Was I on the wrong? (Knocking cyclist off bike)

[PapayaMarmalade]

I was driving in London this week, and paused to wait for a gap before I turned right off a single lane two way 20mph road.

As I turned, a lime bike came whizzing down the centre of the road from behind me on my right hand side - I didn’t see them and knocked them off. They were probably on the central dotted line or maybe slightly over on the wrong side of the road. They got up and sped off before I even had my wits together to pull over and check if they were okay.

It shook me up and I realise I should have rechecked my right hand mirror again before turning - I just wasn’t anticipating a cyclist overtaking me on my right hand side.

Whilst I should have been more careful to recheck my mirror, was I legally in the wrong?

Diagram attached hopefully

Highway code for turning right:

Rule 180
Wait until there is a safe gap between you and any oncoming vehicle. Watch out for cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and other road users. Check your mirrors and blind spot again to make sure you are not being overtaken, then make the turn. Do not cut the corner. Take great care when turning into a main road; you will need to watch for traffic in both directions and wait for a safe gap.

It sounds like it has worked out okay, since they got up and rode off. Hopefully everyone just got a fright and will be more careful going forward.

I suspect the cyclist was at fault, mostly because I've seen how cyclists can zoom about at an incredible speed. I do look for them carefully but I'm always nervous even so, because I'm concerned that they can just come at top speed out of the blue. A bike license should be needed.

The case you linked was from 2003.

In 2022 the highway code changed to introduce the heirarchy of road users rules, including this one:

People cycling have priority when going straight ahead at junctions
The code clarifies that when people cycling are going straight ahead at a junction, they have priority over traffic waiting to turn into or out of a side road, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise.
People cycling are asked to watch out for people driving intending to turn across their path, as people driving ahead may not be able to see them.

You can't really use a 2003 case to base an opinion on now, when the rules have changed since then, cyclists filtering now have priority over cars turning.

Shouldn't the cyclist have been on the left though?

DD has recently moved to The City of London so when moving her from her old flat I had to drive through central London. It was terrifying.

cyclists whizz past you and just pull out in front of you without looking or indicating

Southwark bridge has a dedicated cycle lane. At the north side of the bridge (only driven South to North over it) there are red lights for the cyclists when the traffic lights turn green for motorists to turn left. About 50% of cyclists ignore their red lights and hurtle at speed through the red light to go straight on whilst you’re turning left in front of them

Honestly the standard of cycling is appalling and there is no self preservation

OP you’d get blamed as if a car overtakes you when turning right it’s knock for knock so if it’s a cyclist you’ll get blamed ☹️. London driving is a total nightmare. I avoid it at all costs. DD has sold her car since moving to COL!

No, they can filter on either side.

RULE 163:

Cyclists may pass slower moving or stationary traffic on their right or left and should proceed with caution as the driver may not be able to see you.

Thanks. It's been years since I cycled, but I did always make it my practice to keep left. I never flew through the streets at the crazy speeds I see cyclists do now though.

Whoopy doo dah!

But you weren’t checking your mirror. Hence the crash.

This happens to me fairly frequently when I’m turning into the road I live on. I’m stationary, indicating right and then overtaken by either a cyclist, lime bike or moped. They’re obviously not supposed to be overtaking me but I’d still rather not hit them so I always check over my right shoulder before turning.
In fact I’d say I generally drive around London as if there is a cyclist where I don’t expect them to be or doing something I don’t expect them to do - as usually there is!!

Another favourite is a cyclist (well usually a lime bike) cycling along the pavement and then just joining the road right in front of my car without checking to see if the road is clear. That’s happened so many times now that whenever I see a cyclist on the pavement I give extra room just in case. Again not something they should be doing but it happens

No we're not. I could count everyday the number of drivers who aren't cycle aware!

I do think the rule about giving priority to cyclists coming from behind you is bothersome as it is really quite easy to miss a cyclist coming round a line of slow moving cars, especially if your (and by the same reasoning, their) view is obstructed.. no matter what the highway code says common sense should really be the order of the day.

The problem was OP didn't even look, or seeme to realise that she should give priority.

This! If you don't check your blind spot directly before moving this is the risk you take. You're lucky he was ok. Check your mirror and blind sport every time you turn

You were not positioned correctly: you should have been closer to the central dotted line so a cyclist could pass on your left hand side. Not sitting in the middle of the lane like a twat.

Thankyou!

Guessing you are one of those angry entitled cyclists then?!

I believe that you were in the right and they were in the wrong albeit you should have checked your mirrors again for idiots like this!
My friend did just this a few years ago but instead of a cyclist, it was a car that stupidly decided to overtake her and didn't realise she was turn right, despite indicators being on.
The overtaking driver got prosecuted for dangerous driving for overtaking by a junction and same rules apply for cyclists (i believe)

same rules apply for cyclists (i believe)

They really don't, different rules entirely because of the heirarchy of road users that came in to effect in 2022. It's quite surprising when one of these threads pop up that so many people do not know their current highway code.

Indicating and turning right, the cyclist overtook on a junction. It’s on them. I think I would have reported it to ensure I didn’t get done for not reporting but the fact the cyclist shot off means they knew they were in the wrong.

I was! It was one of the reasons I didn’t recheck my mirror. It never occurred to me someone would overtake on the right.

This. They shouldn’t overtake someone indicating to turn right.

A lot of people forget that statistically, most cyclists are also drivers. I do both (I think I'm a pretty good cyclist as well- but every commute to work at least 3 idiot drivers try and kill me somehow when I'm cycling, the overtake and then immediately turn left being a favourite, followed by the close pass).

The highway code says you were in the wrong, OP. There's a reason it's mirror-signal-mirror-manoeuvre- you need to check again before you make your move.

Was the cyclist foolish? Yes. But you're supposed to allow for foolishness and not say oh well! Guess I'll just kill someone then!

Given the incredible speed I've seen some cyclists come along at, I'll withhold judgement. I can understand how they could come out of the blue at the speeds I've seen, no matter how careful you are. In fact, when I go to visit my DD who lives in the city, I take a specific route to avoid one turn where this could happen and take a safer turn instead, just in case of irresponsible high speed cycling in inappropriate places. There's a crest and a corner and, while I'm careful, a flying cyclist could be there where it was clear one second before.

I hate a lot of cyclists. I can’t work out why they are exempt from rules of the road, and they are allowed to terrorise pedestrians. Strange

Prob another mirror check OP but they’re idiots and come whizzing down so fast and weave in between the traffic too. Nightmare. Sorry if shook you but they must have been ok. Hopefully a lesson learned for them.

Exactly. OP was clearly at fault. I can’t believe how many people are blaming the cyclist.