Lane position question - one way street

[donfisher]

I had a bit of a run in with a bloke in a delivery wagon last night. It’s got me thinking though, he might’ve been right.

What is the side of the road should you be on if you are on a one way street with multiple lanes?

In this instance I was heading north on the A3220, the bit I use is probably 2 miles worth of one way, two, sometimes three lane road. It has parked cars on both sides in places There are several two-way junctions bisecting it and at the time of day I’m using it the majority of traffic turning off is turning left. Ultimately I’m heading right off the road and towards the end of it it splits into left for straight on and right to go back down the A3220 south which is the same kind of deal only a block across.

If traffic is bad, which it often is, I’ll normally filter down the middle. Last night traffic was light so I was a safe distance from the kerb but on the RHS of the road. The bloke went past, cussed me off and said I was on the wrong side of the road. I suppose I stick to that side of the road so I avoid dooring on the LHS and also being left hooked at any of the junctions. But I also suppose that really, in normal traffic you stick to the LHS. Should I use the LHS and then ultimately move over to the right. There is another section after Earl’s Court where it splits to three lanes with the left lane for turning left where cars will quickly move into from the right if they’re queue jumping so keeping right is preferable.

I use this most days and have been passed by countless police cars none, of which have ever had an issue with it. But thinking about it, I rarely see other cyclists doing what I’m doing.

Cheers.

[Magic919]

I think most car drivers would prefer to avoid a near side pass of a cyclist. I'd use the near side lane as far a possible, but not if it makes me hugely at risk.

[SixPotBelly]

It's little known, but one is allowed to pass either side on a one-way road. You're riding on the right might seem unconventional to the delivery driver, but it wouldn't preclude him form overtaking on your left. Or it wouldn't if he had read the Highway Code.

Highway Code said:

143.One-way streets. Traffic MUST travel in the direction indicated by signs. Buses and/or
cycles may have a contraflow lane. Choose the correct lane for your exit as soon as you
can. Do not change lanes suddenly. Unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise,
you should use

• the left-hand lane when going left
• the right-hand lane when going right
• the most appropriate lane when going straight ahead.

Remember – traffic could be passing on both sides.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & RTRA sects 5 & 8

But the problem is people haven't read it. So they get irate if you are in the right hand lane (because you're turning right or it's the most appropriate if you're going straight on), and they want to go faster than you. You may be in the right, but it doesn't help if other people get wound up. Especially if they're a Neanderthal and use their 3.5 tonne van to force you to stop. I don't know what I'd do, but it'd probably be whatever made me feel safest overall.

Have you a Googlew Streetview of the road in question?

[donfisher]

Here's the bit where we had words but he probably had an issue earlier on

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4833304,-0.18546...

[SixPotBelly]

You definitely weren't doing anything wrong.

It's a tough call though which lane to pick if you want to avoid antagonising Neanderthal drivers again. As you say, the parked cars of the left hand lane are a hazard, and you'd need to claim the whole of the narrower lane to avoid the risk of being doored, hitting a kid running out from between the parked cars, or close passes from impatient drivers behind. And, had he been behind you in that lane, it would have got his goat just as much.

I'd put yesterday's encounter down to the driver being a cyclist hater, or at least someone unable to comprehend the roads aren't just for cars and vans, and keep doing what you feel safest doing.

[donfisher]

SixPotBelly said:

You definitely weren't doing anything wrong.

Thanks, and also for the highway code section. That's what I'd have thought. In addition to the left turns, there's bus stops, mopeds outside takeaways and other stuff in the way a lot more on the Left than the right so I stick right. Generally there's congestion so other bicycles are in any lane with enough of a gap or they tend to be taking a left so stay on the near side. I don't often see anyone go the whole way along it mainly on the right so thought maybe I was in the wrong.

Maybe most of the people that use that stretch regularly are used to mopeds regularly swapping lanes so don’t see a cylist on the RHS side as being unusual.

Edited by donfisher on Wednesday 2nd December 12:51

[anonymous-user]

If I had to choose in 1 second i'd say he was right. However he is also an idiot at cussing for such a trivial occurance. Obviously doesn't have a life.

But if time to research, looks like you was in the right anyway !

[anonymous-user]

you were right and the van driver is a twonk for having a go at you

however, in the interests of safety, I would probably stay left for as long as necessary before moving over the the left side of the right lane if I was going right

had one with a mini roundabout recently: we were going straight on, lorry approaching from the opposite side was turning right: we had right of way, but he wasn't stopping. So we did. Rather be safe than right and injured, or dead.

[AC43]

I guess it's open to interpretation but I find it quite annoying when cyclists ride all the way up or down Portland Place on the right. I can see why you'd do it if you were turning right at the very next junction but some people just cycle (sometimes slowly) all the way down the right. This forces motorists to give them space which inevitably means that the cyclists on the left have vehicles suddenly lurching towards them and forcing them into the kerb. It can be quite hairy, especially as you're often in that vehicle's blind spot.