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The problem I have most with cyclists running red lights is while they avoid the "right-hook" I often find myself having to stop mid left turn as they run the r

The problem I have most with cyclists running red lights is while they avoid the "right-hook" I often find myself having to stop mid left turn as they run the red light so that they don't suffer a "left-hook" while I have a green turn arrow and they have a red light. I am located in the Cambridge, MA area and am constantly amazed to how many cyclists do not pay attention to when a left turn lane would have right of way through a light.

dllthomas 11y ago
Someone turning left into you across several lanes as they face you has more time to stop and better visibility, as compared to someone turning right into you from the nearest lane. (Note that I am not saying that anything in particular follows from this, just that it seems to be missed in the immediate parent.)
- genericuser 11y ago
  I agree I do have more time, I am also traveling at a higher speed because I am not taking as sharp of a turn, and because there are frequently stopped cars at that light while one is turning the bikes moving in the bike lane are often obstructed to the point of not being visible until they are in the process of running the red light while one is turning. It is not my intent to say whether a "Right-Hook" or a "Left-Hook" presents a greater danger to the cyclist, merely that I find it greatly aggravating to hear someone use the avoidance of a cycling situation in which the driver would be at fault, to justify a situation where the cyclist would be at fault and still be in what I consider a dangerous situation. Edit: To be honest I have many more issues with other drivers in MA than I do with cyclists, besides awareness of left turns needing to be more widespread among cyclists, I think they are doing as good a job as can be hoped for on the roads around here.
djthorpe 11y ago
Cyclists have a very different set of motivations when getting from A to B than cars do. Pedestrians also have a different set of motivations for their actions, but you notice it less because they generally have their own space. I don't think any sort of mutual understanding will help the situation much. The only ways to deal with this is to bring motivations in line or separate out the traffic into separate areas, which is how most cities end up dealing with the issue.

dllthomas 11y ago

Someone turning left into you across several lanes as they face you has more time to stop and better visibility, as compared to someone turning right into you from the nearest lane. (Note that I am not saying that anything in particular follows from this, just that it seems to be missed in the immediate parent.)

genericuser 11y ago
I agree I do have more time, I am also traveling at a higher speed because I am not taking as sharp of a turn, and because there are frequently stopped cars at that light while one is turning the bikes moving in the bike lane are often obstructed to the point of not being visible until they are in the process of running the red light while one is turning. It is not my intent to say whether a "Right-Hook" or a "Left-Hook" presents a greater danger to the cyclist, merely that I find it greatly aggravating to hear someone use the avoidance of a cycling situation in which the driver would be at fault, to justify a situation where the cyclist would be at fault and still be in what I consider a dangerous situation. Edit: To be honest I have many more issues with other drivers in MA than I do with cyclists, besides awareness of left turns needing to be more widespread among cyclists, I think they are doing as good a job as can be hoped for on the roads around here.

djthorpe 11y ago

Cyclists have a very different set of motivations when getting from A to B than cars do. Pedestrians also have a different set of motivations for their actions, but you notice it less because they generally have their own space. I don't think any sort of mutual understanding will help the situation much. The only ways to deal with this is to bring motivations in line or separate out the traffic into separate areas, which is how most cities end up dealing with the issue.