Dancing with trucks

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:45:29 +0800
Andrew Priest wrote:
On 20 Aug 2007 00:20:36 GMT, Zebee Johnstone wrote:



My friend was hit on his way past, as the lights changed and the truck
moved before he could get to the front.

So unless you are dead sure you can get all the way there, or you have
no kerbing and you are sure you can get sideways rapidly, don't go up
the inside of a truck at the lights.

Isn't it against the law to pass on the left, I mean in the same lane
which I assume is being referred to here?


Not if you are a bicycle, no. At least not in any state that has
signed up to the Australian Road Rules.

Zebee

EuanB Wrote:
No. From memory road rule 141 refers to something along the lines of
``(Except for a bicycle) overtaking on the left in a marked lane is
illegal.

Victoria Road laws for bicycles & skateboards
http://tinyurl.com/g7gwp

Here 'tis: Overtaking 141.
No overtaking etc. to the left of a vehicle

(1) A driver (except the rider of a bicycle) must not overtake a
vehicle to the left of the vehicle unless—

(a) the driver is driving on a multi-lane road and the vehicle can be
safely overtaken in a marked lane to the left of the vehicle; or
(b) the vehicle is turning right, or making a Uturn from the centre of
the road, and is giving a right change of direction signal.

(2) The rider of a bicycle must not ride past, or overtake, to the left
of a vehicle that is turning left and is giving a left change of
direction signal.

(Bikes can travel up the inside of cars except: If the car is
indicating a left turn or turning left)

EuanB Wrote:
It's one of those rules that most road users are ignorant of. Rule 151
is another which spells out that you can ride two abreast in a traffic
lane and a third can overtake the 2.

Here 'tis part 2:

151. Riding a motor bike or bicycle alongside more than 1 other rider

(1) The rider of a motor bike or bicycle must not ride on a road that
is not a multi-lane road alongside more than 1 other rider, unless
subrule (3) applies to the rider.

(2) The rider of a motor bike or bicycle must not ride in a marked lane
alongside more than 1 other rider in the marked lane, unless subrule (3)
applies to the rider.

(3) The rider of a motor bike or bicycle may ride alongside more than 1
other rider if the rider is—

(a) overtaking the other riders; or
(b) permitted to do so under regulation 403 of the Road Safety (Road
Rules) Regulations 1999.

(4) If the rider of a motor bike or bicycle is riding on a road that is
not a multi-lane road alongside another rider, or in a marked lane
alongside another rider in the marked lane, the rider must ride not
over 1.5 metres from the other rider.

(5) In this rule—
road does not include a road related area, but includes a bicycle path,
shared path and any shoulder of the road.


--
cfsmtb

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:32:36 +0930, "barry taylor"
wrote:

pretty well any section of South Road is cycle unfriendly
Brighton Road near Glenelg is part of one of my circuits
I tend to use the footpath between Anzac Highway and the tram crossing

No, the suspension bridge over the Torrens is cycle unfriendly.

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:45:29 +0800, Andrew Priest
wrote:


Isn't it against the law to pass on the left, I mean in the same lane
which I assume is being referred to here?

Thanks for the clarifications. Learn something new ... and yep I was
one of the igorant ones!

Andrew
-----
Churchlands, Western Australia
Giant CRX 1; Giant Boulder SE
http://aushiker.com http://backpackgeartest.org http://geocaching.com.au

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:32:36 +0930, barry taylor wrote:

pretty well any section of South Road is cycle unfriendly

I have no problem with it heading north until around Anzac Highway. If
you're still on it past Henley Beach Road, you've had enough of living :-)

"Zebee Johnstone" wrote in message
...
In aus.bicycle on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 09:05:31 +1000
MikeyOz wrote:

Zebee Johnstone Wrote:
"don't go up
the left of a truck stopped in the left hand lane at the lights even
if it isn't signalling to go left because it might go left anyway and
squash you, and the truckie will swear blind the indicator was on."


I apply this to anything I ride up on the left of and always move up to
and ahead of the vehicle, so that they can physically see me, car, van,
truck ... anything.

The problem with a big truck is that it takes time to pass.

My friend was hit on his way past, as the lights changed and the truck
moved before he could get to the front.

So unless you are dead sure you can get all the way there, or you have
no kerbing and you are sure you can get sideways rapidly, don't go up
the inside of a truck at the lights.

Zebee

Scariest moment for me:
Riding on the right past a parked limestone truck with trailer. The truck
was parked in a truck bay, about 200m long (on Patterson Road, Wattleup, WA
for those who know the area). The driver started to pull out. Another
similar truck which I had just passed on the side road (Wattleup Road)
turned left from Wattleup Road on to Patterson Road. For about 100m I had
one truck accelerating from parked on my left, another truck accelerating
from the corner on my right, with a few inches to spare on either side of my
bars.

I didn't want to brake and get wobbly - no space! I couldn't accelerate
enough. Stuck, and hoping I didn't hit a rock or something to throw my line.
Eventually the right side truck moved to make way for the left truck to move
into the lane. That gave me a little space in which to slow down and drop
behind. Scary as f%#k!

Lessons learned:
(1) Much the same as Zebee's - DON'T get caught on the inside of a truck -
not just at lights.
(2) DON'T assume the driver can see you
(3) If a parked truck starts to move beside you, STOP and let it go - the
driver probably doesn't know you're alongside.

me

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 23:36:57 GMT
Plodder wrote:
Lessons learned:
(1) Much the same as Zebee's - DON'T get caught on the inside of a truck -
not just at lights.
(2) DON'T assume the driver can see you
(3) If a parked truck starts to move beside you, STOP and let it go - the
driver probably doesn't know you're alongside.


That last is a biggie.

Truckies have not much vision to the front left, as they are high up and
there's a lot of cab between them and the left side road. And between
them and dead in front too.

On austlii.edu.au there's some case law about this... a truck stopped
at a level crossing, a motorcycle comes up the left and sits in front.
(first mistake....)

The train goes past, the lights are still going, the bike doesn't
move. The truck, however, does. Squashed bike.

Yes, the truck should have waited. But didn't. Had no idea the bike
was there as there's no way he could see someone splitting close up
the left then sitting close in front.

Ironically, the squashed biker was himself a truck driver so should
have known all that!

2 wheelers have to be well aware of truck blindspots, that they have
quite large ones at the front as well as at the back.

Even with mirrors, as there's only so much the mirrors can cover.

Zebee