Was this car in the wrong?

geri1965_2

Yesterday on the way home from work (cycling) I was waiting at a set of traffic lights to turn right.

I was in the advanced stop box (or whatever it's called) for bikes and as the lights changed to green I moved forward, however, due to traffic coming the other way I couldn't turn, so I stopped waiting for a gap to clear.

A car, which I assumed had been behind me, pulled up along my left hand side and gradually started edging forward, it was about 2" away from me and I started feeling nervous because if it turned across me as I was moving it would have knocked me off. For safety reasons I had to wait until it had gone before I could move forward.

I was in two minds about tapping on the driver's window to ask what she was playing at, but I wasn't actually sure if she had done anything wrong.

It seems to me like she should have waited behind me, not tried to force herself in front of me?

If she hadn't done anything wrong fair enough, but it struck me as being a little bit rude at the very least.

Ilona

If you were at the traffic lights first waiting in your box, then anyone coming up behind you should have waited their turn and proceeded after you. A rude and ignorant driver, I'd say. Good job you were aware of her presence, because she couldn't have cared less about yours.
Ilona

LittleMissAspie

She wouldn't have done that to a car or motorbike so she shouldn't have done it to you.

Keith

I'd say officially she's in the wrong.

As the Highway Code says

213

Motorcyclists and cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles such as drain covers or oily, wet or icy patches on the road. Give them plenty of room and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may have to make.

But

On the right. If you are turning right, check the traffic to ensure it is safe, then signal and move to the centre of the road. Wait until there is a safe gap in the oncoming traffic and give a final look before completing the turn. It may be safer to wait on the left until there is a safe gap or to dismount and push your cycle across the road.

However, I'd be banging on the window asking her what the hell she was doing as she'd end up moving right as I moved left to the left of the lane.

thelawnet

What road did this happen on?

Was the car going straight on or turning right? Was there one lane or two?

If I am turning right I would move to the right of the lane to allow cars go to go straight on (depending on the design of the junction) - if that's not possible you should be in the middle of the lane to stop this sort of thing.

Freddie_Snowbits

The car driver was at fault, but Freddie's rule No1 should always be advised, extract oneself from harm first, so do not cause a confrontation.

geri1965_2

It's two lanes, she was also turning right. I was positioned in the middle of my lane (it's the lane for turning right anyway). It's possible she may have actually been in the wrong lane and had to move into my lane to do her turn and avoid holding up the drivers who were going straight on. I didn't see which lane she came from behind me.

maninthestreet

The car driver was in the wrong - the OP was positioned at the front of the right turn lane, the driver should have waited BEHIND the OP until the OP had completed their right tuen.

bezzza

I have a slightly different take on the situation (although I do agree that the car driver should not have edged right up to the OP as it was clearly inconsiderate to do so) as my interpretation of the situation is that there were 2 lanes with a dedicated right hand turn lane and the OP CHOSE to sit in the MIDDLE of the lane - the OP claimed they move forward so I would assume out of the advance box (again, inconsiderate but this time by the OP as the car driver probably thought you were going to perform a U turn and not turn right) instead of keeping to the left hand side of the right hand turn lane (as they would have and should have been keeping to the left of the road they were turning into, in the gutter). I can see both sides of the argument and would like to add something else from personal experience - why do I as a car driver have to allow for a cyclists mistakes (riding round parked cars without checking for traffic behind, multiple cyclists riding alongside each other on country lanes, not wearing high visibility colours or cycle lights, etc etc etc?)

geri1965_2

What the hell are you on about? As a cyclist I have every right to be in the middle of the lane, I am not obliged to cycle in the gutter!

smitchy73

bezzza, look at the post above in regards to the highway code, there is nothing about you having special rights because you drive a car, you are a road user the same as a cyclist and because they don't have a powered engine YOU have to give them the extra room and the benefit of the doubt and think about what manouvers they may have to take, ie to avoid potholes, just like I'm sure you swerve to avoid them too.

OP: from a legal point of view if they had hit you or hurt you with their manouvre they would've been charged