Turning left in my car at a junction cyclist comes up on inside in my blind spot!..

[Jessie1995]

Hi everyone.
anxious overthinker here when it comes to driving!
i just want to know if this was the right way to approach this and if I’ve done anything wrong!

I was sat at a junction turning left indicator on and waiting for a gap in traffic to go!
( I hadn’t overtaken these cyclists previously they must have just come from a side road) but I go to turn left when there’s a gap, I check my left mirror as I always do and I notice in my blind spot ish 2 cyclists in a line. They weren’t behind my car they were to the side of my car ( front one was inline with my back door handle I would say) she looks like she starts moving as I’m about to turn left so I brake and make eye contact with her to almost see what she’s doing! She’s busy charging to the person I assume her friend on the bike behind so I continue with my left turning keeping an eye on my left mirror.

did I do this right? I get quite anxious in situations like this as I’m a cautious driver but felt like I was :
a. Too close to them? But where could I go if I’m turning left and I was there first?
b. Worried they’d keep going when I turn left and
c. Worried I should give way to them and let them go first even if they are behind me not infront of me?

any advice would be amazing thank you so much

from an anxious driver! ☺️

I am a cyclist; I don’t agree with what they have done. If I do filter down the left hand side, I make sure to stop behind the front car at a junction, and in front of any cars behind, making sure the driver of the car behind me can see me.

if it’s traffic lights and I can get all the way to the cyclists box on the junction I will do that. But I go out of my way to make sure I’ve been seen.

Still wait. Wait until you are 100% sure they aren’t going to cycle up on the left. If they definitely aren’t moving forward, you can move very cautiously and slowly, keeping your eye on them. It pays to be paranoid - the car driver is always at fault even if the cyclist caused the accident.

Wasn’t at lights just a general junction that goes left or right. I’m going left and assuming they are too. They are behind my car though? Not infront of inline with my window. I noticed when checking my mirrors etc so I made eye contact with them to see what they were doing etc but they were chatting to each other not looking forward or at me so I check my mirrors again and take the gap to turn left.

But actually based on your description I can’t quite decide who is in the wrong. Can you give a diagram?

if they were on your left and level with your rear passenger door then that is not something I would have done. If they are behind you they are fine.

Personally I would have let them make their left turn and then gone. If they’re in front of you, they’re a lot easier for you to see and avoid. It’s not rocket science. Just common sense really.

They're gone until you turn left too - and soon catch them up; and then they try to push in again at the next red light (maybe to ignore the red light and keep going anyway, as many do).

Do we say that we let cyclists go first as they're more vulnerable; or do we say that we let cars go first as they're quicker and will soon be out of the cyclist's way, whilst the opposite isn't true?

What you said did make sense. You should always know what’s around your car, that includes behind you. Given that you were waiting at the junction, they would have had to wait at the junction too, which would have put them alongside you, I would have let them through. As I said they are easier to see and avoid if they go in front of you. I’m not talking about who is right or wrong, I’m talking about thinking preemptively, seeing a hazard and reacting to it.

First you say they were alongside your car and you could see them in your mirror (which isn't a blind spot - you can only see your blind spot by turning your head), then you say they were behind.

They were wrong to undertake, but obviously having done so, you'd need to wait for them to manoeuvre because the alternative would be to run them over.

But as they had stopped and were chatting then I think the only thing you could do is to carry on with your turn. They should have removed themselves from the side of the road if they decided not to be part of the moving traffic.

So say I am that black car at the front turning left that first yellow line is the bike that has come up behind me it’s kind of in line with my rear passenger door maybe rear wheel! The yellow box behind me is another car. I check my mirror and turn my head around left and see them I make eye contact and they are chatting to one another and not looking at me or ahead so I continue very slowly checking my mirrors and turning left when a safe gap to do so.

if I was the car behind me then I would have of course waited and let the cyclists go first as they are both infront or directly next to me. But this bike basically being behind me I just worried a bit that I’d done it right

In this situation, where there was no opportunity for them to go straight on and so you know you're both definitely turning left, then I think what you did was fine. I'd have probably taken the turn a little wider than normal just in case one did try to accelerate up the side and clipped me.

If there was a chance they were going straight on I'd only take a left if I was absolutely sure there was no chance of them coming up my inside, otherwise I'd wait.

There was a great drawing on the gov website that I can’t find it now. it basically said you should wait for them not cut across them.

in practice though that’s going to be open to interpretation on speed and distance

...and if they've stopped to have a chat!

It was when turning my head and looking out my back window I noticed them! I then was looking in my mirror too. Sorry if that didn’t make any sense. They were in line with the back of my car and waited there. I hestitated when I saw them incase they continued moving when I went to move however they didn’t move they then were chatting so I proceeded once I’ve made the eye contact and was kind of like waiting to see what they would do? But they were still at the back of my car they were not at any point right next to me or infront of me that’s why I’m confused

Let them pass.

Yep we were both turning left. When I saw them in my back window after turning my head I braked and waited to make eye contact with them but they were chatting to one another( not looking forward or at me) so they were stationary and hadn’t moved any further forward than inline with the back of my car. If they were directly next to me or infront I’d have waited for them to go first. I was just confused on what was best but didn’t know what else I could do really

That’s what I did I stopped made eye contact with them to see what they were doing but they were chatting ( not looking forward or at me) so I then turned left cautiously checking they hadn’t moved forward at all! They were stationary but at the back of my car. I was just anxious on what was best to do

They were at the back of my car and I made eye contact with them but they were stationary not moving forward and were chatting to each other turned around not looking forward or at me. They weren’t directly next to me or infront otherwise of course I’d have given way to them first but they were behind my car

Wasn’t at lights just a general junction that goes left or right

Ah sorry I just assumed at lights! 🤦‍♀️

id just go-theyre too busy chatting youll make the turn before
theyve even noticed

ive had several near misses with cyclists going through red lights they dont give a shit

OP, you're not making sense.
In your blind spot, to the side of your car, behind your car, visible in left mirror, along side your car.

If you had said in your OP that there were 2 cyclists behind your car chatting, it would have been quite clear that indeed you should proceed to turn left (keeping an eye on them).

I had the same happen to me recently in heavy traffic, with a moped positioning itself in my blind spot as I was waiting to turn left. I just stopped and watched them to see what they were doing. They were a bit hesitant but once they realised I wasn't going to move until they did (I think the Paddington Bear hard stare helped) they continued up the inside and turned left also.

That’s why you check your blind spot, you need to pay more attention to the road. You won’t make that mistake again

This! I used to ride my bike around central London with gay abandon ( including the day I missed my turn off and accidentally went down the Euston Road underpass!). It wasn’t until some years later when I turned into a car driver that I realised how very invisible cyclists are, even the ones fully Highvizzed up, let alone the ones who don’t have lights at night and wear dark clothing etc. Many belated thanks to the forty years ago car, bus and cab drivers who managed to avoid me and not kill me.

yours a former feckless twit.

If they were behind you then fine. But if you're ever nervous about it just let them go first

You say you made eye contact but also that they weren’t looking, so it’s a little confusing

Then exactly what is it you think you have done wrong?