Newbie, Right Turn

As you approach the right-turn lane, indicate by hand motion to following cars your intention to move from the right shoulder of the road into the right-hand side of the "through traffic" lane (assuming US conventions re vehicle travel). Make your intentions clear well in advance.

Does that apply to a stop light, sorry I followed that but I am confused on whether you mean actually get in the through lane or get in the middle of the two. Thanks a bunch.

cyclolv said:

Hello everyone!

This is my first post, so don't be to quick to ridicule. As I stated I am new to cycling, therefore I am unsure about a thing or two about cycling on the road. When I ride I am on the right side of the street of course, so because of that I have to be in the turning lane. So in the event that I am in the right lane at a red light, should i get into the next lane over, get in the middle of the two lane so motorists can still turn, or stay in the turning lane and block motorists that wish to turn. I was thinking one two, anyways thanks for the feedback in advance!

Happy cycling!

Not sure what your intentions were, were they to go straight or turn right? So I'll answer both!

If your intention is to go straight you must move into the non turn lane just as a car would do because you must follow the same rules as a car. Now you can either hug the line between the thru lane and the turn lane or you can take the lane if you feel safer that way. Take the lane means you literally take the lane by going down the center of the lane, as a car would. This is best if stopped and waiting for a light, or traffic is heavy and your afraid of one car crowding you next to another. As soon as you go through the intersection then you ride to the right to let faster traffic go by. I do this a lot as well as others I know, just don't let the car drivers who might yell some colored metaphors at you deter from doing what you need to do to be safe.

Now you should guess what I'm going say about if your going to turn right...yep take the lane, do not hug the right curb or a car could cut the curb and crush you between their car and the curb. Nor turn right by taking the left side because then your going to be fighting with cars to get back to the right side of the road. As soon as you make your turn then ride to the right side as you would do normally.

I even take the lane if I'm going straight and there are cars parked to my right to prevent a dooring (even though I watch for people sitting in the car through the back window and side mirror) or heavy traffic lined up in the right lane to turn right. People can honk all they want I don't care, nor do the cops, the cops know I have the same rules as a car and I have the right to take a lane.

No difference whether there's a stop light or not. Position yourself more or less on the line separating the right-turn lane from the through-traffic lane.

Thank you both very much. Sorry I wasn't very clear, I meant at a stop light, going through. Most of the time I get in the through lane at a red light but when it's a green am I wrong to keep going through if its not a right turn only?

OldGoat said:

No difference whether there's a stop light or not. Position yourself more or less on the line separating the right-turn lane from the through-traffic lane.

Yes, this. If you are going straight through the light then be in a lane that is able to go straight, as far to the right of that lane as possible. Right-turning cars should be able to proceed on your right.

cyclolv said:

when it's a green am I wrong to keep going through if its not a right turn only?

Probably not wrong, but you want to be claiming your rightful place on the roadway rather than trying to squeeze in at the last minute or against the normal flow. Better to move over early so drivers know what you're doing, and if you do happen to get into an accident with a vehicle you want to have the law on your side.

Same applies for off-ramps and such where the right-hand lane is veering off. Ride to the right until there is a clear spot for you to safely move over into the spot between the two lanes so that you can continue straight.

The only exception to this is when you are on a street without a dedicated turn lane and there are traffic sensors to change the traffic light to green. In that case I pull up far enough that I am blocking any right-turning cars, without leaving space for them to squeeze through behind me, until they are stopped long enough to change the light for me. 😎

Sorry I kind of need you to spell this out for me. You personally when your at a stop light (it is not a right only), do you get in the middle of the two lanes to let right turning cars get through or do you fully get into the next lane. I'm here in Las Vegas so almost all the streets are 4 lane streets. What I have been doing is getting in the second lane from the right. Getting in the middle just seems kinda risky, really because I don't like the thought of trying to get on the right side of the rode, while 2 cars drive past on each side. Any input?

cyclolv said:

Sorry I kind of need you to spell this out for me. You personally when your at a stop light (it is not a right only), do you get in the middle of the two lanes to let right turning cars get through or do you fully get into the next lane. I'm here in Las Vegas so almost all the streets are 4 lane streets. What I have been doing is getting in the second lane from the right. Getting in the middle just seems kinda risky, really because I don't like the thought of trying to get on the right side of the rode, while 2 cars drive past on each side. Any input?

I get in the middle, on the white stripe, as Old Goat pointed out, so that right turning cars, in the right turn lane, aren't prevented from doing so by me (who is headed straight). Technically, you want to be in the lane, farthest to the right, that heads in the direction you want to go. Being on the stripe between the right turn lane and the rightmost lane headed straight, when you want to go straight, is appropriate. Note, though, that there are times when you might want to take your entire lane, such as when there's not enough room to ride safely on the right side of the road; when turning left; when the road narrows; and so on. That part is a judgement call.

If you're going to be changing lanes or direction, be absolutely certain to signal your intent. It's important, when riding on the road, to be predictable.

cyclolv said:

Sorry I kind of need you to spell this out for me. You personally when your at a stop light (it is not a right only), do you get in the middle of the two lanes to let right turning cars get through or do you fully get into the next lane. I'm here in Las Vegas so almost all the streets are 4 lane streets. What I have been doing is getting in the second lane from the right. Getting in the middle just seems kinda risky, really because I don't like the thought of trying to get on the right side of the rode, while 2 cars drive past on each side. Any input?

