On my bike commute home last night I was astonished to see at the rear nearside corner of a new "Plumb centre" transit type van a sticker which showed a picture of a bike in a red circle with a diagonal red line through the middle saying "Warning Cyclist- I might turn left"
Intsticntively I think its crap....
So its OK for them to turn left now and knock me off, cos white van man has now got a sticker that I should have read"
Are they new? Anyone else seen one?
not seen one but they might (probably won't) stop cyclists from undertaking....always an accident waiting to happen and Mr white van man can't really be blamed. However, if it means he'll overtake then turn left it's all bad.
I've seen them on concrete lorries, and it seems fair enough to me as you shouldn't be undertaking anyway.
I have seen it on big lorries but it tends to say not to go up the left hand side a bit likt the no entry and pass on the right sign on the spray flaps on continetal lorries
Not supposed to undertake !
Well we all do, dont we? (except approaching a junction)
I think I might carry a sticker that says "warning, I might sue if knocked off"...........
Well we all do, dont we? (except approaching a junction)
that's probably when the van will turn left
Don't see a problem? Some people do need telling, especially with vehicles that might have large blind spots.
I very rarley overtake on the right, its a bit* like riding into oncoming traffic. The alternative is to undertake, wait, or go on the footpath.
*just
you should not undertake, unless you're happy to be killed just to pass a car which may well go past you again in about 5 minutes! ride in the road not in the gutter!
I think the point is that some of the bigger lorries (and probably Plumb Centre's vans) have crap rearwards visibility, so you might try and undertake, thinking they've seen you, when in fact they haven't.
I very much doubt having a sticker on the back of a van is going to absolve them of driving dangerously - it'd have to be a "baby on board" one for that to apply. 
To be fair, I think it's a good idea actually - there are plenty of people who cycle around now who don't have great road sense (yet, hopefully) for whom this sticker might make them think twice. It definitely doesn't absolve the driver of any responisbility in not turning left onto a rider right after overtaking though.
My point is that all urban trained cylists know very well when its safe to undertake and do so regularly in slow or stationary traffic but cars and lorries dont like it because we are getting through quicker than they are.
we have all been squeezed out and had to jump to the pavement, no problem.
A sticker sort of absolves the van driver from all obligation and he will now turn left even if he can see you up the inside....."its your fault didnt you see the sticker ? "
not seen one but they might (probably won't) stop cyclists from undertaking.
do people actually do that? Maybe the roads are wider where you are but you'd never do that here because you'd be crushed against railings/forced onto the pavement
I'm sure I posted something about this about 1 year ago..
hmm.. must disagree with MrNutt here, if it wasn't for undertaking there wouldn't be much point in me commuting by bike, it would take too long.
It's not actually safe to use 90% of the country's cycle paths if its not safe to undertake.
i never undertake.
if you dont have the balls to face oncoming traffic, you dont deserve to go in front of the vehicle
getting yourself wedged down the inside of a line of traffic might have very bad consequences. ignore 'cycle paths' that put you there, its your road too, just be prepared to keep yourself left when the vehicle behind wants to overtake.
....."its your fault didnt you see the sticker ? "
all urban trained cylists know very well when its safe to undertake
In the past 4 years there's been 5 women cyclists killed nearby to me after funnelling up the inside of lorries. I think its a good idea if it just causes people to think a bit - obviously one hopes that there's also a big sign inside the van reading "WATCH OUT FOR CYCLISTS" but that might be pushing it a bit too far.
Seems a fair enough warning don't see it as cop out just a warning, after all you may not see his indicator if your along side.
Saw one the other day and thought it was a stupid sign. 'Course it could turn left, or right, or go straight on, or perhaps even go backwards.
Isn't that what vehicles do?
Too many stupid signs in this country. It's another indication of the nanny state in which we live.
i think the issue should be why is a lorry designed with a **** great blind spot?!?!?
i tell a lie, the only queue of cars you may undertake is a queue turning right, when you are going straight on.
terry, if you think being "squeezed out" is "no problem".........
because its designed to haul goods, rather than second guess idiot cyclists with a death wish?
i think the issue should be why is a lorry designed with a **** great blind spot?!?!?
Because we don't have 360 vision.
having seen the aftermath of a car undertaking an indicating HGV, anything that makes people think before acting is a step forward.
if you dont have the balls to face oncoming traffic, you dont deserve to go in front of the vehicle
And if you haven't killed a pig with your bare hands, you shouldn't be eating bacon.
Van driver is right it is wrong to undertyake but...
... most drivers do WTFTL so putting a sign on a van is a bit rich really.
RANT
New cycle lane added to a busy road I use to commute on, two lanes as it approaches a set of traffic lights at the top of the hill. It's legal to undertake as it's a cycle lane BUT you can't because all the cars are half in it because they don't want their offside wing mirrors hit by the second lane of traffic. Pointless expense and no enforement.
RANT OVER
I go with julianA......a sign does not/will not inprove safety. there is so much visual imput as we go a long and a 4x4inch sticker aint going do anything.
I undertake,always have done since my paper round days, my one golden rule is that there must be an escape option to my left......I never undertake where there are only railings/walls on my left with nowhere to go.
Same old colnclusion then,,,,,,,its safer on the pavement.....so I need a sticker for my rucksack that warns walkers that i might turn left.
cyclepaths are one thing, they are clearly designated "cycles only" areas, but filtering up the inside is, in my opinion "dangerous and stupid", if you must filter do it as a motorbike would, after all you have AS MUCH room as a motorbike.
how ould you feel if a motorbike or scooter filtered past you on the left?
It's legal to "undertake" if the queue of traffic is moving at less than 10MPH. It's also perfectly safe if done with care.
if you dont have the balls to face oncoming traffic, you dont deserve to go in front of the vehicle
getting yourself wedged down the inside of a line of traffic might have very bad consequences. ignore 'cycle paths' that put you there, its your road too,
and if you don't have the balls to undertake you shouldn't be cycling.
I don't mean this, but its about as ridiculous as what you said.
Engage brain before typing mate. Most cycle paths put you there.
What would you do here if there is slow moving traffic? Sit behind it? FFs.
That's a cycle lane, not a cycle path 
MrNutt - you don't cycle in London do you? Motorbikes and scooters/mopeds go up the inside of traffic, along cycle lanes, sit in the advanced box all the time. A day when you don't find a scooter attempting to force past you in a cycle lane is a day to remember.
I'm glad someone on here has finally said that it isn't wrong to undertake. Undertaking is allowed if done cautiously in slow moving traffic. The vehicle turning left needs to make sure that it's near side is free, by checking it's mirror and doing a shoulder check. In the case of vans and lorry's they should have an additional mirror which many are being fitted with.
Having said that, I try to avoid undertaking as I find it far more dangerous than overtaking. Although I'll be facing on coming traffic, I can see exactly what this traffic is doing and I'm more in control.
I see some lorries with similar signs and I always think who would be so stupid to put themselves in such a spot, but people do.
Do you guys have any idea how many cyclists are killed by HGVs turning left? I don't have the figures to hand but if memory serves it was something like 10 last year in London alone.
If you're coming up to a junction and there's a lorry there don't undertake. Just don't. Please.
Anything that stops unwary cyclists from getting killed has got to be a good thing.
Seems reasonable on the van. We all (apart from the sainted few) pass on the left in busy traffic, just because we're there doesn't mean the driver saw us. I see the sign as a heads up "this van may be driven by someone who doesn't indicate" i don't think it's meant to absolve the driver of all sins.
If you undertake then you must be awake to all possibilities
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