Hand signal before pulling out to pass a parked car?

[PK99]

Extract from the National Standard (which Bikeability follows) "When a cyclist is riding steadily and confidently there should be no need to signal when overtaking. It should be obvious from their position and riding that they will be carrying on past the vehicles."

That is the key point. Move out well in advance and you are holding position as you overtake not changing. I see too many "she hugged the kerb until about 3 feet behind the car then turned through 90 degrees and shot out from behind it!"

But it may not be so obvious: eg coming up behind a bus at a bus stop. If I can see passengers getting on I will mostly pass. If i see the doors close, i will slow behind the bus and let it go.

My approach: If I am changing lanes/position i indicate, just as i would in a car

 

[PK99]

Calling secondary 1 and primary position 2 is a great way to have introduced confusion. I wonder which genius thought that up.

What genius though up primary and secondary in the first place? Most time is spent in secondary and primary only taken when needed.

 

[Andy_R]

I don't know who made it up but its logical when you think of it like this...(a) Bikeability aspires to catch people at a young age so using Position 1, 2 and 3 are less confusing for them as they have not heard of secondary and primary; and (b) Secondary and Primary is fine... but what do you call the 3rd position (nearer to the centre line) because us oldies don't have a word for it?

thus the terms Position 1, 2 and 3 were introduced.

I'm getting used to calling it Position 1, Position 2 and Position 3 now. It's evolving. i think us oldies are gonna have to catch up!

"Bikeability" does not state position 1, position2, or position 3. The organisation you work for has made that definition. If you read through the National Standard training delivery documents provided by the DfT you will see only Primary and Secondary mentioned.

 

[byegad]

No need to signal, I dont, because the car behind can see the parked vehicle and tberefore expect you to pull out.

You have rather more faith in driving standards than me! I signal when changing from Secondary to primary so there is no doubt that I am moving out. Once in Primary I stay there until I have a clear road ahead in Secondary and then signal and move in. It costs nothing to signal and may avert an impatient or inexperienced driver having my death on his/her conscience.

 

[PK99]

From the Bikeability outcome specification

7.1 On approach to the vehicle the trainee must observe behind. They may also check if there is anyone in the vehicles, if the motor is running and if the vehicle is about to set off (indicating) so that they can take appropriate avoiding action.
7.2 They should move out smoothly into a gap in the traffic (they should not be so close as to need to swerve) a car door’s length from the vehicle they intend to overtake.
7.3 Trainees must not cycle close to vehicles where they could be hit by an opening door.
7.4 Once past, they should perform a final check over their left shoulder before moving smoothly back into the secondary position. If there are other vehicles to overtake ahead, they should stay in the primary position until they have passed all of these.
7.5 Trainees should not pass to the left of slower moving vehicles.

From the course manual:
http://www.cycletrainingeast.org.uk/Downloads/Bikeability_Level_2_Course_Manual.pdf see module 8 and module 10

Now, while the guidance does not say "signal" when passing a stationary vehicle, it does guide moving out into a gap in the traffic stream well in advance of the stationary vehicle (module 8) , and that may need a signal to communicate intention to other vehicles and negotiate space with vehicles in the stream. (module 10)

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

When I've signalled to pass parked stuff it's usually as a means of asserting what I'm doing. As mentioned before it should be obvious I'm not going to turn into Dougie Lampkin and go over the top of them.

 

[PK99]

No need to signal, I dont, because the car behind can see the parked vehicle and tberefore expect you to pull out.

If you are cycling correctly, you will be pulling out well in advance of the stationary vehicle, drivers may not anticipate such an early move - I take the precaution of signalling my intention of moving into the centre of the traffic stream

 

[Frood42]

I signal/communicate with other road users if I feel there is a need (I don't signal if there is no one around).
I will use a sort of hold back signal if moving out to pass a parked car, or if staying out in the general stream of traffic and there is a gap in the parked cars...

For some strange reason you can be doing 20-25mph in a 30mph zone and some drivers still expect you to move into a 2 car gap just to let them past, even when there is a traffic island there...
.

 

[PK99]

I

For some strange reason you can be doing 20-25mph in a 30mph zone and some drivers still expect you to move into a 2 car gap
.

possibly because too many cyclists do do just that!

 

[Frood42]

possibly because too many cyclists do do just that!

If I start to see a few cars stuck behind me then I will look for a safe place to slow down and pull over.

This traffic island is interesting at night ( http://goo.gl/maps/7qFyf ), as you get cars parked in all the parking space both before and after it.
When you get near some drivers seem to think you will be moving back to the left, so I have to show clearly that I will be maintaining primary as I will very quickly be coming up on more parked cars, as well as the fact that I am moving through a pinch point.
.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I will use a sort of hold back signal if moving out to pass a parked car, or if staying out in the general stream of traffic and there is a gap in the parked cars...

I only use 'hold back' (right arm extended at 45 degrees, palm facing back, fingers spread, very.emphatic.gesture.) when riding at the back of a group, along with lots of rear obvs. used in on Sunday morning. Nobber tried the overtake anyway. Horsebox came round the corner and nobber tried to kill three of us.

As to signalling when passing parked cars? Flip no. Lots of very.obvious.repeated.rear.obvs.though. Following driver won't be looking at me anyway and will miss the signal. If they are looking at me they'll figure out I'm unlike to pop a manual and mount the boot of the parked car.

 

[sazzaa]

I usually just hog the whole lane if a parked car is up ahead, kerb hugging is a bit daft. No hand signals required.

 

[Frood42]

I only use 'hold back' (right arm extended at 45 degrees, palm facing back, fingers spread, very.emphatic.gesture.) when riding at the back of a group, along with lots of rear obvs. used in on Sunday morning. Nobber tried the overtake anyway. Horsebox came round the corner and nobber tried to kill three of us.

As to signalling when passing parked cars? Flip no. Lots of very.obvious.repeated.rear.obvs.though. Following driver won't be looking at me anyway and will miss the signal. If they are looking at me they'll figure out I'm unlike to pop a manual and mount the boot of the parked car.

I also do the looking back, but some drivers when they see a gap on the left think that for some reason I am going to swerve into it to let them past, so I have to be extra obvious that I won't be moving across... I have got to the point now, especially in this weather, where I have to treat everyone on the road as being completely stupid and incapable of driving properly...

This traffic island is interesting at night ( http://goo.gl/maps/7qFyf ), as you get cars parked in all the parking space both before and after it.
When you get near the end of the row of parked cars some drivers seem to think you will be moving back to the left, so I have to show clearly that I will be maintaining primary as I will very quickly be coming up to the traffic island (pinch point) and beyond that more parked cars.

I have found if you don't make the obvious, well "obvious", then you will get some idiot who will do something stupid, all to gain one car space at the next lights... where you will most likely end up filtering past them again, gaining them zero time...

Of course, not all drivers are like that, but bringing it down to the level of the poorest skilled driver seems to be the way to go...
.

 

[Inertia]

Personally like a few others I don't indicate, I move out and do a shoulder check. I avoid any hand signals in general except left or right indicating, if I tried anything else such as the hold back thing Id be worried it could be misinterprated. I worry about my own riding and let motorists judge for themselves what to do.

 

[HLaB]

I don't think I had indicate at all on the whole of my 11.7 mile commute this morning.