ASLs

[vickster]

I was toward the left centre of a cycle box, motorcyclist to my right. He turned left across me when the lights changed.

I've seen the same many times at local lights and box at a tram crossing

Yep know exactly where you mean. Mostly delivery riders. I shake my head at them. I don’t think many have a clue that they shouldn’t be there, likely never having actually read (or understood) the Highway Code

 

[Electric_Andy]

I don't think they are very safe to be honest; the few times I used them for what they are supposed to be used for, I was nearly run over. I'd stopped in the left hand lane and when lights were red I moved over to the right within the ASL becasue I wanted to turn right. WHilst doing so, the lights turned green and an Audi nearly ploughed into me. Cue the beeping and cursing and waving of hands and shouting "WTF are you doing, why are you in the middle of the road?"

If drivers knew what they are for, and respected that, and still drove with due dilligence then they'd be a great thing, but we all know that's a rarity.

As for MC, I don't see the harm if they've filtered to the front and take care whilst entering them, I used to sometimes, but I would always do a shoulder check and "give way" to any genuine (cycle) users before I pulled away or turned. If there was more than one cyclist in the ASL then I wouldn't normally go in there

 

[Drago]

A good argument for compulsory retraining and retesting of drivers every 5 or 10 years.

 

[Electric_Andy]

A good argument for compulsory retraining and retesting of drivers every 5 or 10 years.

Yarp. I think it also warrants a public service advert too? You don't see many of them nowadays, but something about cyclists and ASLs would be handy. We have signs on some of our roundabouts saying watch out for cyclists and keep 1.5m, but I'm not sure it's the best method/location of getting safety information to drivers who probably aren't looking at signs anyway

 

[fossyant]

ASLs are not worth the paint they are made with. Nobody observes them and I don't believe they actually help cyclists anyway.
Even had a nurse who had just knocked off from the local hospital trying to bully/push me out of one last week on my way home from work. Ironically, the same hospital who gave me excellent treatment after an rta that resulted in me suffering a broken neck and fractured skull a few years ago.
You cannot make it up!

Short of customers ?

 

[a.twiddler]

Same here in our rural market town in leafy Cheshire. Though generally I find most drivers are pretty considerate very many of them don't seem to realise the significance of or in some cases just don't care about ASLs. There are quite a few cyclists about at various times of the day too.

Despite this being the location of Cheshire Police HQ there's no enforcement despite this being a potential source of rich pickings and easy convictions for failing to comply with a traffic sign or road marking. What is that these days -3 points and a £60 fine? I tend to give cyclists plenty of room whether I'm out in the car (rarely) or on the motorbike. I've had the odd car pass me when I've stopped at the stop line so they can stop at the ASL. The worst offenders, predictably, are drivers of bloated SUVs, and then groups of young riders on 50cc scooters and small motorbikes, mostly "L" plated.

It irritates me, more so when out cycling but apart from keeping a wary eye out for what else they might do out of ignorance so I can take evasive action, it's no point fretting about something I can't control so I don't let it spoil my day.

 

[Drago]

It depends on the legal naturemof the road markings as to whether its a councilmor dibvle enforcement issue. In nearby Northampton theyre carncil markings, enforceable by them...but they never do.

 

[Electric_Andy]

mostly "L" plated

That's a good point. When I did both my CBT and further training for the A motorcycle test, there was no mention of ASLs at all

 

[rivers]

That's a good point. When I did both my CBT and further training for the A motorcycle test, there was no mention of ASLs at all

I did my CBT 4 times (we had no desire to upgrade to a full license as we just used our little 125 pcx for a local runaround). It was only on my final CBT that ASLs were mentioned briefly. Mainly that legally we shouldn't use them, and can/will fail a test by going in them. However, if you did use them, be considerate of cyclists as ASLs were actually just for them.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Yes they are everywhere, but almost universally ignored by motorists here in Manchester. They either don't know or don't care that they are crossing 'their' stop line on red.

Wow, did not realise that. Thats bad.

 

[Dogtrousers]

In London I wouldn't say they are universally ignored. I'd say they are respected a majority of the time, but the non-respecting minority is large. Often vehicles will have advanced into the box in creeping traffic when the light goes red. Other drivers just don't care. It's not uncommon to see police vehicles in this category.

But sometimes I prefer to hold back and wait in the queue anyway. There's little point filtering past someone only to end up being overtaken again a minute later, inviting close passes and so forth. It all depends on the junction and traffic levels.

 

[presta]

Jeremy Vine tweeted a video of cars honking at him as he left traffic lights, because he was riding well clear of the door zone of some cars parked on the left.

He blocked me after I pointed out that he's rather shot himself in the foot when the video shows him approaching the ASL on a cycle lane that passes through the door zone of all the cars queueing at the lights.

 

[a.twiddler]

Jeremy Vine tweeted a video of cars honking at him as he left traffic lights, because he was riding well clear of the door zone of some cars parked on the left.

He blocked me after I pointed out that he's rather shot himself in the foot when the video shows him approaching the ASL on a cycle lane that passes through the door zone of all the cars queueing at the lights.

When you look at the layout of our local ASLs there is usually a skinny cycle lane that runs for a few yards up the left side of the road into the ASL which means that to use them, you have no choice to except to run the gauntlet of the door zone on that side. You are at the mercy of passengers who may leap out of a car when it stops briefly due to the lights rather than the traditional method of a driver parking up in a row of parked vehicles and scooping you up as you pass on the right. You can avoid the latter by keeping further out but as for passing on the left, unless you ride on the pavement (if there is one) you have to take your chances and ride warily.

 

[biking_fox]

Drivers here in Sheffield tend to go sort of halfway into them, but then a lot of drivers don't seem to know where the front of their car is and stop about six feet behind the line anyway, so they probably think they're fully inside it.

This so much, either miles behind the line or halfway over it. or fully over the front line, an alarming un-awareness of where their metalwork ends.

I don't mind motorbikes in them, they tend to have even more acceleration than I do and will be across the junction out of my way. Cars are so much slower I can be in the middle of the junction before they've started moving away.

I get most annoyed by drivers (normally when there's a bend before the ASL) who drive/stop in the feeder cyclelane so you can't get to the ASL, they do this even when the traffic is moving which can be very scary. I'd have large bollards defending the feeder lanes if I had my way.

 

[DaveReading]

When you look at the layout of our local ASLs there is usually a skinny cycle lane that runs for a few yards up the left side of the road into the ASL which means that to use them, you have no choice to except to run the gauntlet of the door zone on that side. You are at the mercy of passengers who may leap out of a car when it stops briefly due to the lights rather than the traditional method of a driver parking up in a row of parked vehicles and scooping you up as you pass on the right. You can avoid the latter by keeping further out but as for passing on the left, unless you ride on the pavement (if there is one) you have to take your chances and ride warily.

It is no longer mandatory (if it ever was) to enter an ASL via the lane on the left.

I rarely use them at all, unless the queue is so long that I can't be sure of getting through the junction on the first green phase.