Cycling and Road Arrows

Marty06

This is not strictly moneysaving (except in the broad sense that cycling is inherently moneysaving and everyone that does it wants to save money and be safe...), but I wondered what people thought of this.

On my cycle ride in to work, I come up to a junction which allows traffic to turn a 90 degree left, or to go straight on at kind of 2 o'clock angle. In addition, buses, taxis and cycles can go straight ahead (which is what I want to do).

On the road leading up the traffic lights at the junction are two white arrows painted on the road. One, a left-hand turn arrow and the other a straight on arrow, creating two lanes of traffic

Now buses going straight on always take the left-hand turn lane. This means if I opt to go straight ahead from the straight ahead lane, I end up being cut up by a bus bearing down on me from over my left shoulder. However, if I went into the left hand turn lane to go straight ahead, I'd risk a car turning left round me and cutting me up.

I raised this with the bus company and today they wrote back to me and said that lane markings simply marked with white arrows are not legally binding (unless they say 'Left Hand Turn Only' or 'Turn Left', which these don't) and that their drivers can pick whatever lane they like.

This surprised me: I'd always thought these arrows were binding (or that you'd be had up for dangerous driving of some kind if you ignored them)

I've looked into this, and it seems there's a fair bit of confusion about this on the web.

My best understanding is that it is technically true that lane markings are not legally binding (they act just like signposts). However, if everyone just ignored them they'd end up in some pretty hairy situations and there would be chaos on the roads. Normally, by ignoring them you could find yourself guilty of bad driving (i.e. picking a right hand turn lane to turn left would just be madness) Also, if I ignored them like the bus does (and took the left hand turn lane to go straight on) I'm sure plenty of drivers would shout at me for being in the wrong lane. So whether or not they are legal, I think probably most road users DO obey them and think they are kind of binding. So I think it is unfair for the bus company to say 'who cares about other road users, we drive big buses and can pick whatever lane we like because it's technically legal to do so'

Does anyone have any thoughts/experience on this? Is there anything that can be said to the bus company to stop them taking this lane - it puts cyclists in an impossible position. Interested to hear your thoughts... (I've also written to the Council asking but not heard anything back from them)

maninthestreet

The bus drivers are not following Highway Code, so they may be held liable if they are involved in an accident when ignoring these road markings.

verybigchris

I'd always assumed those lane markings are legally enforceable, but I've just skimmed my copy of the Highway Code and they barely get a mention.

There's a junction like that near me and I now take a large detour to avoid it; in this case the straight-on lane is always busy so some idiots try to race ahead, using the left-turn lane to jump the queue.

I think the best riding advice I can give is to make yourself as visible as possible - if the bus drivers are having to cut across lanes it's presumably for a reason (e.g. they've just picked up some passengers) so their mind may be elsewhere and you have to make sure they notice you. If traffic allows, I would position myself further left than normal, perhaps even slightly inside the right-edge of the left turn lane: this should make it harder for anyone to undertake you, but it should still be clear that you intend to go straight on.

If you're really keen on trying to fix the situation, I would contact your council and see if they have a cycling officer (or anyone else who's generally in charge of these things). Write him/her a letter, including copies of your correspondence with the bus company and photos of the junction. If that doesn't work, then the guys at CTC (can't post links, you'll have to Google!) should be able to give you more advice.

Inactive

Send a copy of the letter from the bus company to the Driving Standards Agency, they will no doubt look in to the matter for you.

They may well put a silent examiner on the bus route who will in turn have words with the bus company in question.

http://www.dsa.gov.uk/

lisyloo

they wrote back to me and said that lane markings simply marked with white arrows are not legally binding

I believe the highway code says drivers SHOULD follow the arrows.
This means it's not legally binding but it's recommended for courtesy.

and that their drivers can pick whatever lane they like

Legally yes, but that phrasing shows no consideration for others.

This means if I opt to go straight ahead from the straight ahead lane, I end up being cut up by a bus bearing down on me from over my left shoulder

Assert yourself in a posistion where they can't overtake you i.e. middle of the lane.

This might at first appear selfish.
But you are entitled to use the road safely and if other drivers don't give you enough room, then you are perfectly justified in maintain a position that makes you safe and making them wait.
How lon will they have to wait? 5 seconds? 10 seconds?
Yes I know people are impatient.
I cycle too.
But if they have to wait, then they just have to wait. The roads are a shared resource.

This surprised me

Shoul you consider reading your highway code? It's about £1.95 or i's probably on-line.

However, if everyone just ignored them they'd end up in some pretty hairy situations and there would be chaos on the roads.

That's why the highway code gives guidance and says SHOULD.
Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's safe and ultimately drivers are responsible for thir actions.
So jsut becasue it's legal doesn't mean a bus driver couldn't be found wanting either criminally or civilly.

