Hopefully my diagram makes sense. It’s a T-junction with lanes in both directions, and there is a shared (pedestrians and bikers) two-way path running alongside the main road. The green arrow car had a stop sign but no one else did. Canadian road rules. Both the pedestrian and I nearly got killed by a car so I’m just checking what I should have done.
by MissHissss
27 Comments
In france it would be :
Pedestrian, Cyclist, Top car, Bottom car, Left car
If there is an amiguity, the weakest has the priority. At a junction cars are supposed to stop for pedestrians and cyclists
just squeeze your butt cheeks and ride really fast
Bike first – they’re going straight. So the pedestrian would in theory yield if there was a bike coming south.
Then the yellow car. Then the orange car. Then the green car.
When in doubt, be safe, don’t be right. I’d rather be wronged and wait rather than be right and run over.
In general, if a vehicle is turning across a lane of traffic then they’re supposed to yield to that traffic; just like a normal left-hand turn. It seems pretty clear that a car turning from either of the lanes on the right of your diagram, turning across the path, does not have right of way over anybody in that path.
Traffic without mandatory stops has right of way.
I’d like to see the intersection on google maps.
Depends on the rules jurisdiction you’re in.
In Netherlands cyclist have priority as not changing direction. Pedestrian can avoid intersection with cyclist and cross together with him.
Cars should yield to each other following “obstacle from right side”.
The diagram is confusing.. Can you share a Google Maps location which will give us reader a better view of the situation.
If there is a pedestrian crossing, pedestrian first, then you, bc you go straight (unless there is any signal saying otherwise).
The heck with laws, don’t trust any of them. Error on the side of Caution and go when it’s the safest to do so. As a bicyclelist your both a Ped (because your on a non motorized vehicle) and a motorist ( because your using the road). I’ve seen many bicyclelist flying through intersections faster than cars do and expect traffic to stop, then get hit because motorists aren’t looking for you or can’t see you. Maybe in a perfect world they should stop but this isn’t a perfect world. Use common sense and just be safe.
The salient question is not who has the right of way. It’s how do you survive. If I was on the bike or the pedestrian, I would stop and take out my phone till that mess sorted itself out.
The reason is, if you look up, someone is going to make eye contact and wave you through. I work in insurance and we call that a ‘sucker hole.’ A well meaning person stops, waits, and gives you the go ahead, and then someone else goes and takes you out.
You make it clear with body language that you’re mot paying attention or waiting for any one person. Then when it’s clear, proceed.
Here in NZ it depends on technicalities like if the path is officially a cycle lane or not – if so turning drivers are supposed to give way, otherwise you are technically undertaking a turning vehicle which would put the cyclist at fault.
Always yield to the 5000lb object that can go 100 mph. Being right doesn’t doesn’t make you any less dead.
Right of way doesn’t matter when >0.001% of car drivers don’t know the answer to this question.
*Always* assume that ~~all car drivers~~ *everyone else* are all six: 1) a moron 2) is about to be 20 minutes late someplace 3) is about to have a diarrhea explosion 4) guessed their way into barely passing the road exams and doesn’t know half of what they’re supposed to do 5) are looking at something that isn’t the road ahead **and** 6) are unintentionally or intentionally very intoxicated
Assume that every green light for you has the potential for someone to run their red light at full speed.
Make it a game, keep the game of Staying Alive fun! “Hah! You almost got me, overly-courteous granny!”… actually, it’s two games: Staying Alive and *Oh I’m Sorry Your Majesty, Please, You Go Ahead Of Me, You Are So Very Important*
I live in Atlantic Canada. Where I live, these types of multi-purpose paths next to a main road is very common. And I won’t bike on them. Why?
Where I live, you and the pedestrian are in the wrong.
My municipality puts up little stop signs on the multi-purpose path. They are actually “stop and walk” signs. We are supposed to dismount our bikes and walk across every single crossing, even small residential streets. The stop line for the green is actually past the multipurpose path.
I have been nearly hit multiple times, even as a pedestrian.
Now I will say that most drivers will absolutely wait for a pedestrian / cyclist, but not all.
I recently had an interaction at my local crossing (I was walking) and my neighbour, who is an RCMP officer, did exactly this and almost struck me as I was half-way across the road and they were turning left (the orange line in OPs drawing).
Classic “we built the infrastructure but bikes won’t use them. All cyclists are a-holes” mentality.
Pacman I think.
Pedestrian -> Bike -> vehicle
Yeah… if I’m in this situation I’m just standing still and waving everybody across until the intersection is completely clear, then I’ll go. Not worth the headache or the danger lol. Like others have said, being safe is a greater priority than being “right”.
See ya on BCJ
In the US it would be pedestrian, bike, top car, bottom car, left car.
I would yield to all, better safe than sorry.
That looks gross, and I try to plan routes away from things like this.
The thing on a bike (that I always tell my kids when we’re crossing roads or on bikes) is you can have the right of way, but all it’s takes is one person not paying attention or ignoring you to put you in danger.
Even walking crosswalks ill stand there, watching the cars and they’ll make eye contact as they fly through.
So, in this situation, id say you have the right of way. But if it were me id probably stop about 150ft back, and wait until traffic clears out, and then proceed once there’s nobody or just one car or something.
It’s at least weekly occurrence for me to have a car pass me and immediately turn across my path. I mean, just wait a few extra seconds behind me please!
first starting point: right-of-way is given, not taken. rules only tell you when you should *be able to expect it.*
the only thing that matters: your safety. preferably while also being kind, courteous, and polite for everyone’s benefit. your local traffic code sets how any of this *should work specifically for you*… but the technical always gives way to the practical, of the situations and “players” you got in the “now.” be smart, be safe!
1. Foot traffic (though some people may stop and wave others through)
2. Cyclist – through traffic with no stop
3. Yellow car – right turn no stop, should yield to peds unless signals controlled
4. Orange car – left turn yields to thru traffic and peds
5. Green car – left turn at stop signal, waits for intersection to be clear
What a mess. I’m sure green car gets antsy.
EDIT: am from US, idk Canadian rules. If this intersection is metric, I’m totally wrong.
I would use the crosswalk button on this
The pedestrian has the right of way.