Drivers Who Can't Read Road Signs

[domd1979]

This morning, on the way into work, I was waiting in a junction to turn right at a set of lights. Some moron in a VW Passat came screaming past with the window down yelling "no right turn you prick". Indeed there is a no right turn at the lights. And underneath it says "except for cycles". I get similar yelled from drivers on a fairly regular basis, which is bloody annoying when I'm doing nothing wrong. Because of the stream of traffic coming the other way I was unable to turn right until the lights changed, and Mr Passat had RLJ'd whilst yelling at me, as had the ambulance coming the other way (not on blue lights).

I've suggested a cycle-right turn lane is marked on the road to make it even more bleeding obvious that bikes are exempt from the right turn ban. There's loads of room to do it as the lights used to have two approach lanes for traffic before the turn bans were put in. Unfortunately the answer "we can't" came back, which I don't quite understand since I've seen them elsewhere.

Agh.

 

[cheadle hulme]

I get the same with a narrow under bridge. Its one way for cars but two way for bikes, only I'm the only cycle that seems to use it so I'm never expected and get people being arsey and trying to push me to the side.
To be honest drivers wouldn't know thats the case as the "except cycles" sign is only visible on the side they can't use, so they never see it.

 

[John the Monkey]

It's the problem with these sorts of exemptions in general, and a system that doesn't require drivers to keep their knowledge up to date (or pay attention to road signs, even) in order to use the public highway.

I wonder if some sort of road marking (along the lines of the sharrow, maybe) supplementing the signposting might be a better answer, as surely drivers will be looking at the road?

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

...as surely drivers will be looking at the road?

...you'd certainly hope so... but having seen a lot of them out there...

 

[PBancroft]

To be fair, a lot of drivers don't seem to understand the "Give Way to Oncoming Vehicles" sign and the like either. They either don't seem to see them, or think they don't apply.

Another reason why I would like to see people retake their driving test once every so many years.

 

[levad]

Don't get me started on yellow boxes ....

 

[Downward]

For a Driver who never cycles though he wouldn't give non car related signs a 2nd look.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I think it's more likely that they don't like the fact that you are allowed to do something that they're not.

AND you don't even pay tax or nuffink.

 

[HLaB]

Ocaisonally drivers mis reading road signs is an advantage, eg the time plates on bus lanes. IME in general drivers tend to stay out of bus lanes when the time plates say its quite legal to outside the peaks; unfortunately people looking for parking have caught on to time plates.