Correct way to drive on this road?

RossG · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:34

Right, there's a turning near my house that has been bugging me for some time. I've taken some images from google earth:

Right, now the situation is, theres a set of traffic lights in pic 1, with the lane direction of travel inducated. If you go straight ahead in the left lane, you end up across a cycle path that runs down the outer edge of the left lane, with the rest of that left lane made up of parking spaces. Now it seems to me that if you want to take the left indicated at the top of pic 1, you should be in the right hand lane, implied by the cross hatching that can be seen in pic 2. However, a lot of people drive in the left lane if there are no cars parked in it, meaning if you are trying to turn left from the right hand lane, you have to stop dead and wait for them to pass.
Am I right or am I being silly and getting it all wrong? The pink arrow in the first pic indicated where the photo in the second pic has been taken from.

Skeeter · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:36

So the left hand lane at the first junction goes all the way past the second, but has marked parking bays in it so it can be blocked?

Janesy B · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:38

More proof that road planners/councils don't have a clue.

malfunkshun · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:38

Why would you use the right hand lane for a left turn?

Janesy B · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:42

Because parked cars are blocking the left lane. Can't you see the pics?

RossG · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:42

Skeeter said:
So the left hand lane at the first junction goes all the way past the second, but has marked parking bays in it so it can be blocked?

Yes. And the cycle lane in it.

Dup · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:45

I always keep to the left unless blocked, that's the highway code way isn't it?

RossG · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:47

That's what I would do usually too, but I don't know about driving in cycle lanes and the cross hatching would suggest that you're supposed to turn in from the right hand lane.

malfunkshun · 24 Mar 2009 at 22:48

Janesy B said:
Because parked cars are blocking the left lane. Can't you see the pics?

I can see the pics, he said that when there are no cars parked on the left people drive in that lane. I see no issue with this since you are meant to use the left lane at all times, if it is clear, unless directed to do otherwise. So, if you can drive in the left lane you should, regardless.

Fido McNasty · 25 Mar 2009 at 00:54

At the lights it looks to me like you should keep to the left lane. The arrow markers on the road (which I can't make out) should indicate this maybe. I would default to the left lane to go across if no road marking arrows exist.

Scania · 25 Mar 2009 at 01:19

Janesy B said:
More proof that road planners/councils don't have a clue.

You need proof? :confused:

Not that it adds much to the debate.....

Trying to turn left from the right hand lane is a bad idea although in an articulated truck, its a good idea.

cyclopopcicle · 25 Mar 2009 at 07:57

any chance you could get better a image of the road layout at the lights? in particular of the rd markings before and after the lights
cheers

Crowze · 25 Mar 2009 at 10:28

From what I can see I'd guess you are supposed to stick in the right-hand lane. But, cycle lane or not, I'd probably take to the left lane when slowing down for the turn so that nobody is tempted to try and sneak through on the left.

RossG · 25 Mar 2009 at 10:58

At the lights:

Going through the lights:

Best images I could do really. There is also a bus stop in the left lane, though I don't think that will add much, but I did forget about that big sodding arrow pointing from the left to the right hand lane. This change anything?

Nebzor · 25 Mar 2009 at 11:00

Other than the fact it tells you to move to the right-hand lane from the left, nope.

It seems you can move back across to the left before your junction though (as demonstrated by your second picture).

AtreuS · 25 Mar 2009 at 11:03

Well the arrow would suggest that normal traffic should, at the start of the road at least, merge into the right lane and use that.

Its very possible what you say, using the right lane all the way down, could be true but never assume someone else is doing as they should. Cutting across a lane to turn left, even if its a lane thats supposed to be bus only or bike only, is something to be done only if you have checked your blind spots and mirrors carefully. The amount of people in manchester that use bus lanes as normal lanes is staggering, mainly due to there being very few enforcement cameras on them.

RossG · 25 Mar 2009 at 11:08

Yeah. I am dead careful with using my mirrors on that turning. Most people do tend to merge into the right hand lane. But there are a few who don't. A mate of mine did the same thing I do with a range rover behind him in the right hand lane, who decided it would be a good idea to undertake him just as my mate started to turn in. Enter a nice little scrape down his front wing.

Chabsy · 25 Mar 2009 at 13:23

This is Harrow council, just a bit further up the road they built a new crossing which meant that people crossing were standing in the outside lane of a dual carriageway this was quickly changed.

Now they have speed cameras just after the crossing......just approaching the crossing and you have to look down to check your speed, thats a top idea