Dear Editor,
Previous correspondence (dated 15th May) explored the regulations surrounding left-hand road turns, and the problems inevitably faced when such turns are made by motor vehicles while cyclists are heading straight on the same route.
On occasion, cyclists make the risky choice to overtake a vehicle on the inside as the latter signals a left turn. Thisundoubtedly puts the cyclist in danger and can be a nuisance for motorists.
The vehicular counterpart of this risky pass involves drivers accelerating to overtake a cyclist so as to then make a left-handed turn themselves. Drivers often miscalculate the safety of such action, and unless the cyclist brakes suddenly to accommodate, there’s a significant chance of collision with severe injury or even death as a consequence.
Signalling in these circumstances contributes little – the blinking light is often spotted too late by cyclists, the more prominent hint lying in the car directly pointing towards them.
This reticence to cede passage also makes itself evident when motorists need to turn right while a cyclist approaches them in the opposite direction. In the absence of another car, many motorists will take the right turn, crossing the cyclist’s path sharply and generally with little warning. They tend to signal before and during this manoeuvre, although it is not guaranteed. However, the crucial point is they wouldn’t dare do the same if faced with an oncoming lorry.
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the road rules, cyclists should primarily remember that passing by a side road or crossing a junction legally can be far more perilous on two wheels than it would be in the security of a motor vehicle.
Yours Sincerely,
COLIN WALSH,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.