[Mamma_mia]

Hi - I'm just getting back into driving, after a very long break (10+ years). The break was mainly due to travelling/moving all the time with work, and then putting off getting back into driving due to nervousness. I think I'm doing pretty well (as do others who have seen me), even though I'm still a bit nervous. Anyway, there is one thing I'm a little bit unsure about, which is this:

When I'm driving in the left lane and there are cyclists there in front of me - definitely in my lane (not a separate bike lane), but on the far left near the curb. In the past I've seen other drivers in the same lane pass the cyclists fairly comfortably, without needing to go out of the lane. Looked like they had enough space between them and the cyclists. But when I'm about to pass the cyclists, I always feel like I don't have enough space to pass them without hitting them, and I get extremely nervous! We have a medium size 4WD, so a bit wider than other cars maybe. And being on the right/driver's side, I can't see the left side of my car, to work out how close it is to the cyclists.

Tonight I was at the front (at the lights), when the bikes joined the road I was on, and went in front of me on the left side of my lane. There were cars next to me in the right lane, so I couldn't change lanes, and as usual, I felt like I didn't have enough space to pass the bikes. So I slowed right down and drove behind them - this was just for a very short distance, as a bicycle lane opened up and they moved into that - thank god! I don't know what would have happened if the bike lane wasn't there!

When I told DH about it though, he said I should not have slowed down, as it would annoy the drivers behind me, I should have just passed the cyclists straight away. I said I felt very uncomfortable doing that, as it didn't seem like I had enough room. (Probably I did, but I just wasn't sure) and he just kind of shrugged and rolled his eyes and didn't want to talk about it anymore!

Just wondering what others would do in this situation? Thanks.

[The Old Bag]

By law (in Victoria at least) you need to give the cyclist a metre's space when passing.

But seriously, OP, you shouldn't be on the road if you can't figure out where the other side of the car is. Sounds like you need more practice on quiet streets, with someone in the passenger seat.

[globalgirl]

I thought that cyclists have as much right to that lane as any car does, so treat them like a car (or indeed, any other vehicle). If it's clear and you can pass them allowing adequate space (so if you need to veer into the lane next to you, only do so if it's clear). But otherwise, you just have to go slow behind them until it's safe to pass.

[Riotproof]

You did exactly the right thing.

[mummy.to.one]

If a bike is in front of me in the lane, I would try to change lanes to go around them, even if I wasn't fully in the other lane. Of course I would need a break in traffic in the right hand lane to do this.

I don't think I would pass a cyclist while staying in the lane, they would be pretty close.

I think you did the right thing.

[tle]

I think you definately need more practice with an experienced driver in the car with you (like a learner driver does to offer guidance). If you don't know how much space you have on your left hand side (or anywhere around your car for that matter) I'd be a bit concerned about you driving at all unsupervised.

ETA: Sorry, I didn't answer your question. I always try to overtake if it is safe to do so. Of course, to know whether or not it is safe you need to know exactly where the left hand side of your car is.

This post has been edited by tle: 17/01/2013, 07:30 PM

[meggs1]

As a cyclist and a driver, yes you do need to slow down until you can pass them safely. 1 metre is a good distance.

[BronR]

What you are supposed to do is indicate and get into the right hand lane before passing. When bikes are on the road you treat them as another vehicle. You wouldn't pass a motorbike by staying in the same lane and kind of squeezing by. I know lots of drivers break this law some more safely than others.

Sometimes yes you can get stuck behind bikes and then it gets hard to pass as you are then going bike speed so it can be hard to get into the other lane.

But you obeyed the law and did the right thing. Other cars behind can either go slow too or choose to pass in the right lane.

[flopsy]

When a bicycle is in your lane it should be treated like any other vehicle and you should only pass them if you can safely overtake them. Sometimes there isn't enough room to overtake and you have to do exactly what you did which is slow down and wait until it is safe to go around/switch lanes.

Your DH is wrong to say you should just overtake them straight away, they have the same rights to be in the lane as your car in that situation.

[epg]

Please don't try to 'squeeze' past cyclists as your DH suggests - if it doesn't feel safe, it probably isn't.