Why are vehicles squeezing past me as I wait to turn right?

[21st Century Man]

This is the fourth time in as many months that this has happened.

Turning right into our tight little narrow lane requires a bit of room to swing in at 90 degrees (my car is unusually long) and so I have to position my car a little closer to the kerb than the centre white line and I need a decent gap in the oncoming traffic in order to make the turn which has to be done fairly slowly, this leaves just about enough room in the middle of the road for a small car and impatient driver to gingerly squeeze past me on my right as I await a suitable break in the oncoming traffic, but it is a real squeeze to go through. Well done to the lady in the MINI who I just caught sight of coming up alongside me on my right rear 3/4 just as I was about to turn right this afternoon.

This is a regular two way road, regular width lanes each direction and I'm signalling right, just about where the car on the left is positioned on this street view image.

So other than me being positioned a bit more on the left of my lane than the right and waiting for a longer gap, am I doing anything clearly wrong for this to be happening?

Edited to make it clear that they're passing on my right (not up my inside on the left), contrary to the highway code 167.

167
DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example...

When a road user is indicating right, even if you believe the signal should have been cancelled. Do not take a risk; wait for the signal to be cancelled

Thanks.

And btw, for anyone who happens to recognise the location, don't be a dick and post my address!

Edited by 21st Century Man on Wednesday 8th November 22:56

[ambuletz]

From what you've said to me it seems like your positioning in the road (closer to the curb) might make motorists behind you think that you are parked up and wanting to set off (making them think they have priority) as opposed to you waiting to do a right turn into a side road.

[Dinoboy]

I'd keep to the left with left indicator on until cars behind passed me then have the freedom to take my time completing the manoeuvre.

[21st Century Man]

ambuletz said:

From what you've said to me it seems like your positioning in the road (closer to the curb) might make motorists behind you think that you are parked up and wanting to set off (making them think they have priority) as opposed to you waiting to do a right turn into a side road.

Good one! That's the sort of feedback I was wanting.

There are zig zags and it's a clearway too, so usually if a vehicle has parked up for a moment (like delivery drivers) they're generally half on the pavement and vehicles can pass by, but if a vehicle is wholly on the road as I am, it is a real squeeze to pass between me and oncoming traffic, so if they thought I was pulling out/away, it would be much easier to just let me move off.

[Fastpedeller]

To answer the question posed in the title...... Because their drivers are impatient.

[CABC]

how about moving to the centre line at an angle, so that you've initiated your tight turn, holding the centre and more clearly signalling intent.

[21st Century Man]

Dinoboy said:

I'd keep to the left with left indicator on until cars behind passed me then have the freedom to take my time completing the manoeuvre.

Nice suggestion, but it's a clearway, no stopping. If I did that I'm sure I'd have drivers giving me a blast on the horn to shift it rather than squeeze past me, and I'd also be mortified to be apparently stopping in a clearway

It's also usually very busy, and so when I switched back to a right signal again having had everyone hating me, I'd probably be back to where I started.

[21st Century Man]

CABC said:

how about moving to the centre line at an angle, so that you've initiated your tight turn, holding the centre and more clearly signalling intent.

Yes, I think this might be the answer, it occurred to me earlier, hug the kerb then swing sharp right so that my car is positioned diagonally blocking the full width of the lane.

[Miserablegit]

I’d be surprised if you really needed more room than the entire other lane you are crossing in order to line up with your lane. Can you try to turn at the centre line? I regularly see people swinging out right to make a left turn when it’s possible to simply turn left into the opening.

[TarquinMX5]

Presumably you are indicating right?

Whilst not a comment about your positioning, as I can see why you might need to position such as to complete the manoeuvre, I have noticed a significant number of people who now indicate right and then swing left before starting to turn right, whether at a junction or a roundabout. I've even seen numerous who position alongside the left hand kerb for a 'standard' right turn.

Unfortunately, many drivers today are completely unaware of what's going on around them, they most probably don't even see the entrance/jct on the right; after all, it's not signed or controlled by traffic lights, so they simply don't even acknowledge its existence as they don't see it. If they see an indicator, perhaps they assume they're hazard warning lights, switched on because, to them, you've parked in a stupid place. That's what hazards are for, isn't it.