I'm sure plenty of drivers would shout at me for being in the wrong lane

If I had a choice between being knocked over or shouted at, then I go for the latter.
I always try to be courteous, but ultimately your safety shoudl come first.

it puts cyclists in an impossible position

Why?
Go to the front and stay in the middle.
They can't get past.
Yes I get shouted at now and again, buy most people can seee that I move over the INSTANT it becomes safe to do so.

I honestly don't thin you'll get anywhere and have to take the situation into your own hands by posistioning even if it APPEARS discourteous.

BTW - I do move over for other motorsist WHENEVER I can do so safely, so I don't want to come over as discourteous.
It's a minority of occassions when I blcok other motorists for a very short period of time for safety reasons.

DaveF327

The law enforcing compliance with traffic signs and road markings is section 36 of the Road Traffic Act, which prescribes regulations defining which signs have legal effect. Regulation 10 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 specify various signs and markings for this purpose, but not the lane direction arrows themselves. So the answer to your question is that these markings (and these alone) are not legally binding. Nevertheless, any action a driver or cyclist takes which is significantly outside the "defined outcome" of what the highway code intends to mandate, would render that person liable to prosecution for either "driving without due care and attention", "driving without reasonable consideration" or "careless (or inconsiderate) cycling" as the case may be.

The correct course of action would of course be to take the lane marked "ahead", but I'm a little unclear as to exactly how the bus causes you a problem. Does the bus actually fit entirely within his left turn lane between you and the kerb? Does the bus change lanes from one to another while passing extremely close to you? If the latter is the case, then regardless of what the bus company is trying to say, you should remind them of their drivers' responsibilities under section 3 of the Act.

Posting the exact scene of the crime (so we may debate google imagery) would be helpful, but in any case you could always make observations to time your lane change when there isn't a bus present

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Do what I do, which is to occupy the entire nearside lane and just cycle straight ahead.

Oh, and if a bus can out-accelerate you setting off from lights, you need to cut down on the pies.

sickparrot

I think I would probably adjust my speed on the run up to the junction so there aren't any buses around when I cross it. Or go on the pavement, f**k 'em.

sequence

These kind of junctions are pain in the !!!!. You stay in the left lane a poeple people and shout get in the right lane you moron. You go in the correct lane and you get the morons shouting cyclist should keep to the left get f!'# out of my way!

So no, theres no real solution!

Marty06

Thanks for replies.

I take the points about going into the middle of the left hand lane and sticking there, but this is of course easier if the traffic is stationary and you can get to the front of the queue. Normally what happens is the lights turn green a few hundred yards back and the traffic starts moving, meaning it's hard to take up a position.

I do think the bus company is being unhelpful in trying to defend its actions. I agree - the Highway Code is not clear on this and it seems legally true that arrows are not in and of themselves legally binding. However, in a situation where most road users do use the arrows for guidance not doing so puts you out of the mainstream and runs the risk of confusing or endangering other road users. It would seem to lead to a charge of driving without consideration of other road users being possible, and I would also hope they would be culpable if an accident actually happened because of their actions, so they are being a bit stupid to themselves trying to defend it.

For those of you who are interested, the junction is in Glasgow city centre, and can be seen here.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=saltmarket+glasgow&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Saltmarket,+Glasgow,+Lanarkshire+G1,+United+Kingdom&ll=55.854047,-4.250937&spn=0,359.945068&z=15&layer=c&cbll=55.854134,-4.250845&panoid=gn7-Q2Rkp397O7jQ8ANADQ&cbp=12,38.75,,0,5

Interestingly, the Google streetview shows a bus and a taxi doing what I am talking about (and some cylcists mounting the pavement to avoid it!). The real problem is the angle of the junction - to go into the right hand lane tends to throw you round to the 2 o'clock junction (Saltmarket) and doesn't put you in a good position to fight the bus coming up from the left if you are going ahead into Stockwell Street.

Looking at the pic, I can see in some ways why the buses take the left hand turn lane as it seems to be the most natural one to go straight ahead - perhaps the real problem is that the road markings don't actually reflect the reality of the junction which has three options, not just the two that the arrows imply! It's probably the City Council that need to deal with this.

I am now waiting for some other Glasgow cyclist to tell me I'm being a southern English wimp for having trouble with this junction....

casper_g

Looking at the junction I'd tend to try using the left lane. Surely you will rarely have a problem with a vehicle in the right lane exiting the junction at 12 o'clock (as opposed to 2 o'clock) as that exit is only for buses etc.? I'd use the left lane, but position myself well out to the right. I'd avoid being on the far left where the cycle lane puts you!