Making turns

[Highway Man]

Kinda sorta

Are you referring to taking a right turn at a stop light (or stop sign) and not being in the right lane after the turn?

Not exactly but IMHO I think that would apply as well.

 

[LLC5]

Not exactly but IMHO I think that would apply as well.

Hmm, I guess that would include me then. When I make a turn (right or left) at an intersection, I just naturally go into the lane that I need (after the turn, and with no one in the lane obviously) to get where I am going. I guess I don't understand how that would bother anyone.

 

[G Winter]

Hmm, I guess that would include me then. When I make a turn (right or left) at an intersection, I just naturally go into the lane that I need (after the turn, and with no one in the lane obviously) to get where I am going. I guess I don't understand how that would bother anyone.

When you do that I just might be in your blind spot.The newer cars have huge blind spots. Make the turn in the lane you belong in , then signal before you move over.I can't count the number of times I have had to dodge the jerks that don't use their lane.

Glenn

 

[boomdriver]

When you do that I just might be in your blind spot.The newer cars have huge blind spots. Make the turn in the lane you belong in , then signal before you move over.I can't count the number of times I have had to dodge the jerks that don't use their lane.

Glenn

That,
and a driver that swings into whatever lane makes it impossible for other traffic to enter the flow when they cannot anticipate where this car will end up.

Most law directs turning to enter the first available lane. So much of driving has nothing to do with your own vehicle...its energy wasted attempting to figure out what the other guy is about to do. That causes a driver to loose focus of what he should be doing. Driving his own car.

 

[LLC5]

When you do that I just might be in your blind spot.The newer cars have huge blind spots. Make the turn in the lane you belong in , then signal before you move over.I can't count the number of times I have had to dodge the jerks that don't use their lane.

Glenn

How are you in my blind spot after I make a right or left turn at an intersection? Where is your vehicle, at that same intersection, that I didn't see you before I made the turn?

 

[LLC5]

That,
and a driver that swings into whatever lane makes it impossible for other traffic to enter the flow when they cannot anticipate where this car will end up.

Are you saying that if I was taking a legal left turn, you would attempt to take a free right at the same time? If I see someone entering an intersection (or attempting to) I wait and see what they are going to do before I enter it, and I sure as heck don't enter at the same time. Just trying to understand.

 

[boomdriver]

Are you saying that if I was taking a legal left turn, you would attempt to take a free right at the same time? If I see someone entering an intersection (or attempting to) I wait and see what they are going to do before I enter it, and I sure as heck don't enter at the same time. Just trying to understand.

Opposing each other? of course not. Not if there was only one lane to enter. If there were 2 lanes then your left turn should enter the inside and my right should enter the FIRST available lane, as previousy described. That situation is exactly what the law refers to and why.

However, if you were making a right turn and casually entering the 2nd lane and I was trying to exit a parking lot or a side street from your right, if you went wide and I (or someone) started to pull into the first lane and you were only "borrowing" that 2nd lane to make your turn easier and were coming back into the first, thats a problem if we've already started to enter the street. If I were exiting into the first lane and see you turning into that same lane as it should be, then I wait. Yield. But traffic cannot make that decision with a car that makes a right turn and strays out of the 1st available lane.
If I am attempting to enter the traffic flow from a side street and cannot see the intesction, I should be able to count on the fact that the traffic making that left will be coming onto my streets flow in the appropiate lane and not going wide into the curb lane so they can get in the gas stations first entrance. In any street that has 2 lanes each way there are very specific rules on lane changes and intersections and turns.
If for no other reason, there is such a thing as "driver courtesy" where people are supposed to give consideration to others by allowing them to enter the flow of traffic if they are trying, or by driving in such a manner as to make coexistance safer and easier. Many states even have citations for those that drive with no regard to others. The "discourteous driver" citation is a step down from road rage citations but falls into the same catagory.

making the left as you describe into a 2 or 3 lane street usually means that you enter into the inside lane. There are written rules for these little known details, such as how far from or past an intersection you are legally allowed to change lanes or when 2 cars on single lane roads want a left from a stop sign, who has legal right of way. Driving without considering the rest of the traffic is considered to be aggressive driving and that is what attracts tickets and accidents.

The book on state law describing the details of everyday driving is lots thicker than you;d ever believe. There is law written for every possible situation but the bottom line is simple driver courtesy and common sense.

 

[LLC5]

Opposing each other? of course not. Not if there was only one lane to enter. If there were 2 lanes then your left turn should enter the inside and my right should enter the FIRST available lane, as previousy described. That situation is exactly what the law refers to and why.

