"Peter Signorini" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]:
Quoted message said:
Once you're on a roundabout, behaving as a vehicle, which is what the law recognises cyclists as, other vehicles must give way to you. Period.
The point I'm trying to make Peter is that this is not strictly true. The reason I mentioned s.253 is that it appears to apply regardless of other rules (it is in a separate division with the title "Additional Rules for Cyclists"😉.
What that means is that you need to apply all of the other rules but if you cause a traffic hazard in doing so you will be at fault. That seems very harsh but it basically means it is your duty to avoid an accident (which kind of makes sense).
I don't know of the law being applied and I would probably try to defend against it's application on the basis that it was contradictory and without clear purpose but it is still there.
You only have to give way if changing lanes or if you are on a bike going past the straight through course.
Suppose you cycling straight through a large multi-laned roundabout in the left lane and a car is travelling perpendicular to you (crossing from your right to left) in the centre lane.
Normally the rules would be clear, the vehicle that enters the roundabout first has right of way. But the rule that says that cyclists have to give way to vehicles exiting the roundabout demands that you give way to the car, even if you are clearly the first vehicle in the roundabout.
This conflict puts cyclists in a difficult situation legally. I think the hook turn option should be removed from the law and the law should apply equally to all roundabout users.
I would have thought it would be better to claim the left lane by riding in the RH wheel track, preventing any cars overtaking you within the lane.
-- BrettS
I've ended up almost doing that on a T-junction/roundabout. Left lane = straight through, middle lane = straight through/left lane of roundabout, right lane only starts ON the roundabout.
Riding the RH edge of the middle lane then the LHS of the actual roundabout works the best. It also gives the motors the most options. I AM riding as far left as I feel is safe. Come to think of it, the only way to give way to a left turning motor behind you is to give them the space to your LEFT.
I only do this if I don't have a pack behind me so I can at least get established. Otherwise, its legally onto the footpath(ACT) and cross directly over to the roundabout proper - a hook turn?
