Turn from the curb, how to avoid right hook collisions

Published on May 01, 2023

One of the least understood traffic laws for drivers is how to safely turn right at an intersection with bike lanes. Under the assumption that they may never enter bike lanes, many drivers will remain in their lane up until their turn to avoid breaking the law, cutting across bike lanes as they turn right.

Unfortunately, this unpredictable maneuver often results in “right hook” collisions, one of the deadliest types of crashes wherein a bicyclist collides into the side of a turning car. To minimize right hook collisions, the California Vehicle Code authorizes and requires drivers to merge into bike lanes prior to turning right at such intersections. The following explains how to safely approach these intersections and share the road, whether you are driving or on a bike.

Drivers
Drivers must always turn from the lane closest to the curb, treating the bike lane as if it were a lane for cars. To safely do this, drivers should:

• Turn on their signal to indicate turning
• Check for any bicyclists in the bike lane*
• Merge into the bike lane as they approach the intersection (bike lane markings are dashed to indicate where a car can legally begin merging)
• Complete their right turn

*If bicyclists are already in the bike lane or approaching the intersection, do not attempt to turn in front of them. Yield and merge into the bike lane behind the bicyclists, and wait for them to continue traveling before completing your turn.

Bicyclists
If a car is approaching the intersection, bicyclists should be on alert for the car’s right-turn signal and avoid traveling in the car’s blind spot.

If a car is already merging or in the bike lane ahead of a bicyclist, the bicyclist should either pass the car on the left or wait for it to complete its turn before continuing on.