Cyclists - entitled to right of way?

aristotle25

Hi,

Do cyclists have a right of way when switching lanes?

I was coming down the quays in Dublin this morn and a cyclist in a bus lane just puts his arm out to signal he wants to go into my lane. He really doesn't give me any choice and I have to brake fairly hard and go into the right lane.

He didn't seem to like that I passed him out and tried to kick my car as I went pass him.

Do cyclists have a right of way?

I would assume like any user on the road they should signal (which he did) but wait for a gap or for someone to stop and let them in?

seamus

You're correct. Treat cyclists the same as any other road user, they have no specific "extra" right of way over cars.

biko

No, anyone switching lanes must wait for traffic in new lane.

Tenzor07

Motorists should watch for cyclists emerging from the end of a cycle track and mopeds and motorcycles emerging from junctions who might be difficult to see because of their small size.

It is important to understand that the right of way is not an absolute right of way. You must proceed with caution, having regard for other road users.

mullingar

Cylists have the same level of rights to be on the road and they must adhere to the ROTR.

Being a cyclist does not and cannot give you mandatory right of way

Jimmy Conway

aristotle25 wrote: »

Hi,

a cyclist in a bus lane just puts his arm out to signal he wants to go into my lane. He really doesn't give me any choice and I have to brake fairly hard and go into the right lane.

I would assume like any user on the road they should signal (which he did) but wait for a gap or for someone to stop and let them in?

Whether indicating in a car or on a bike, all an indication is, is a signal of intent. It does not give the person right of way. They should wait for a safe gap in traffic.

aristotle25

Ok, that confirmed what I thought but I find a lot of cyclists think they have some sort of right of way if they stick their hand up in the air and give you the stare

If a car drove the way the cyclists do in my experiences then it would be really obnoxious driving.

aristotle25

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Motorists should watch for cyclists emerging from the end of a cycle track and mopeds and motorcycles emerging from junctions who might be difficult to see because of their small size.

It is important to understand that the right of way is not an absolute right of way. You must proceed with caution, having regard for other road users.

That makes sense but the scenario I am talking about is around switching lanes.

BMJD

OP buy a dashcam!

Arbiter of Good Taste

Think positively, at least he indicated. A lot of cyclists seem to think that a slight, imperceptible tick of the head is an appropriate signal of intent to change lanes.

Tenzor07

aristotle25 wrote: »

Ok, that confirmed what I thought but I find a lot of cyclists think they have some sort of right of way if they stick their hand up in the air and give you the stare

If a car drove the way the cyclists do in my experiences then it would be really obnoxious driving.

Oh yea, you are so right, they have no absolute right of way at all, those 2 wheeled bandits think they own the road eh! lol! :rolleyes:

No one has ever cut in front of me when i'm driving on the road, espiecially Taxi's, or other cars cutting into the overtaking lane with a quick flash of the indicator(if i'm lucky)on the M50, lucky me I've only met the most polite of drivers over the past 20 years!! :rolleyes:

biko

This thread is about cyclists changing lanes, let's keep it on topic

aristotle25

BMJD wrote: »

OP buy a dashcam!

I actually have one in my car but I was driving girlfriends car this morn.

pete4130

While the cyclist doesn't sound like they changed lanes in a safe manner they are afforded the same rights on the road as you.

If it were a car to change lanes suddenly there would be horns beeped at each other and the worst outcome would more than likely be a fender bender. Nobody wants to deal with that.

When a cyclist does it, the likely outcome of a collision isn't in the favour of the cyclist. I think this is where a duty of care comes in whether drivers like it or not. While cyclist don't have any more privilege on the roads, motorists do have to anticipate these type of things and try to make more room.

I'm both a cyclist and driver and see shockingly inexperienced/bad cyclists that are genuinely scary to see on the roads. Some are an accident waiting to happen. Equally there are inexperienced/bad drivers on the road too. More often than not the bad drivers are taken as part of every day motoring whereas cyclist are seen as a major hazard because of their vulnerability.


