Pre-sorting and indicating when turning

If you do not want to continue straight on at an intersection, but want to turn left or right, it is important to indicate what you want to do. You do this by timely indicating direction and pre-sorting the correct way. Then other traffic can adjust accordingly.

Indicating direction

Indicating direction is mandatory as soon as you are planning on moving laterally (such as when overtaking or passing), with a few special manoeuvres and when turning off. The moment you do this, depends on the situation. If you indicate direction too early when turning off, it can be confusing, for example when there is a side-street before the intersection where you want to turn off. Indicating direction too late can cause that people are unnecessarily waiting for you, among other things. Indicating direction when turning off is done about 100 to 150 metres before. This changes per situation. Indicating direction is done with the indicator. If no indicator is present on your snorfiets, moped or speed pedelec, you are also allowed to indicate direction with your arm.

Indicating direction on roundabouts

Not (timely) indicating direction on roundabouts is a great annoyance for a lot of drivers. Prevent this annoyance by:

indicating direction to the right before entering the roundabout
if you want to exit the roundabout at the first exit (turning right);
indicating direction to the left before entering the roundabout
if you want to exit the roundabout after the second exit (turning left);
always indicating direction to the right,
as soon as you pass the last exit before the exit you want to take.
So, around a quarter of the roundabout before the exit.

Pre-sorting snorfiets

As a snorfietser, you behave the same as a cyclist. When turning right, you pre-sort on the right side of the cycle path, the cycle lane or the carriageway if the first two are not present. Do watch out for possible pedestrians that want to continue to follow the road. When turning left, you are allowed to pre-sort against the road axis (the centre of the road). Do keep in mind drivers of motor vehicles that want to overtake you on the left. They are allowed first. If you have the space, timely ride against the road axis. As soon as you have pre-sorted, other drivers are only allowed to overtake you on the right.

Pre-sorting moped, speed pedelec and brommobiel

With these vehicles too, it is sometimes useful to pre-sort. You do this the following way:

Turning right

When turning right, it is legally allowed to pre-sort on the right side of the carriageway. Even if you need to ride on a cycle lane when doing so. A cycle lane with a solid line may bever be used to pre-sort. Do keep in mind when pre-sorting with a moped that you, as soon as you have pre-sorted, you will be overtaken by following traffic. Make sure that you can cut the bend properly and not pre-sort too far to the right. Do not pre-sort all the way to the right on narrower roads with no overtaking space to avoid being overtaken tightly. Per situation, see whether pre-sorting to the right side is wise. Ample attention is paid to this in the moped practical training.

voorsorteren doorgetrokken streep rechtsaf — It is not allowed to pre-sort on a cycle line with a solid line.

voorsorteren onderbroken streep rechtsaf — Pre-sorting the cycle lane is allowed here. But with a moped this is not always wise.

Turning left

When turning left, you are allowed to pre-sort against the road axis. Do keep enough free space so that oncoming traffic will not pass you too tightly. If you run the risk of being overtaken too tightly on the right, do not pre-sort too far. If you ride on a one-way street, you normally pre-sort on the left side of the carriageway.

voorsorteren linksaf tweerichtingsverkeer bromfiets — When turning left, you pre-sort against the road axis.

voorsorteren eenrichtingsverkeer linksaf — With a full one-way street, you pre-sort to the left of the road.

If it is only a partial one-way street and are cyclists and/or moped riders exempt from it? Then you pre-sort against the road axis to maintain space for these drivers.

c 3 uitgezonderd groot — C-3 with a supplementary plate Not a full one-way street.
Do not pre-sort all the way to the left.

c 3 alleen voor groot — C-3 with a supplementary plate Not a full one-way street.
Do not pre-sort all the way to the left.

c 3 middel — C-3
Full one-way street.
Pre-sort all the way to the left.

Turning off at an intersection with multiple lanes in the same direction

Choose the correct lane in time. Normally, this is the right-hand lane of that direction, unless it is more benificial for the traffic flow or the situation to choose the left-hand lane. This may be necessary, for example, because you need to turn left after the intersection or because you want to overtake slow moving traffic such as a tractor. Do keep in mind that you also fall under slow moving traffic. Avoid frustrating the traffic behind you and only use the left lane when absolutely necessary.

voorsorteren linksaf twee rijstroken — If there is no reason to pre-sort on the left-hand lane, you always take the right-hand lane.

voorsorteren rechtsaf twee rijstroken — You are allowed to use the left lane to overtake this lorry. However, avoid holding up vehicles behind you for too long.