Undertaking vs not indicating

[Big T]

The situation is made a bit more confusing by cycle lanes that are painted onto the road. If I approach a traffic queue, and I am in the cycle lane, I feel perfectly free to zoom along the lane, going past all the traffic queued on your right.

Of course - I try to be careful to watch out for cars that may turn left into my path, as car drives don't seem to be always aware they are crossing a cycle lane where a cyclist could easily be zooming up on the left hand side.

But in this scenario, as I carry on in the lane past all the cars on my right, am I actually undertaking? I suspect that I am, but what are the rules when it comes to using a marked cycle lane?

These are the circumstances where i was knocked off last year. I too was proceeding along the cycle lane with queued traffic to my right. Someone left a gap and someone coming in the opposite direction turned right into that gap and straight across my path. I T-boned him. Neither of us saw each other as the vehilce that left the gap was a van, blocking our view of each other.

[snibgo]

Rules of thumb:

1. Drivers don't indicate.

2. If a driver is indicating, it's because he forgot to turn it off at the previous junction.

3. Drivers don't expect cyclists to undertake them. Or to overtake them.

4. Mirrors are for applying make-up, or shaving. They have no other function.

5. Drivers have stiff necks, so can't look over their shoulders.

Cynical, moi? There are some exceptions to the above rules, but I don't rely on exceptions.

[TonyR]

Time to dust off the good old http://www.bbspot.com/News/2003/11/bmw.html

[danfoto]

Rules of thumb:

3. Drivers don't expect cyclists to undertake them. Or to overtake them.

Actually, most of them don't expect cyclists to be on the road.

[hexhome]

I have not seen any police recommendation about passing on the right for cyclists. Do you have a link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPkbNFt5NuY

[snibgo]

Actually, most of them don't expect cyclists to be on the road.

Yes, I thought of adding that, which is certainly true, but it weakened my essential point -- motorists often don't realise that cyclists can be faster than cars, so they don't watch out for it. As a cyclist who wants to stay safe, I need to know this.

[TonyR]

I have not seen any police recommendation about passing on the right for cyclists. Do you have a link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPkbNFt5NuY

That's specific to not passing lorries on the left, not against passing on the left in general.

[stoobs]

Indeed. That advice is specific, and does not supersede Rule 151 of the Highway Code.

[Chrisonabike]

Time to dust off the good old http://www.bbspot.com/News/2003/11/bmw.html

Marvellous. Thanks very much.

[reohn2]

Rules of thumb:

1. Drivers don't indicate.

2. If a driver is indicating, it's because he forgot to turn it off at the previous junction.

3. Drivers don't expect cyclists to undertake them. Or to overtake them.

4. Mirrors are for applying make-up, or shaving. They have no other function.

5. Drivers have stiff necks, so can't look over their shoulders.

Cynical, moi? There are some exceptions to the above rules, but I don't rely on exceptions.

You forgot the first rule of cycling in traffic:- "every other person using the road is a nutter" the second is:- "Alway expect the unexpected"

[Vorpal]

I go up the inside of cars very, very seldomly. I used to do it at one junction where there was a cyle path crossing just before the junction. I filtered up the inside to get to the cycle path, but the traffic was always stopped when I did so, and I went onto the path before the junction.

In general, if I want to overtake, I do it on the outside, or in the oncoming lane.

Legally, undertaking is acceptable, but as it is generally considered to be risky, it will be difficult to blame or claim off a motorist, even if s/he does something blatantly illegal.

There are many other threads on here about undertaking, filtering, and related issues.

Here are a couple:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=55010&hilit=+filtering
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=46404&hilit=filter%2A&start=15

The search function will find others.

I suggest that if you haven't done so, read Cyclecraft by John Franklin.