Road Positioning ?

[Gerry]

Here's a boring thread for you, but if any of you can find a way to inject a bit of fun into it, you have my blessing

Road Positioning at Traffic Lights

I'm sure the Highway Code says you can't, but it's something I think 90% of us do and I wonder what the chances of being pulled for it are.

Cross Roads with traffic lights and two lanes.
The lights are on red when we get there and there's three or four cars in the left hand lane to go straight on or turn left.
Nothing in the right hand lane to turn right.

Almost always I go into the right hand lane, get to the front and get away straight on when the lights turn so's not to inconvenience the first car, as do most of you.

If there was a police car in the stationary ones would you still do it ???
Seems to me something that you could be able to get away with 99% of the time - what do you think ?

PS. This could have gone wrong recently at Yarnbrook Cross Roads when the stationary car in the left lane (not indicating) swung across me and turned right. We were both in the wrong, but as often happens I "had a feeling" about her so took it very steady !

[Mark_Able]

Nothing wrong with using the right hand lane to get to the front of the queue. I'd quite happily do it to a Police car. Yarnbrook is a different kettle of fish though. Nobody indicates/uses lanes correctly/sees me/judges my speed correctly. It shouldn't be a roundabout, it should be traffic lights. Too many accidents there... >

[Gerry]

Hoped you would reply Mark.

The place it happened was the cross roads with traffic lights on on the Yarnbrook to Semington road. Was coming back from Melksham to Westbury and the car was on the inside lane at the top of the hill and cut across me to go down the hill into Trowbridge.
It was more of a general point rather than a complaint about this indecent though.

[QB1]

..... It shouldn't be a roundabout, it should be traffic lights. Too many accidents there... >

Have you got that the wrong way round?

Yarnbrook isnt a roundabout.

[QB1]

I'm sure Mark is much better qualified to answer than me but I'm doing advanced rider training at the mo and with that you are actively encouraged to use an empty lane to make progress unless the lane is specifically marked for another route to that which you are taking.

[QB1]

I think I know which junction you mean and I wouldnt use that one to gain position as its marked right turn only and especially not past a Police car.

[Gerry]

Hope the attached pic comes out.
Yes, on the way from Westbury to Melksham at the top of the hill (the other way on where I had my little fright).
The right hand lane is marked to turn right, but most bikers use it to go straight on if it's empty.

[Gerry]

Wow... that's a big one - sorry !!!

[redken1]

What do you do if a vehicle comes up behind you, the right hand lane light is the next in sequence to turn green and your position on the road is preventing it from making the right turn?

[BB]

Yarnbrook is the stupid little roundabout with the BP garage & Hungry Horse pub at Yarnbrook. I agree with you Mark, dangerous place

The traffic signal junction Gerry is on about is West Ashton Cross Roads

BB