hardly matter whose wrong when you get run over. I NEVER wait alongside a car at an intersection during a red light. Not only does the alongside position make it harder for the car next to you to see you, but it also makes it harder for all the OTHER cars to see you when you start moving forward alongside the car next to you.
In this situation, I always take the lane and stay in the middle of the left turning lane. I act just like a car, and I wait in line like the other cars. I make BIG hand signals and watch for weird turning cars when the light turns green and I go slowly into the intersection making my turn. As soon as my turn is safely made I go back to the right side of my new lane.

I second the recommendation of the book "The Art of Urban Cycling" (now annoyingly re-titled "The Art of Cycling- a guide to bicycling in 21-century America"...two titles, same book). It's my biking bible.

[Kalidurga]

Bicycle Safety: How to Not Get Hit by Cars. Excellent site of tips for riding on the road!

[Keely]

In Melbourne (Australia) we have trams and there are a number of intersections where cars have to do "hook turns". This type of turn is very useful as a cyclist in urban areas. So here's what it is... When doing a hook turn... wait I have to translate this because you guys are on the other side... too hard... I'll post a picture instead! I've drawn the picture from the Australin perspective so you'll need to reverse it.



The concept is pretty simple once you understand it. In Victoria (Australia), cyclists are allowed to do hook turns at any intersection. It can be a lot safer.