yes but it's bad practice and old advice. The OP did the correct thing.
What exactly is the law on this.
- Thread starter Dangermouse
- Start date
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On RABs and junctions you should be in the middle of the lane you would be if you were in your car (primary). When junctions/RABs are close together you should hold your position bcoz, as said above, it can be more dangerous to move to the left and then have to come back in to the right.
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User6179
Guest
If you are keeping up with traffic then stay in the traffic but if your going say 15mph in the right lane on a dual carriageway with traffic doing say 40-50mph and the left lane is free then I don't see the point of staying right when going straight on at the next RAB, Obviously there will be exceptions if say the exit is very narrow .
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User6179
Guest
Not always bad practice but would agree most of the time it is , I was trying to say the OP has the option of being in either lane so he cant be in the wrong whichever lane he chooses , I thought the OP thought he had to be in the right lane and had no other choice so was pointing out he had the choice.
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User6179
Guest
I don't understand why you ever need to come back over to the right lane when going straight on if the left lanes clear , primary position in left lane then straight on , is that not what most cyclist do in practice?
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Eddy, You seem to be missing the important point here. The left lane in the example given by the OP is LEFT ONLY. Therefore unless the OP intends turning left he should not be in it.
asterix
Comrade Member
- Location
- Limoges or York
I do something similar cycling into York. There is a left filter lane, a straight on and a right lane. I am usually in the left until 50-60m to go then I sit upright and make a strong hand signal at which point the cars in the lane I want let me in. It would be possible for a car to do what DM described but have never seen it happen (I could certainly catch them at the next lights if they did!). It would be very poor driving but unfortunately the default lane for straight on is the left one and some drivers disregard road marking just like they disregard speed limits and so forth. York has a fair standard of driving as there are plenty of cyclists around to give them practice and tell them when they go wrong..
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User6179
Guest
Nope , he can be in it , that is the point I am making .
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User6179
Guest
The way I took it was they were on the outside lane of dual carriageway approaching a RAB and a car undertook them on inside then pulled back across in front of them possibly then braking as the car was now at the RAB ,the OP wanted confirmation that he was in correct lane and I think either lane is fine to cycle in , others think you should only be in the right hand lane when entering the RAB, I just don't see the point if going slower than traffic and the left lane is empty to sit in the right lane.
Here is a pic of a RAB I go through on the left hand lane allowing the traffic to flow up my right side, this is the image I had in my head when answering the OP
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Over The Hill
Guru
- Location
- Ridden off into the sunset
There are just some people who have a bad day and take it out on others. Don't let it spoil your day though.
not all left lanes at RABs are straight on. Occasionally the right hand lane is straight on. Like the one i take to to work every morning. That's why i said take the lane you would do in your car. If you would then come off on the right lane in your car bcoz you needed to be in that lane for the next junction 30 yards away, then it wouldn't be necessary to return to the left bcoz of the short distance.
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User6179
Guest
I understood you , I was talking about when in the left lane when you should be in the right lane in a car to go straight on that you don't need to go back over to the right on a bike, you were saying don't go in left lane because its dangerous to move back over , which it is , I am saying at a lot of RABs as in my pic when left lane is empty just stay in the left as you don't need to move back to the right, a lot of times you don't get the choice anyway to get in the right hand lane on dual carriageways and you have no option but to stay left because of traffic volume.
i was referring to the OPs situation though.