I'm saying the same as Old Goat and Alienator, if you understood their posts better than mine. If there is a right-turn lane + 2 lanes going straight, then position in the lane going straight nearest the outside curb.

Typically how this works is that you are riding along on the street near the curb with cars passing on your left. When you approach the light, the curb begins to veer-off towards the right to create the right-turn lane. As a straight-travelling vehicle, you would not follow the curb as it veers to the right, but continue absolutely straight in your lane towards the stoplight. Cars wanting to turn right would need to wait until you clear the opening for the right-turn lane before they can enter that lane, and once that lane has expanded to full width then they may pass you on the right as you slow for the red.

Thank you everyone, I was just having some trouble getting it. I think it also just has some getting used to.

well if you live in Vegas think of it as a gamble, make your choice and hope to stay alive ! the cyclist always gets the worth part in an street accident.

cyclolv said:

Sorry I kind of need you to spell this out for me. You personally when your at a stop light (it is not a right only), do you get in the middle of the two lanes to let right turning cars get through or do you fully get into the next lane. I'm here in Las Vegas so almost all the streets are 4 lane streets. What I have been doing is getting in the second lane from the right. Getting in the middle just seems kinda risky, really because I don't like the thought of trying to get on the right side of the rode, while 2 cars drive past on each side. Any input?

This whole thing is a personal thing, and personally I don't ride the white painted line especially during heavy traffic times. The reason I don't is because you could get sandwiched between two cars, or the car to your left went there because he's in a hurry to turn right before you or the car in the right turn lane. If I take the lane instead that forces the car in the left lane to stay behind me, then I accelerate rapidly, and once I clear the intersection I move to the right of the road if it's safe to do so otherwise I may continue taking the lane if my speed is the same as the cars on the road, and during high traffic times this is more then possible.

Unfortunately I can't ride with you to show you when I decide to take the lane, because I don't always do that, it's mostly tied to traffic volume, and sometimes related to the size of the vehicle, a semi truck in the right turn lane then requires that I take the middle of the lane next to it due to the trucks wide swing, if the truck is in the lane next to the turn lane I stay behind the truck (or in front of it, but do not pass it) because sometimes a truck will make a right turn from the lane adjacent to the right lane due to it's wide swinging nature...and trucks have huge blind spots so you have to help them see you.

Do you have situations where the right turn lane is also a through lane? I have lots here and I tried getting into the right side of the through-traffic-only lane only to find, by chance, that the car behind me was also going straight. Cyclist sandwich.

I just behave like I would in a car now. I don't care if it's a red light and a car is honking at me to move so they can turn right! Sounds like you have enough lanes in Vegas that the right hand lane is a dedicated turning lane, so I'd go with what others have already said in getting into the through-lane.

jump_at_the_sun said:

Do you have situations where the right turn lane is also a through lane? I have lots here and I tried getting into the right side of the through-traffic-only lane only to find, by chance, that the car behind me was also going straight. Cyclist sandwich.

I just behave like I would in a car now. I don't care if it's a red light and a car is honking at me to move so they can turn right! Sounds like you have enough lanes in Vegas that the right hand lane is a dedicated turning lane, so I'd go with what others have already said in getting into the through-lane.

If the far right turn lane is also a thru lane, I take the entire lane. I like to leave drivers with as little guessing as possible.

alienator said:

If the far right turn lane is also a thru lane, I take the entire lane. I like to leave drivers with as little guessing as possible.

So your blocking the right turners right? I just feel uneasy doing it because they get [censored]. Not that I have ever done it, just what I think they would do.

cyclolv said:

So your blocking the right turners right? I just feel uneasy doing it because they get [censored].

Yes, just like any other straight-travelling vehicle sitting at the front of the line. I'll either sit in the middle of the lane, or if I'm feeling generous move far enough forward or to the left so that right-turning cars can squeeze around the corner behind and on my *right*.

Avoid positioning so that right-turning cars perceive an opening to move ahead on the left and turn across the front of your bike.

cyclolv said:

So your blocking the right turners right? I just feel uneasy doing it because they get [censored]. Not that I have ever done it, just what I think they would do.

Tough nuts for the impatient driver. He should be lucky he's behind a quick to accelerate bike, as opposed to a piece of farming machinery or a street cleaner.

jump_at_the_sun said:

Tough nuts for the impatient driver. He should be lucky he's behind a quick to accelerate bike, as opposed to a piece of farming machinery or a street cleaner.

I wouldn't word it as "tough nuts," after all, we all have to get along on the road, else we end up having the problems we have now. The reason for taking the lane in this last case is to better prevent a car turning to the right, into the rider. Cars turning make up a big chunk of the cars that hit cyclists.

alienator said:

I wouldn't word it as "tough nuts," after all, we all have to get along on the road, else we end up having the problems we have now. The reason for taking the lane in this last case is to better prevent a car turning to the right, into the rider. Cars turning make up a big chunk of the cars that hit cyclists.

I agree with you on the "getting along" part, and I wish the rules for safe road sharing between cyclists and motorists were public knowledge by now. The "tough nuts" was mostly directed at the impatience, not at motorists in general.