One of the habits that I have developed while riding in the city is something you really should try. It is deceptively simple, but it’s made me a better and safer cyclist. Here’s the deal: any time I see a car ahead of me with its turn signal on, I instinctively try to position myself on the car’s non-blinking side. That’s it. I call it a crossover.
A crossover is often most helpful when you’re riding in a right-side bike lane, and you see a car ahead that’s planning to take a right. In that situation, I do a quick shoulder check and make sure the coast is clear, and then merge out of the bike lane and position myself on the left side of the car’s lane. Now, legally speaking there are a couple of issues to point out here:
If you’re going straight in the bike lane, and the car is turning right, the driver technically has to yield to you before making their right turn. If you want to roll the dice on that actually happening, be my guest. I have plenty of clients who can testify to the fact that drivers don’t always check the bike lane before turning right. At best, you’ll be able to slam on your brakes and avoid a crash. At worst, you can explain how you had right of way while they load you into the ambulance.
In some states, it is actually prohibited to ride outside the bike lane if you're on a road where one exists. Such laws, referred to as “mandatory sidepath,” mean that if you’re hit while riding outside of a bike lane, you need to justify your position in the roadway before you can recover damages after a crash. The laws usually provide exceptions for when you’re avoiding an obstacle, or preparing to make a left turn, etc., but it’s still bullshit (See: this dumb example from MD). Cyclists should be allowed to use the roads the same as cars do, and should not bear the burden of proving they had a right to be in the roadway after a crash. Thankfully, Massachusetts gives riders a full right to the road, so we don’t have to worry about such nonsense here.
Anyway, I highly recommend you start treating blinkers ahead as an indication to reposition yourself. After a while, you might find that you start doing it without a conscious thought. New safety habit unlocked!