Also consider how many times the cyclist might have been intimidated along the quays that morning, squeezed out by buses and cars etc... It turns it into a dog eat dog world that nobody benefits from.

A change in by laws to allow cyclists to use footpaths could alleviate some issues. In my experience as a cyclist, I've actually had pedestrians physically jump in front of me last minute and swing to hit/kick me as while cycling on the pavement. It's not just restricted to the roads unfortunately.

ironclaw

aristotle25 wrote: »

He didn't seem to like that I passed him out and tried to kick my car as I went pass him.

Classy :rolleyes:

seamus

pete4130 wrote: »

When a cyclist does it, the likely outcome of a collision isn't in the favour of the cyclist. I think this is where a duty of care comes in whether drivers like it or not. While cyclist don't have any more privilege on the roads, motorists do have to anticipate these type of things and try to make more room.

On a fundamental level, I think people forget this - in general, not specifically about cyclists.

If you hear that the cyclist (or pedestrian or motorcyclist) that went under your wheels was a married father of two young children, you won't think, "Pfft, it was his fault, not mine, tough ****". Instead you will agonise for the rest of your life over the what ifs - what I was just going a little slower? What if I had given him a little more room? What if I hadn't broken that amber light two KM beforehand; we wouldn't have even crossed paths.

Being in the right in an incident doesn't mean you'll be happy with the outcome. All road users need to remember this and act accordingly, remembering that everyone makes mistakes.

In this case the guy sounds like a complete moron, and unfortunately there's no shortage of them.

blackwhite

pete4130 wrote: »

When a cyclist does it, the likely outcome of a collision isn't in the favour of the cyclist. I think this is where a duty of care comes in whether drivers like it or not. While cyclist don't have any more privilege on the roads, motorists do have to anticipate these type of things and try to make more room.

As someone who both drives and cycles, my observation is that there are plenty of drivers and cyclists who need to remember there is a duty of care. Far too many cyclists who seem to think that their safety is someone else's responsibility.

The most recent example was last Friday evening around 8.30. Whilst waiting to cross the N11 from Beaver Row to Anglesea road another cyclist pulled alongside me. Jeans and a black rain jacket. No lights of any kind. For those of you that don't remember it Friday night was driving winds and rain, with very poor visibility.
I told him he really needed to get some lights and was told to "f*ck off and mind my own business."
A pending Darwin award I reckon.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

blackwhite wrote: »

As someone who both drives and cycles, my observation is that there are plenty of drivers and cyclists who need to remember there is a duty of care. Far too many cyclists who seem to think that their safety is someone else's responsibility.

The most recent example was last Friday evening around 8.30. Whilst waiting to cross the N11 from Beaver Row to Anglesea road another cyclist pulled alongside me. Jeans and a black rain jacket. No lights of any kind. For those of you that don't remember it Friday night was driving winds and rain, with very poor visibility.
I told him he really needed to get some lights and was told to "f*ck off and mind my own business."
A pending Darwin award I reckon.

These are the type of cyclists that really need to be removed

Guy:Incognito

Tenzor07 wrote: »

It is important to understand that the right of way is not an absolute right of way. You must proceed with caution, having regard for other road users.

It's important for cyclists (and pedestrians) to understand that regardless of right of way, in a crash they are going to come off worse. I can never understand how they seem to fling themselves in harms way. When I cycle I'm very conscious of not putting myself under a car or anything bigger, whether they are doing something wrong or not.

pauliemck

As a cyclist myself, I find these sort of actions inexplicable. He is breaking the rules of the road, and it will be his own fault if/when he ends up underneath the wheels of a car. It seems to be happening all too frequently now, where cyclists assume that signalling automatically ensures that other vehicles will see the signal and have the time and selflessness to slow down to allow them out; even in cases where it could be dangerous to do this.

When changing lanes on my bike, I ALWAYS look behind me to make sure the driver of the car behind sees me and is willing to let me out and that there is sufficient space to pull out. They generally get a smile and a "thank you" wave for their troubles. A lot of cyclists fail to realise that looking behind them is an option and that there will only be one winner in a collision between a car and a bike.