Right-Turns, and Cab Drivers

When you're approaching a right turn on your bike, and there are a que of cars also waiting to turn right, do you pull up along the outside of them (the left hand side), or the inside.
Today whilst commuting (i was very late), i was coming down Shaftsbury Avenue, and about to turn right onto Wardour St. Slowed down on the outside of a que of mainly taxis, and just as i was approaching the front, the lights ahead changed and i dashed round the front of the lead cab.
The cabbie caught me up and shouted that he almost took me out, and that i should have come up on the right side of his cab. He seemed fairly calm about it, but i could tell he was prepared for a slanging match. I shouted back that there looked to be enough room to me, he insisted otherwise. Couldn't be arsed with an argument, plus wasn't really sure whether i was in the right, so i just said 'ok mate' and cycled off.
So, what i probably should have done was slowed right down, and waited for a more suitable gap to present itself, but i was in a hurry and not up for that. Even if that had been what i had done, i would have approached the que on the left hand side. Is the cabbie right, technically i was over-taking, so should i have approached from the right?

Normally I suppose you would go left of the right turning lane, but generally I do whatever feels right at the time. On the turn into Wardour Street going to the right often allows you to cut the turn very early and make a quick getaway.

Trouble is with cabs they can do anything. U-turn, straight on from a filter, left from a right lane, right from the left. so unpredictable.

Your two options are wait until you are sure of their intentions, or be faster/in front of them.
And have an escape route.

From the driver point of view you appeared from 'no-where' into roadspace that they were just about to accelerate into. This can be quite disconcerting for the driver, but it happens, and drivers often don't really understand just how fast and manouvabale bikes can be.

I was 100% sure that there was a big enough gap, with the speed and angle i took the corner he would've struggled to have hit me in a Ferrari, it was a tight squeeze though.

From the driver point of view you appeared from 'no-where' into roadspace that they were just about to accelerate into.

That was the bloke's issue, that he didn't check that mirror. But what are the over-taking laws? I'm pretty sure that if you're over-taking on a straight road, you're only really in the right if you do so on the right hand side (unless there's a cycle lane).

I prefer to stay on the left side. This may mean I appear out of nowhere but at least if they decide to pull a U-Turn or turn early/late they are doing it away from me. If you filter through on the right and they decide to cut across early or make a U-turn spontaneously you don't have any options.

Also depends on how much space you've got before the opposite side of the intersection. Best case scenario you get way out front of the people turning so they see you and can leave you space on the inside after the turn.

It really depends on how much room is available either side of the lane I want to be in. If someone's turning right I usually like to be to the left of them. I was to the right of a cab once whilst they were indicating for a right turn at the lights. I thought he was going to turn right but he did a U-turn right across me. He obviously didn't check his mirror so I guess he really didn't think it was a possibility that someone would be there. Obviously he was wrong in not checking his mirrors but then you can't assume that sort of stuff when it comes to drivers.

Don't rush on the roads, dude. It's not worth it to shave off a few seconds. You may know what your intentions are but others on the road may not. Lights change suddenly. Some drivers think they're on the starting grid when they go amber. Sometimes we get caught out. Just don't rush.

Outside, just like you. I always try to make sure I've made eye contact with the driver before we move off.

That's got to be quite difficult if your sitting on the left of the car, and he's on the right. But still a wise idea to try.

it's an interesting one and one i tend to play by ear... often you can't filter down the left as larger cars (taxi's inc.) block a clear run so the right hand side is the best option. However, if you're 'too cheeky' you can get caught out by people nipping right in a gap in the traffic.

The safest option is to get off and walk... but that's no fun! :D

Agreed with benjam- it's a 'play it by ear' situation....not so sure about the first part of the last line though!

I was speaking recently to a specialist insurer who has the lion's share of the taxi insurance market. Apparently taxi insurance claims are up due to the recession. The reasons are, it seems, that as fewer people are taking cabs, cab drivers are working longer hours and are driving more miles. An increasing number of those miles are spent touting for fares and scanning the pavements for potential work.

Be careful out there.

Good point. That hadn't occured to me at all. Looking in mirrors may have been replaced by looking for custom!

