Cycling UK Forum

Hi Folks,
I had an incident today on the way to work. A long line of stationary traffic was waiting at the lights, so as usual, I cycled along the left hand side between the cars and the pavement.

This morning a passenger opened their door and got out. I had to break hard to avoid slamming into the door. I asked the passenger if they looked and they said they had, and that I was miles away. Not true. They then stated that I should be waiting in the queue.

Does anyone know the law on this? Is it illegal for a cyclist to continue inbetween stationary traffic so as to arrive at the pole position in the lights?

I realised afterwards that the passenger and/or the driver had seen me and decided to open the door and get out to make their point.

I also wonder if this would be considered careless driving?

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Max

How did they hear you speak if you were miles away? That's a crazy thing to say.

They meant that I was miles away when they looked prior to opening the door. It's not true. I was about 10 metres away going about 10 - 15mph.
I had to break pretty hard to avoid hitting the door.

Basically, they saw me and had a decision to either wait until I passed, or open the door and cause an obstruction. As he said, I should wait in the traffic queue. So they did it to make a point.

So what you're (they're) saying is that they saw you coming and deliberately tried to knock you off by opening a door?


have a gander through this thread for starters:
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t ... ght=filter




(PS I wouldn't filter at 10-15 mph for precisely the reason that someone may open a door and I would be unable to stop)

I was able to stop but I had to break pretty hard. It's ok. I mean, I'm ready for that to happen. Otherwise I would have been going a lot faster.

I don't think they meant to knock me off. They wanted to make the point by opening the door so that I'd have to break hard, stop and wait.

Will check out that thread thanks.

This is how I understand it.

If you were occupying the same lane, you were undertaking and making an ilegal manouvre.

If there was a cycle lane, you had a clear lane and quite at liberty to undertake the blocked lane to your right.

But lets be honest, we all overtake stationary traffic. The thnig to do is look out for those car doors.

Gazza

In the absence of a cycle lane, I generally overtake on the outside of the stationary traffic, or not at all (there are a few exceptions, notably where the carriageway is unusally wide and the cars are well away from the gutter - but this is very unusual).

I think this is the safer option.

Yeah but what if there's two lanes of traffic in the same direction? Safer to be in the middle?

In anycase, I popped into the local police station at lunchtime as it was next to the fish shop. Apparently, it is perfectly legal to filter on the left. And suprisingly, if a car door opens and you connect with it, it is an offence on their part under the Dangerous Opening Of A Door regulation.

2Tubs wrote:This is how I understand it.

If you were occupying the same lane, you were undertaking and making an ilegal manouvre.

If there was a cycle lane, you had a clear lane and quite at liberty to undertake the blocked lane to your right.

But lets be honest, we all overtake stationary traffic. The thnig to do is look out for those car doors.

Gazza

What law was the OP breaking ?

max2008 wrote: Dangerous Opening Of A Door regulation.

there is such a thing

Don't forget that being right doesn't make the resultant accident any less painful.

Oh and if you were moving the traffic wasn't stationary was it?

Obviously I meant the other traffic was stationary when I said I was filtering through stationary traffic.

Anyway this is legal according to the duty officer at Partick Police Station.

max2008 wrote:Yeah but what if there's two lanes of traffic in the same direction? Safer to be in the middle?

In anycase, I popped into the local police station at lunchtime as it was next to the fish shop. Apparently, it is perfectly legal to filter on the left. And suprisingly, if a car door opens and you connect with it, it is an offence on their part under the Dangerous Opening Of A Door regulation.

2 lanes of traffic - I usually go down the middle. if I'm going down the middle of STATIONARY traffic, it probably wouldn't be at 15mph though.

BTW, was it 2 lanes of traffic, or just one?

It was 2 lanes. Definitely safer until the lights change. Then you have to quickly cut back over to the left.

Someone could still of course get out the passenger door of traffic in the right hand lane. Less likely but still possible.

max2008 wrote:It was 2 lanes. Definitely safer until the lights change. Then you have to quickly cut back over to the left.

Someone could still of course get out the passenger door of traffic in the right hand lane. Less likely but still possible.

Exactly - hence why I wouldn't be doing 15mph.

Why would you need to quickly get back over to the left? Were you turning left at the lights? If so, even more reason why it's safer not to squeeze along the gutter.

Never said I was turning left. After the lights the road continues, then later forks. So I would have to get back over to the left to be in the left lane before the traffic starts forking.