riding and road safety

[thoroughlybred1]

We are on a busy A road. quite recently, traffic lights have been put at the road junction to the entrance of our village, which on the whole have proved helpful for when we want to cross it. if we want to ride up it and turn into the village, however, we have a problem.

Correct me if i am wrong, but we would normally keep to the left side of our lane when wishing to turn right, indicate our intention to turn right, and then wait for it to be clear before actioning. Other road users wait behind (we hope!)until oncoming traffic enables us to make the turn. The reason in keeping left, and not moving into the centre of the road being that we do not want other road users either side of us?

if i'm right so far - and its been many years since i did my R&R safety so i may be wrong, what do we do when the road has a right turn filter system?

Being traffic light controlled, staying to the left is not an option, as the straight on lights are on green when right turn lights on red and vice versa. Our only way of negotiating the turn is to enter the filter lane and waiting there until our lights go green..........in the meantime you could have traffic (lorries!) both coming towards you and behind you, and you're stuck in the middle lane!

The reason i ask, is that a new "special constable" is being pedantic about us using footpaths, which yes i know, is contrary to the highway code, but keeps us safe - and if one of our horses foul it, we go out and clear it up later on

 

[connieD]

personally i think it would be a good question to ask your new ''hobby bobby''.
ask him what he suggests would be the safest thing to do?

i can see what the problem is - i used to ride near to a very similar set of traffic lights.

from what i can see the only option you have is to stay in the right hand turn lane, i would possibly go in the left lane, get up to the front of the right hand turning queue when the left hand lane is allowed and then you will be first off when the lights change.

i know this is probably looked on as undertaking, but i would probably take that option as i would then have more space between me and the moving cars and only stationary cars behind me.

probably wrong but from a safety aspect the best i can think of. the only alternative would be to go left, signal right, do a 'u-ie' and go back so you are going the way you want to go again. i know you will have to go through the lights again but at least you wont be stuck with cars on both sides.

good luck - rather you than me!!!

 

[Ptaty70]

I was going to suggest the same thing re getting right to the front like cyclists do.. we have areas for cyclists to stand at the front of the queue so imagine that's there.

Sometimes you have to be bold and you don't say how fast the road is and how many cars you encounter... if it's feasible, i would move myself physically in a 'stop' position for the cars -i.e. vulnerable road user.. and be quite bold about it.

Certainly ask the bobby as it could get you a lot of sympathy and blind eye turning too.. also, they should know what the drill should be.. road code is fine but in certain circumstances like this it can be dangerous! with today's traffic it's something they forget to explain!

Ditto, rather you than me... sounds dreadful.

 

[thoroughlybred1]

lol connie - "Hobby Bobby"!

I have left this question with her, and have asked her to come back to me with a definitive answer, which i await. I thought i'd ask here on advice/opinions so i have some "ammo" should it be needed.

You see now she has opened this can of worms, i'm worried we might have insurance issues if an accident happened while we were doing something contrary to the highway code. We very rarely actually ride this way (due to this problem) but at times we HAVE to, inorder to reach grazing away from the yard and the lorry wont start.

The question was originally asked of the pony club riding and road safety trainer, who said ride up the pavement (which is riding against the traffic on the right hand side of the road) and although not ideal, did mean we only ever have one line of traffic to worry about, with a hedge on one side to dive into if necesary!

 

[eventerbabe]

now, if i remember my riding and road safety training correctly, then YES you keep to the left whether turning left OR right. but i cannot remember us ever discussing filter lanes etc. so i'm not sure what would be best you certainly don't want to be in the middle between 2 lanes of traffic.

The question was originally asked of the pony club riding and road safety trainer, who said ride up the pavement (which is riding against the traffic on the right hand side of the road) and although not ideal, did mean we only ever have one line of traffic to worry about, with a hedge on one side to dive into if necesary!

tbh, this sounds like your safest option!

 

[eml]

What you say is theoretically correct and still as included in RRS training but not really feasible in modern traffic.

If you are only doing occasionally is it worth using an escort car?. We have to cross a busy roundabout near the bottom of our drive to 'escape' to hacking places and if we have a newer horse or more than daughter and friend going out I go behind them in car with hazards on to block lorries goiing up on the inside of them until they are clear of the roundabout .. not ideal, probably not even legal but certainly safer.

 

[Daffy Dilly]

I know full well how the BHS says we should ride on the roads, and to be fair I don't stick to a lot of it. It might have been the safest option way back when, but the roads are so much busier now than they were even 5 years ago.

Daffy can be quite impatient and strong willed, meaning it is not always possible for me to leave my arm out whilst trying to keep him stood still. If we are waiting to turn and traffic is continuously passing, then I *will* have to signal again.

So, on all but the busiest of roads, I move out into the centre. Because of the level of traffic on the road we rode on last night, I kept left, and as soon as a couple of cars stopped for us, we trotted across out of the way. I was lucky that only one car passed us, the second let us go, as it meant I could hold my horse rather than worry about signalling again.

I will not ride on the pavements unless I'm having control problems being on the road, and there is nobody on the pavements for 30metres either way, which is what I imagine to be the potential stopping distance when cantering sideways.

My horse is fab in traffic, so I find it better to use positioning that cars understand, and the hi viz means that they can't miss seeing me.

 

[artemis]

I can empathise with the problem. I used to have to negotiate a similar junction. My horse at the time was rock solid in traffic so I was ok, but my friend used to go in front of the white line & turn sideways so she blocked the whole of that side of the road. She smiled sweetly at the drivers & signalled her direction - it worked.
WE didn't have "hobby bobbies" to deal with though.

 

[Daffy Dilly]

Another reason why the BHS way of doing things isn't fantastic - drivers are not educated in what the signals mean, or are just too ignorant to care.

Facing down a very very large lorry on the main road earlier, about to turn off to the left when he was about 20 metres away, with 3 other horses. One of which is scared of big traffic, and had already started dancing.

I was at the front so I waved him to slow, then told him to stop as he didn't, then signaled that we were turning off, then told him to stop again, then he slammed on his airbrakes, before he carried on inching towards her and the rider had to get off.

He clearly did not understand "stop", nor did he have the common sense to realise the horse wasn't happy.

 

[Joyscarer]

I will not ride on the pavements unless I'm having control problems being on the road, and there is nobody on the pavements for 30metres either way, which is what I imagine to be the potential stopping distance when cantering sideways.

That did make me chuckle. I can really relate to that consideration

 

[Kate&TheHerd]

When turning right, I would personally stick to the middle of the road. If you want to turn right and you're on the left hand side of the road, a car may pull up on your right. So I would personally stick in the middle of the road so no cars could pull up either side.