Effective Cycling by John Forester

Author:John Forester
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 31.1

Yielding to traffic moving in the same direction.

Black moves and white yields. Before changing

lanes, look forward and backward to be sure that

the new lane is empty.

then try again. You are better off following than preceding such a

driver. I don’t always follow this rule. If I haven’t much choice left

in a traffic jam, and particularly if I feel a driver is obstinate, I’ll

bluff—I’ll stick out my arm, glare, and move over as close as I dare.

It sometimes works, but choosing a different driver is better.

Changing Lanes in Traffic | 417

Medium-Speed Lane Changes

When both you and the cars are moving steadily, you still negoti-

ate, but you do it twice for each lane change. This approach works

well at all speeds at which you can negotiate with drivers. Gener-

ally, there is enough time to negotiate at the distance at which

negotiation is possible, as long as the motorist is going no more

than 15 mph faster than you are.

These negotiations take place at greater distance, without

much eye contact. You ask by steering a careful course on the

roadway as far left in your present lane as possible and by alter-

nating your head position between looking ahead and looking at

the following car in the new lane. The answer you receive may also

be less definite. The driver may slow to your speed or may move

left to give himself room to overtake you if you move. Because of

this ambiguity, you should make your first move a very small one.

Cross the line and ride at the right edge of the new lane, which

gives the following driver room to pass you safely if necessary.

Then look back to see who is behind you, and negotiate again for

permission to move to the left side of the lane (figure 31.2).

Never ride in the center of the lane on a high-speed multilane

road unless you are going at the speed of traffic; always ride at one

edge or the other, to give cars room to pass you. Think of the shift

from one side of a lane to the other as a full lane change, making

sure that you negotiate with any overtaking driver.

Changing Lanes in High-Speed Traffic

When the traffic is moving more than 15 mph faster than you,

negotiation by looking is impossible because the motorists cannot

detect your intention at the required distance, though your posi-

tion on the road relative to the lane lines is a pretty clear signal.

418 | Chapter 31

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