\u2013 Social psychologist Karl Weick<\/em><\/p>\n Regular readers of this blog know we recommend an assertive lane position when the lane is too narrow to share. Our rationale was initially that when a cyclist is in the right wheel track, some motorists will still attempt to squeeze past within the lane instead of making a full lane change. That\u2019s still true. But we\u2019ve also observed that a more assertive lane position \u2014 either in the center of the lane or just left of center \u2014 gets motorists to change lanes earlier <\/strong><\/em>on roads with more than one lane in each direction.<\/p>\n Our hypothesis was that from a significant distance, a cyclist in the right wheel track (where the League of American Bicyclists has long recommended cyclists travel if the lane is too narrow to share) looks like he or she is on the edge line, so the motorist stays in that lane until he or she gets close enough to realize there\u2019s not really adequate width for safe passing. By then the opportunity for changing lanes may have closed. The motorist then either waits and stews, or \u201cshoves\u201d his way through between the cyclist and the traffic in the next lane.<\/p>\n When the cyclist is in the center of the lane, it\u2019s immediately clear to the motorist that passing within the lane is impossible, so the driver changes lanes at the earliest opportunity.<\/p>\n The added benefit we\u2019ve discovered using a video camera on the dashboard of a following car is that drivers farther back are alerted to the situation by the lane changers ahead of them, and get to see the cyclist themselves at an earlier opportunity.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/commuteorlando.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/4lane-position-visibility.jpg\" "\\"4lane-position-visibility\\"")
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