Illegal to turn left or right in front of bike! Police Training Video offers great info for all road users

In the comment section after the "War on Cars" article in the Trib someone mentioned this video: http://www.chicagobikes.org/video/index.php?loadVideo=police_traini...

 

It is a training video for police about  how to enforce laws for motorists and cyclists.

It is extremely informative. Did you know, for example,  that is illegal for a car to make a right or left turn in in front of a cyclist--just like the law for CTA buses? I sure didn't!

 

It makes me wonder why this information isn't more widely available to all road users.  Was this information included when IL citizens took driver's ED?  I learned to drive in CT so I wouldn't know. Are people ignorant of the laws or do they chose not to follow them? 

 

 

Views: 1173

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on November 30, 2011 at 3:19pm

I saw this video a few months ago and thought, being the new kid in town, that everyone knew this!  But when the video started listing the violation numbers I got real puzzled thinking that someone has to put a video out to train the police??  What about the drivers.

I also think that this education could be included when drivers buy their stickers each year.  I think the city is wasting the opportunity to educate when they just sell a sticker.

Permalink Reply by igz on December 1, 2011 at 9:00am

funny, cops have done that to me a few times, last time just last week on hubbard.

Permalink Reply by Tim S on December 1, 2011 at 11:30am

I was surprised by this law as well, seems to not be well known.Would be nice if more folks (on both sides) actually read the rules of the road.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Scotto 6.8 on December 1, 2011 at 11:38am

Great video.  Now for more enforcement of all of those "codes."

Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on December 1, 2011 at 12:44pm

+1

Scott H said:

Great video.  Now for more enforcement of all of those "codes."

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on December 1, 2011 at 1:55pm

I remember when I uploaded that video when I worked at CDOT. We were very excited to create it (I'm at the very end), to have police officers watch it during roll call, and have the public learn from it as well. It was our first online video, too, and I built a mini website around it (and for future videos). 

Looking back, no longer working at CDOT, it seems that no police officer paid attention to the "running red lights" section (and probably other parts, too). I've seen a police officer in a cruiser at the front of a queue at a red light watch a cyclist move through the red light. C'mon!

Permalink Reply by Steve Tanner on December 1, 2011 at 2:04pm

The "turn right in front of a cyclist" is how I was hit over the summer.  Grrrr.

Permalink Reply by Richard Jarrow on December 2, 2011 at 6:52am

"Turning in front of a cyclist" is such an ambiguous term..  If a car is making a right turn, then that vehicle is in the right-most lane.  I mean, there's not a lane going straight that is to the RIGHT of a vehicle turning right, is there?  ;)    Cyclists shouldn't be to the right of a vehicle turning right unless that cyclist is also turning right.  

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on December 2, 2011 at 8:38am

"I mean, there's not a lane going straight that is to the RIGHT of a vehicle turning right, is there?  ;)"

Yes there is.  It's the bike lane.

Richard Jarrow said:

"Turning in front of a cyclist" is such an ambiguous term..  If a car is making a right turn, then that vehicle is in the right-most lane.  I mean, there's not a lane going straight that is to the RIGHT of a vehicle turning right, is there?  ;)    Cyclists shouldn't be to the right of a vehicle turning right unless that cyclist is also turning right.  

Permalink Reply by Richard Jarrow on December 2, 2011 at 8:47am

How can you think that?   There's no precedent for any vehicle going straight through the path of another vehicle trying to turn.   Bicycists don't mind swerving all over traffic and riding whereever they like in the lanes and in-between lanes - even all the way to the left - so why are you insistent on the bike lane being on the far right hand side in this instance?   If a car is turning right, the bike lane is immediately to the LEFT of that car turning right. I've seen painted bike lanes in just that configuration.  You're foolish if you think creeping up the blind spot of a driver while they're turning right (who justifiably has their attention turned towards their LEFT - to prevent them from getting t-boned in an intersection) and intending to go straight is going to turn out well.


Michelle Gregorek said:

"I mean, there's not a lane going straight that is to the RIGHT of a vehicle turning right, is there?  ;)"

Yes there is.  It's the bike lane.

Richard Jarrow said:

"Turning in front of a cyclist" is such an ambiguous term..  If a car is making a right turn, then that vehicle is in the right-most lane.  I mean, there's not a lane going straight that is to the RIGHT of a vehicle turning right, is there?  ;)    Cyclists shouldn't be to the right of a vehicle turning right unless that cyclist is also turning right.  

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on December 2, 2011 at 8:47am

As a side note, I had an opportunity to pass on this information today to a driver.  Stopped on State and something, south on state, and at the light the car on my left kept inching over towards me.  She had her turn signal on to turn.  When she started to make a move to cross in front of me, which would have put her car in the ped crossing path, I motioned for her to put her window down.  I then told her that it is illegal to turn right in front of a bike, just as it is in front of a bus.  She said "Oh, thanks." 

So, one down, and quite a few to go!

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gregorek on December 2, 2011 at 9:31am

You are referring to a dedicated right turn lane.  I was not.  Where I commute there is usually parking spaces that take up the dedicated right turn lane showing in the picture you posted.  Which means, NO RIGHT TURN IN FRONT OF BUSES AND BIKES.

Richard Jarrow said:

How can you think that?   There's no precedent for any vehicle going straight through the path of another vehicle trying to turn.   Bicycists don't mind swerving all over traffic and riding whereever they like in the lanes and in-between lanes - even all the way to the left - so why are you insistent on the bike lane being on the far right hand side in this instance?   If a car is turning right, the bike lane is immediately to the LEFT of that car turning right. I've seen painted bike lanes in just that configuration.  You're foolish if you think creeping up the blind spot of a driver while they're turning right (who justifiably has their attention turned towards their LEFT - to prevent them from getting t-boned in an intersection) and intending to go straight is going to turn out well.


Michelle Gregorek said:

"I mean, there's not a lane going straight that is to the RIGHT of a vehicle turning right, is there?  ;)"

Yes there is.  It's the bike lane.

Richard Jarrow said:

"Turning in front of a cyclist" is such an ambiguous term..  If a car is making a right turn, then that vehicle is in the right-most lane.  I mean, there's not a lane going straight that is to the RIGHT of a vehicle turning right, is there?  ;)    Cyclists shouldn't be to the right of a vehicle turning right unless that cyclist is also turning right.  

RSS

Groups

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service