Safe Speed Forums

Well summers here and 'tis the season for.... overtaking me as I turn right into the farm .

Don't know why,I do the same thing every day, Put right indicator on just before the corner opens out, then move from the center of the road so my right foot over the right line and still they come past. Gits. They don't do it when I'm in the car, but on my bike or any farm machine and past they come. It seems to be worse in the summer.

They had better hope the kill me, because getting rogered in the prison showers will be much more pleasent that what will happen to them if the knock me off and I survive

This does really make me realise why the turn "life saver glance" is used. Short of deploying a large neon sign from my jacket advicing the stupid of my intentions, I am at a bit of a loss as what to do. Just get life savering I guess....

Are you saying you are on a motorbike adam, "foot over the white line" to turn into the farm or a cycle? If so, you'd think they would be aware of you and what you are doing. (They should anyway, I know)

BTW. There's a lane near to me I go down and sometimes a tractor thingy is coming the other way which takes up nearly all the road. No, problem if you pull over tight to the left but what frightens the poop out of me is its got this massive spikey thing in front, like an inside-out Iron Maiden.

I always imagine going around a bend and getting impailed on it. What's it for? I assume it's not for impailing bikers

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I'm on my low performance motorcyle sir. It's been passing MOT's for 15 years and passed it's last one at the end of May. The lights work. There is a red triangle with a tractor on it 200 meters before the farm entrance too, the farm can bee seen from the road on the approach to turning, but the gardens trees hide it, but they are the only trees on the road and if you have such bad memory that you forgot about the farm 5 seconds after the sign then you should be in hospital.

I think part of the problem is that they see a tractor or my little bike and have decided to overtake just as the corner opens out, which is by the farm entrance. It doesn't worry me too much if the run into the back of the tractor, but on my bike it is going to hurt. A lot. If more than 7.5 horses were on offer I would be tempted to catch them up and ask where the highway code says it's fine to overtake right turning vehicles. one pillock on an FZR1000 did it to me one morning

Try indicating sooner adam.

I regularly have to turn right into a farm from a busy S/C. You can't see the track at all until you're almost on top of it, so I indicate and start braking a good 3-400 yards before the junction. If nothing else, it confuses the traffic behind and they back off!

If you're already indicating at the point where Mr Powerranger is beginning to consider overtaking he's more likely to see your signal. (I assume that the signal isn't obscured by attachments on the back of the tractor? I've seen that before)

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

A good practice whenever you are in a dodgy spot is to reinforce your signal with an arm signal. Something that doesnt get taught enough but is very effective and almost everyone behind will see you stick your arm out but not all will see your mucky indicator signal, even less people will see if your bulb has gone. It may not be the macho trendy thing to do but I would rather be called a sissy than a patient.

I have been deliberating on the optimum time to start indicating and might try starting sooner, but wonder if they will just come past anyway, because they can see (if they can see beyond the end of their noses) I can't turn yet. The thing is that MOST people are fine and realise what I am doing (on my bike) and let me turn.

The lights on the tractor all work and are clean. The lights on the stuff behind all work and are clean and are right at eye level when sat in most cars. I can see the tractor indicators flashing from my seat and there is a repeater light on the dash that tells me something is flashing when a trailer is plugged in.

Ref hand signals. One of my bikes doesn't have indicators at all, so I agree with you there Herbie! Particularly in bright sunshine I tend to reinforce with a hand signal when I'm turning off a main road.

adam. I've caught myself out a couple of times in the situation you describe in your OP. Fortunately, my final checks have always revealed the turn signal...

BUT if someone's already committed to the process of overtaking (not the overtake itself, but the run-up) then they may not check back to the target vehicle to look for turn signals. You need to be signalling BEFORE the process begins - ie before the following vehicle can see that there may be a chance to pass you. I'll bet if you signal maybe 50-100 yards earlier and adjust your speed / road position accordingly, you'll see a drop in these kind of incidents.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I'd go with Herbie's suggestion and use the right arm as well, for some reason it has much more of an effect on the "overtaker's" decision on whether to go for it or not.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

Well call me nuts, but when I had my old topbox on my motorbike with the aditional powerful brakelight wired in, I noticed that drivers behind me backed-off more. I swear it wasn't my imagination. It's as if some drivers are blind as well as stupid.

So if the same is true of indicators maybe I need to swap the bulbs for 60 Watt halogens although, like others here, I tend to use my arms as a backup if there is any doubt.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I have started indicating earlier and people seem to be backing off sooner, which is good. On the hand signal front, when do you suggest I signal? Hand signaling right only leaves me with the foot for braking, maybe on the aproach then once their attention has been caught start braking?