Forms, if I turn right with the traffic I either position myself on the left if possible or behind the car in line.

A general taxi question, we moan about 4x4s but why do we have those elephants (taxis) in a heavily congested city?!

A general taxi question, we moan about 4x4s but why do we have those elephants in a heavily congested city?!

Because a congestion charge around a tenner for a day means nothing to someon that owns a 50k 4x4...

TBH whenever i make a right turn, or almost any other manouvere on my bike, i play it as it comes. I know what the best/safest way for me to take corners are, so in that respect it was a silly question. However, i am interested in what side the law would be on in the event of a crash in the above situation, or what (according to the law) is the correct way to take a corner in traffic.

BikeRadar says: Be in front of the lead car before the light change or wait behind it if you're not going to make it to the front of the queue.

lfgss says: htfu and get back to gear ratio chat.. it makes us moist.

Because a congestion charge around a tenner for a day means nothing to someon that owns a 50k 4x4...

Sorry I meant the size of taxis. They are not efficient vehicles.

BikeRadar says: Be in front of the lead car before the light change or wait behind it if you're not going to make it to the front of the queue.

lfgss says: htfu and get back to gear ratio chat.. it makes us moist.

you took the words right out of my fingers.

Outside, just like you. I always try to make sure I've made eye contact with the driver before we move off.

flirting's not going to help

When approaching a queue of traffic turning right I normally go to undertake on the left. If you can get to the front of the queue before anyone moves off then no problems.

If traffic is already moving (or about to move) through the right turn I always take up position just behind the right rear corner of one of the vehicles and wait until after the turn to over-take (if it's on).

IMHO diving down the inside of a vehicle turning is never likely to serve you well.

This is so going to get flamed as too bike radar.

Interesting (or perhaps not for this forum) that everyone has gone with a choice of side. My initial though, you don't go along side you join the back of the queue.

I will only ever pass vehicles on their left hand side if I am in a seperate lane, or if they are stationary and have positioned themselves such that that I can't pass on the right AND most importantly there is a space for me to get to. I never want to be along side another moving vehicle unless we are in seperate lanes or a clear completable overtaking manouvre it taking place.

As for the legality of passing on the left, I don't think there is anything to say it is fine for any mode of transport. The section of the highway code on undertaking says it's acceptable in queues of slow moving traffic only, I don't recall any exemption for bicycles. Annoyingly there is a comment somewhere else in the highway code which says something like make sure to check your left hand mirror for bicycles that may be passing on the left. This seems to totally grey the area and I would prefer a blanket It's bad and wrong punnishable by death to pass on the left.
Oh yeah also another legality thought. In this situation, either side, you are trying to be alongside another vehicle within a single lane. Unless you can demonstrate that you had the lane and the vehicle came from behind to along side you then I think favour will fall to the vehicle and you'd be classed as in the wrong.

My actions turning right, if it's against heavy oncoming traffic I will sometimes go with the vehicle ahead of me, turning alongside their right into the oncoming lane of the road i'm turning into, if it is clear, so as to avoid sitting for a long time waiting for the next break in traffic.

Being a minute late for work isn't life threatening, making stupid i'm in a rush road manouvres coould be.

Very sensible of you. Unfortunately, i am young and stupid and almost always in too much of a rush!

The highway code is advisory only. Rule 165 covers the statutory rules governing overtaking (i.e. where the law states that you may not do so).

Yes. And sections of it relate to actual laws as that section you note.

So i'm being a bussenger this week due to illness so don't have my highway code on me and I don't find the online version nice/easy to navigate. There is a section that mentions under taking, can you confirm whether or not it is in a section that relates to law? Are you saying that despite being advised against that the law doesn't actually forbid undertaking.

So in the case that there is a collision and there isn't an actuall law to govern the situation then in court they will look to other recommendations right? I still think you will likely not find favour if you are the person coming from behind and positioning yourself in a risky situation alongside another vehicle.

I guess as a driver as well as a cyclist I try to bahave as a car is advised all the time so as to be predictable for other road users to aid my safety.

Part 73.2 of The Highway Code (London cyclist edition) states:

A cyclist should always proceed at the fastest possible pace unless on a social ride or chatting with chums.