-=> Quoting Bill Piehler to Ken Peck <=-
 KP> -=> Quoting Bill Piehler to Richard Glazer <=-
 
 BP> Well, when I decided to seriously ride a certain number of kms
 BP> every day, with hills and speed stretches etc to get the old ticker
 BP> working.....:) I attempted seriously to do the right thing and
 BP> ride as I would drive a car, to the same rules etc....hahaha
 
 KP> And the stats show that this is _still_ the safest way to bicycle.
 BP> Well, Ken, I had two close shaves, particularly on one intersection,
That is where most vehicular accidents occur.
 BP> where I had to feed in on the outside of the lane to turn right into
 BP> another road, cars coming from behind never expected a bike sitting
 BP> on the road, waiting to turn right, letting oncoming cars pass.
Let's see.  You are in Australia where vehicular traffic moves on the left
side of the road, right?  So your 'outside lane' is on the left and your
'right turn' is the equivalent to an American's 'left turn.'
Is it the case that cars go to the 'outside lane' to make a 'right turn' in
Australia, the equivalent of making a left hand turn from the right lane in
the U.S.?  That is asking for a collision.  No driver expects a vehicle on
the outside lane to turn across inside lanes to make a turn.  That include
bicycles.
In the Effective Cycling program, the only national bicycle safety training
program with certified instructors, bicyclists are taught that they fare best
when they act like and are treated like any other vehicle on the road.
Thus if you are in the outside lane, you are 'signaling' to the other
vehicles on the road that you will be going straight or turning to the
outside.  If you are going to turn toward the inside, you need to get over to
the inside lane, thus making your intention clear.
To be sure, in heavy traffic it is not always possible to get to the inside
lane to make a turn.  But that does not mean that you turn across all lanes
of traffic from an outside lane.  You wouldn't (or at least shouldn't)
attempt that maneuver when driving a car.  If you can't get into the inside
lane to make a turn to inside, you have two alternatives (actually one more
than a car): 1. to make a series of right hand turns (go around the block) or
2. become a pedestrian and walk your bike across the street.
 
 BP> I soon gave that away, because it was outright dangerous; other
 BP> drivers of cars, must have thought that I was a car on two wheels....
That is what you are.  You are a two wheeled vehicle.  You are safest when
you act like a two wheeled vehicle because, among other things, the operators
of other vehicles can predict what you are going to do.
    ===  ==== =   _@
    Ken Peck +  _ \<._
    =========  (_)/ (_)   Kenneth_Peck@clr.com
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