Being careful on turning right on a two lane!

[drodg]

Yesterday I am coming off a back road and turning right on a two lane. I look to the left and just casually look to the right. The road has a sharp corner to my right with a no passing zone. Some guy in a Black Ford 500 is passing in the left lane in the middle of a corner. If I had been in my car we would have hit head on, but being on the bike I could stay over to the right and he passed by me. The lesson for myself was to look better to the right turning right on a two lane highway. It was Eye Opening for me!

[Rusty1945]

Yesterday I am coming off a back road and turning right on a two lane. I look to the left and just casually look to the right. The road has a sharp corner to my right with a no passing zone. Some guy in a Black Ford 500 is passing in the left lane in the middle of a corner. If I had been in my car we would have hit head on, but being on the bike I could stay over to the right and he passed by me. The lesson for myself was to look better to the right turning right on a two lane highway. It was Eye Opening for me!

One time I was rolling up to a stop intending to turn right. I looked left, all clear and started to make my turn and yikes, almost ran into a jogger crossing in front of me from the right. Now I always check to be sure both directions are clear.

[matanuska]

Yup, I've had close calls more than once for failng to check right on a right turn even though I've stopped and verified all clear to the left. I notice allot of drivers do this too; a slow roll through a red light or stop sign turning right, all the time looking left but never once checking to see what's on the right. It's an awareness thing on both sides too. If I were a pedestrian, I would never step out into a cross walk with a car turning right if I noticed the driver had never looked in my direction first, no matter what my right of way. But then again, most pedestrians are just as oblivious as the drivers on the road.

 

I now check three ways before I make a right turn on a red or at a stop. Look right, then wait for traffic to clear to the left, then look right again to make sure nothing changed before I start to roll.

 

DR

[Carnadero]

Look right, then wait for traffic to clear to the left, then look right again to make sure nothing changed before I start to roll.

OT: I made the almost-disastrous mistake of not looking to the right first when I had to cross Parramatta Rd. (very busy) in Sydney the first time I was there .

 

Had I stepped off the curb (or kerb, as they spell it) before looking, it woulda been Blamo!

[MysticRed]

I did the same in my pickup coming home from pheasant hunting when I was in my early 20's. Looked just in time as a semi was passing!! Scared the bejesus out of me.

[drodg]

Well riding tonight I looked right, but I noticed I have a bad.....habit of only looking left. It almost put me in the hospital yesterday. Actually if I had been in a car I would have been hit head on. The one time my R12RT was safer.

[Green RT]

Not looking right when turning right is a very common failing amongst drivers. I spend a fair amount of time running or walking along roads and have had many instances where a driver would have hit me if I hadn't stayed out of the way. Usually I stop just clear of their path. It is very common for the driver to do a double take when they finally look in the direction they are moving and realize how close they have come to hitting me. A sharp rap on the hood is sometimes a good way to call attention to the fact that they need to look both ways. However, one time a sharp rap on the hood earned me a sharp rap on the jaw in response, so I am a little more conservative about that strategy now.

[Dinkee]

Yes,

I think we need to be diligent with all of our turns..

I was in my truck and getting ready to turn left into our neighborhood:

No oncoming traffic... No one on the street where I was going to go.... However, a bicyclist riding the wrong way (i.e. in the bike lane to my left) sped past.. if I hadn't checked all directions (including behind me) I would have turned and smooshed him. This could have very easily been the case with a right turn, as well.

 

I'm glad you were able to maneuver out of harms way.

I sure have noticed a lot more dangerous passing attempts recently. Why is that? I had to literally stand on the brakes in our motorhome on the way home from the UN because some bozo was attempting a pass and wasn't going to accomplish it without my assistance. Good thing I have practiced hard/controlled braking in the coach. Can't swerve in that beast.

 

Take care, be well and ride safely.

Heidi