Introducing right turn on red for cyclists—a before-after study on behavioural adaption in Germany

Abstract

Right Turn On Red (RTOR) for cyclists is a low-cost and easy-to-implement improvement for cycling that is practised in several European countries and has been discussed for implementation in Germany. This study investigates the effects of introducing RTOR for cyclists based on video observations at 43 sites in nine German cities including all relevant types of cycling infrastructure (mixed traffic, cycle lanes, cycle tracks). Using a before-after approach, the study compares cyclist behaviour in terms of compliance with traffic rules and conflicts with other users. Overall, the introduction of RTOR legalised behaviour that had already been practised. The share of cyclists turning right on red, which was already high at 80% before the introduction of RTOR, increased to 93% with RTOR, and cyclists were more likely to comply with traffic rules and less likely to cycle on the pavement. Conflicts were mainly observed between right-turning cyclists and other cyclists as well as pedestrians. The number of conflicts increased after the introduction of RTOR while conflict criticality decreased. Cyclists gave more space to other users and obstructed them less with RTOR in place. The only exception to this were conflicts in the approach, where more close overtaking manoeuvres and wriggling through other users were observed. RTOR should therefore only be recommended if sufficient space is available or cyclists mainly turn right at an intersection. Based on the results of this study, recommendations for RTOR for cyclists have been introduced in the German Highway Code.