Maybe you need to make use of the 'old' arm-signal to reinforce your intention (for younger readers, that's when a driver indicates their intentions by means of an arm signal

[21st Century Man]

Miserablegit said:

I’d be surprised if you really needed more room than the entire other lane you are crossing in order to line up with your lane.

You don't know what I drive, or how narrow the lane is!

In the car I have about 100mm each side of the fender mirrors, when I'm in my van both mirrors drag along the walls either side, and that's with them folded in.

Btw, the car is as long as the van, and the van is a lwb.

Edited by 21st Century Man on Wednesday 8th November 19:15

[Vasco]

Get a shorter car......

[Silvanus]

21st Century Man said:

Miserablegit said:

I’d be surprised if you really needed more room than the entire other lane you are crossing in order to line up with your lane.

You don't know what I drive, or how narrow the lane is!

In the car I have about 100mm each side of the fender mirrors, when I'm in my van both mirrors drag along the walls either side, and that's with them folded in.

Think we need to know what car you're driving, this is PH after all, you need to dominate that right turn.

As someone has already mentioned, best to commit to the manoeuvre and angle your car across the lane so it's more obvious you are turning.

Alternatively, hand back slightly from the right hand junction and hug the center of the road.

[Pica-Pica]

I don’t know the road, and I don’t know your vehicle(s), but I suspect this has all to do with positioning and ‘controlling’ the other vehicles actions. Alternatively, is there another street to approach that lane?
As I said, I don’t know the road but; indicate right, swing slightly left then right. If you are confident you can make the entry to the lane with a good approach (and the lane is clear), I would almost block traffic behind and force/encourage the oncoming traffic to let you across them. Again, that does depend on you being able to turn in confidently and not block the road for too long. Assertiveness but not aggression is the fine balance here.

[21st Century Man]

Pica-Pica said:

Alternatively, is there another street to approach that lane?

The only other option is to approach from the opposite direction and turn left, but this can't actually be done unless the oncoming lane is clear as I need to use most of it to swing in, so if it's busy I'll pass by and turn around to make a right turn approach.

This is a tricky turn in an ordinary car, let alone a really stupid one, rather than lack of skills or being a swinger outer as some have suggested.

[Ed.Neumann]

Just sit in the middle a few metres back.
Then you can swing as much as you want when it is clear.


You don't need to be sat waiting inline with the lane.

[Silvanus]

21st Century Man said:

Pica-Pica said:

Alternatively, is there another street to approach that lane?

The only other option is to approach from the opposite direction and turn left, but this can't actually be done unless the oncoming lane is clear as I need to use most of it to swing in, so if it's busy I'll pass by and turn around to make a right turn approach.

This is a tricky turn in an ordinary car, let alone a really stupid one, rather than lack of skills or being a swinger outer as some have suggested.

it sounds like swinging out and performing part of the turn, rather than hugging the left is exactly what you need to do.

[Griffith4ever]

Have the same problem at my place, in both directions.

Leaving, turning left to join the traffic flow, if someone in that flow stops to turn right, the remaining flow, drive round their inside, across the entrance to our drive, at 30+.. Makes pulling out impossible.

Returning, when you stop to turn right Into the drive, the traffic hurtles towards your rear at 40, then swerves round your left at the last moment. Plenty of crashes every year.

Plain impatience. When returning I try and stay a little left to discourage people going round my left but plenty still manage, at speed.

[Griffith4ever]

This is our nightmare: (if you recognise this junction please stay schtum)

When we pull out left (left for us!) (Red solid arrows), if someone stops to let us out at "A" (which is the only way you'll get out when its busy) - cars zip round the dotted red arrow path, across our driveway! blocking you completely. (you can't see under the tree but that's a feeder lane to the left turning after)

When coming home - purple solid arrows, one of two things happen. 1) you get cars flying past inches away on the dotted purple path at 40 (was 50!), across a side road and through a bus stop, or, 2) A car at "A" stops to let you across, BUT, others whip round the inside (dotted red) making it bloody lethal, as you can't see them behind car "A" and all the cars behind it.

Motorbikes get knocked off often.

[Wills2]

Silvanus said:

Think we need to know what car you're driving, this is PH after all, you need to dominate that right turn.

The clue is in his PH name, Toyota century I would guess, but you're right he needs to be more positive with his road positioning to avoid confusion.