Sorry mate it's not safe for me to signal.

[GrumpyGregry]

If a bicyclist has to make a choice between going fast and, as a consequence, not signalling their intent to other road users, I'd say they need to slow the chuff down!

It isn't reasonable to assume that drivers, and other road users, can determine intent from road/body language, road positioning, eye contact, or sheer force of personality.

 

[I like Skol]

Usually find that positive road position and a good 'stare' do the trick just as well, if not better, than a hand signal.
I have a similar junction on my commute were I ride at the righthand side of a left only lane so I can go straight on and this has never been a problem.

 

[Cyclist33]

But surely if we expect to be treated properly on the roads we should behave as per the requirements of driving a car?

Mirror (look), Signal, Manoeuvre?

The body language of an arm sticking out is far clearer than expecting someone to understand what a good "stare" are meant to signify - for all they know you could just have a glass eye, or are hating on humanity that morning for your own personal reasons.

 

[jonny jeez]

I can think of very few situations where signalling could cause danger. I suspect anticipation and early positioning reduces the number to zero.

 

[Profpointy]

I can think of very few situations where signalling could cause danger. I suspect anticipation and early positioning reduces the number to zero.

Signalling left can encourage cars behind to overtake AND turn left themselves round same corner - so I'm very selective / wary about whether to left-signal .

I've already mentioned the difficulty of doing a right signal down a steep hill. Although desirable to signal it's hard to do if you actually expect to stop. Top of Blackboy hill in Bristol if anyone knows it.

 

[I like Skol]

But surely if we expect to be treated properly on the roads......

But, in my case at least, it is because we are not treated equally that it is necessary to rejoin the traffic in the lane that, by rights, we should have been in in the first place!

On the image above I travel north and 'should' follow the red line to continue straight ahead and at this point the road is fairly level so I am usually travelling between 15-20mph. I actually choose to use the left lane (marked in blue) and merge at the junction. This works well for a number of reasons.

1. If I sat in the correct lane, even at a quickish cycling pace, I would be harassed by impatient road users and would expect to be dangerously undertaken at least once a week.
2. The amount of traffic turning left is proportionately much less and they have to slow considerably to make the turn so they are held up much less by a cyclist in that lane.
3. The motorists seem to get 'it', so in exchange for a clear, unhindered passage through the junction they allow me to merge back into the 'correct' lane without any hesitation. We all win, I ride along without being harassed and they get to pass through the green traffic lights without being held up.

This sort of co-operation and compromise goes on all the time on the road and makes the roads a better place to be. It can't be covered by rules & regulations as each situation is different, but it isn't a free-for-all that some would have us believe "If we don't follow the rules it will be chaos and anarchy".

I don't feel the need to indicate by hand that I am moving from the left only lane to continue straight on, my lane positioning and body language indicates far more clearly what my intentions are. If a driver is so inept that they can't see where I am heading in this instance then a hand signal isn't going to help my situation one jot!

 

[summerdays]

I can think of very few situations where signalling could cause danger. I suspect anticipation and early positioning reduces the number to zero.

If the road is pot holey I don't like taking my hand off to signal after hitting a pothole whilst signalling, (and breaking my arm in the process), especially on downhill sections where you need to brake.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

My commute in includes Maze Hill, which is steep, covered in speed bumps and has a tight left in to a narrow cycle path where it starts to flatten out. The combination makes it hard to fit signalling in so I tend to do it early, or use road position to attempt to show that I'm turning if it's just not safe to signal. Fortunately all I'm doing is leaving the carriageway so I don't have conflict with other vehicles as part of the turn. Slowing down would be an option, but I think I'd be in more danger from confused drivers trying to go faster than me. With a straight on/left turn I'd be unhappy about staying in the left turn lane very long, although it really depends on the road. With a right turn I'd be looking to get positioned early and make an obvious signal. I have one like this at the Swanley end of my commute, although not so savage a hill (on modern brakes anyway). I'd prefer to inconvenience the car than be hurried at the point of turning by needing to fit too many things in at once. Not sure how I'd handle it on a road with less traffic, it's easier when you can make an obvious indication to the car behind rather than making the move with the road empty but the possibility of a car coming up fast at any point.

I thought there was something in the Highway Code specifically saying that sometimes a cyclist won't give a hand signal because it is dangerous for them to do so, but I couldn't find it in the sweep I just did. Maybe I imagined it.

 

[Dan B]

My safety > your safety > my convenience > your convenience

I'll signal if the opportunity presents itself but sometimes I'm too busy steering

 

[Origamist]

My safety > your safety > my convenience > your convenience

I'll signal if the opportunity presents itself but sometimes I'm too busy steering

Or covering the brakes.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I like to signal, partly because I appreciate clear and definite signalling from others (& +1 to Accy here, the number of people in cars that don't signal is despicable) also partly because of my neck problem, a proper make eye contact lifesaver look is difficult for me to achieve & my head movement as far as I can may be misconstrued as me just glancing sideways not backwards.

There is one piece of a regular ride route that is frankly awful at any speed on any 2 wheel bike, regardless of how often it gets patched over it fails rapidly and becomes worse than ever, luckily it is a left turn for me so I can get away without signalling without too much bother but always feel that pang that the driver following is thinking I'm just another ignorant tw*t on a bike rather than afraid to take a hand off the bars for the fear of losing control and ending up under their wheels.

 

[summerdays]

If I feel it is safe to signal and it will help someone I will even to the extent of slowing up approaching a left turn that would enable them to get out of the side road whilst traffic behind me has to wait two milliseconds.

But normally for a left I don't bother as I will take the corner slower if I have signalled than if I don't, so I'll be out of their way quicker. Plus it avoids the people coming towards you turning right at the same time if you haven't signalled.

 

[dr snuggles]

There's certainly times where I think it's safer for me not to signal so I don't attempt to and just position myself as best I can.