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If a car is turning right onto a side road and not an intersection, what must I do?
Perhaps I am 25 feet/7.5 meters (and another cyclist just passed the car that's turning right), should I
A) Try to speed up to clear the car?
B) Slow down to let the car pass?
I live in Ontario, Canada, and am also driving with traffic. Evidently the first choice is more risky. What if cyclists are behind me; what if there aren't?
Once the other car is in front of you generally the law and the legal system both suggest you need to give way to the car. In some places motorists technically need to give way to cyclists in the same lane or a bike lane, but that's something that the court will decide after the fact. It's IMO rude for a motorist to overtake you then turn, but it's going to be hard to prosecute even if you have a camera on your bike or helmet (you're relying on motorists in the legal system to have sympathy for the cyclist who ran into a car).
A) Try to speed up to clear the car?
B) Slow down to let the car pass?
If you speed up, you're at huge risk of riding into the motorist's blind spot, and they're likely to be concentrating on what's in front of them - getting into that side street without hitting anything, and making sure there's nothing in the side street that they need to avoid. You're really relying on the motorist also having the spare mental capacity to remember that you exist and that perhaps you might be inclined to obey the laws of physics rather than the laws of Canada. I would be very reluctant to ride into a blind spot like this, it's too easy to end up "dead right".
Slowing down is something you probably want to do if the motorist doesn't give way to you, and might be legally obliged to do depending on the fine print. I think it's a good idea regardless.
If you are inclined to speed up, I suggest overtaking on the motorist's left, which is likely to be legal as well as safer. A motorist behind this one is probably going to slow down rather than hit the turning car, so even if the main road you're on has a higher speed than you can normally maintain, you might find you can make it through that gap and around the turning car safely.
As you're in Ontario the following references are official.
Look at the picture at the bottom right of Toronto's Understanding Bicycle Lanes -- here's an excerpt:
In summary, stop behind or pass to the left of the turning car.
I generally expect drivers to see what's happening out the front of the cars, but never expect them to know what's happening to the side of their cars.
In the illustration above, for example, I guess the driver is looking forward (at the intersection which they're turning into), not looking sideways (at the space between them and the sidewalk where it says "No").
Ditto at stop signs and stop lights, by the way. Especially if it's a truck, beware of pulling up close to the intersection squeezed between the truck and the sidewalk: because if the truck turns right without seeing you're there you'll be squeezed between the truck and the street furniture; so hang back in the bike lane away from the intersection (give them space to turn if they're going to), or even temporarily take the lane (occupy the car lane) behind them until traffic starts moving again.
See also this page, Car Bike Collisions | Motorist Right Turn, which says,
Motorist turning right collides with cyclist travelling in parallel direction
Key problems:
- motorist overtakes cyclist just before turning right
- cyclist tries to pass to the right of right-turning motorist
- cyclist riding on the sidewalk fails to stop and yield to turning vehicles at intersection
To avoid:
- look ahead for turn signals
- watch out for drivers slowing down in preparation for a right turn
- stay away from the driver's "blind spot" (near the right rear wheel)
- do not pass right-turning drivers on the right
- use the road, not the sidewalk, to be more noticeable to motorists
What if cyclists are behind me; what if there aren't?
On a ski slope it's the job of people up-hill to stay out of the way of people down-hill. I reckon the rule's similar for cycling in traffic, not to mention driving, i.e. do what you need to and count on cyclists behind you (if there are any) to not run into you (I don't know, maybe that depends on where you are and how fast you're going).
But use hand signals when you change lane, and ideally also when you slow i.e. when you're about the brake, that's what you can do for them.
The key point here is that 90% of drivers immediately forget about any vehicle they've passed, unless it has bright flashing lights.
The diagram you have added shows that you're behind, and in the driver's blind spot. Attempting pass on the inside is now to attempt suicide.
The only time it's reasonably safe to pass on the inside is when the traffic is stationary. Even then, we risk doors opening, pedestrians crossing, cars suddenly diverging, you name it.
We can be fairly sure that the car driver thinks they will have right of way, even if they do remember that you're there.
So to maximize safety, slow down to let the car turn. If you think there are bikes behind you, signal with your hand (palm facing backwards) to show you're slowing and they should too, or call "SLOWING!".
When you have more confidence cycling in traffic, you can consider overtaking the turning vehicle by going round the outside. This also has dangers, because it's a slow speed manoeuvre that could cause you to swing out into the path of other traffic.
So just wait. Life is short enough as it is.
I'm not afraid of dying, but I'd prefer to put it off as long as possible. Just remember - you can't defy physics, the car will win any collision.
My advice is, first and foremost, avoid hitting the car. Argue about who had right of way later. Irrespective of whatever the law says in your country, the collision will be decidedly more unpleasant for the cyclist that the driver.
In Holland, if a driver hits a cyclist whilst turning right, the driver is liable; end of discussion. However, the law varies elsewhere.
If the car legitimately overtakes you and sometime afterwards hangs a right, leaving you reasonable braking distance, then you slow down. Simple.
The car should not overtake you and immediately hang a right, cutting you up. That would be as bad a move against a cyclist as against another driver. If the result of that is you damaging their paintwork, they are in the wrong. If your bike is damaged, take their details and claim on their insurance. Note the "should" though - you could end up being "dead right", so road awareness means being alert to the possibility, especially if other cyclists behind you means you can't safely brake hard.
If there are no other cars behind you, then ChrisW's answer works fine. If there are other cars approaching at speed though, then the "official" way of doing things is likely to land you in hospital. Drivers have braking distance and reaction time too, and reaction times will be slower for unexpected moves like that.
Continue to ride predictably - so keep your pace and continue straight (unless you are turning right as well on to that side road, in which you should signal as such, and execute your right turn).
Your question has much more to do with what the driver will do than you - therefore if you continue on your course, you are riding predictably, and they can execute the best way to turn, as they are faster and more dangerous roadway user. This also applies to those cyclists or other roadway users behind you.