However, if you were making a right turn and casually entering the 2nd lane and I was trying to exit a parking lot or a side street from your right, if you went wide and I (or someone) started to pull into the first lane and you were only "borrowing" that 2nd lane to make your turn easier and were coming back into the first, thats a problem if we've already started to enter the street. If I were exiting into the first lane and see you turning into that same lane as it should be, then I wait. Yield. But traffic cannot make that decision with a car that makes a right turn and strays out of the 1st available lane.
If I am attempting to enter the traffic flow from a side street and cannot see the intesction, I should be able to count on the fact that the traffic making that left will be coming onto my streets flow in the appropiate lane and not going wide into the curb lane so they can get in the gas stations first entrance. In any street that has 2 lanes each way there are very specific rules on lane changes and intersections and turns.
If for no other reason, there is such a thing as "driver courtesy" where people are supposed to give consideration to others by allowing them to enter the flow of traffic if they are trying, or by driving in such a manner as to make coexistance safer and easier. Many states even have citations for those that drive with no regard to others. The "discourteous driver" citation is a step down from road rage citations but falls into the same catagory.

making the left as you describe into a 2 or 3 lane street usually means that you enter into the inside lane. There are written rules for these little known details, such as how far from or past an intersection you are legally allowed to change lanes or when 2 cars on single lane roads want a left from a stop sign, who has legal right of way. Driving without considering the rest of the traffic is considered to be aggressive driving and that is what attracts tickets and accidents.

The book on state law describing the details of everyday driving is lots thicker than you;d ever believe. There is law written for every possible situation but the bottom line is simple driver courtesy and common sense.

I guess that's where you and I differ. Personally I would never take a right turn with a driver making a legal left hand turn onto the same street with two lanes and "assume" that he wouldn't for some reason come into the right lane. I guess that is why it doesn't bother me if he does.

As far as merging with traffic, again I don't merge if a car is close enough to hit me when I enter even if he is in the far (left) lane and I would be entering the right lane only. Just me I guess.

 

[boomdriver]

I guess that's where you and I differ. Personally I would never take a right turn with a driver making a legal left hand turn onto the same street with two lanes and "assume" that he wouldn't for some reason come into the right lane. I guess that is why it doesn't bother me if he does.

As far as merging with traffic, again I don't merge if a car is close enough to hit me when I enter even if he is in the far (left) lane and I would be entering the right lane only. Just me I guess.

Its more of a geographical issue than personal preference or habit, I believe.
In So Cal it was not uncommon to see people moving at freeway speeds with 10ft between cars, when possible.They generally did it like it were a NASCAR event and got away with it. People there are more aware and more skilled, until the streets get wet then it all goes to hell. Since they don;t see water for 10mts out of a year their skills are inadequate on wet roads but fine on dry streets.

In Tex, these idiots tailgate and will bang into each other like their cars were magnetic, and then go right back out and do it again with no lesson learned. I see soccer moms around here doing 70 on 2 lane country roads in the rain in the minivan with a coffee in one hand...and 3 kids in the car.
Thats why the hillbilly gene is dominant around here....too many kids have to grow up without parents because they killed each other off in stupid car accidents.
I'm just saying that the traffic rules may be well defined but there is a lot of latitude given due to congestion and cops will allow things to evolve as they will, as long as common sense is displayed with some level of skill. Like the merging thing....its timing and judgement. I would not attempt a rt at the exact same time as someone making a legal left, even IF there were 3 lanes, but I would make my rt turn in a way so that the timing would determine where I ended up regardless of where he ended up. Since I know better than to depend on anyone else, I have to work harder and actually think about it so that I would end up behind him, never ahead in case my car was unable to get out of his way.

That still does not make it ok for the guy making the left to just wander across lanes where he wants.Knowing where he will be allows other traffic to flow efficiently. Having to wait for someone to get in a lane or pick a lane just holds up traffic in heavily congested areas. There are places here where the parking lot exit is the freeway service road, and traffic is moving past at 65 mph off the ramp onto the service road or feeder street, and its thick too. Timing is critical and having people stay in their lane is essential. Otherwise, someone gets hurt.
Thats why MANY left turns (and other turn lanes) now have dotted lines that go directly to the next available lane so there is no doubt as to which lane to end up in. Around here they have white lines near certain traffic lanes and its illegal to cross a solid white line. You must wait until its broken or dotted. People ignore that like the double yellow.

 

[Highway Man]

Taking liberties

Its a fact that anybody can take illegal liberties on the highway. Its also a fact that when a person does so they are putting themselves, someone else, and property at risk. Anybody ever hear of russian roulette? Sure we have and we all know what it is. To break rules of the road is akin to playing russian roulette. To think one has gotten by with it will even make them more complacent to where the danger is increased. Go ahead and spin the chamber but if you get nailed don't say you weren't warned. Worse yet would be to have someone's blood on my hands or knowing they were injured for life because I thought it would be okay to take some liberties. Its easy to take for granted what has become common place but let something bad happen and then we truly realize just how serious a moment of bad judgement can be. I know this is heavy stuff but if it saves someone's life or keeps property from damage then it will have been worth it.

 

[boomdriver]

Its a fact that anybody can take illegal liberties on the highway. Its also a fact that when a person does so they are putting themselves, someone else, and property at risk. Anybody ever hear of russian roulette? Sure we have and we all know what it is. To break rules of the road is akin to playing russian roulette. To think one has gotten by with it will even make them more complacent to where the danger is increased. Go ahead and spin the chamber but if you get nailed don't say you weren't warned. Worse yet would be to have someone's blood on my hands or knowing they were injured for life because I thought it would be okay to take some liberties. Its easy to take for granted what has become common place but let something bad happen and then we truly realize just how serious a moment of bad judgement can be. I know this is heavy stuff but if it saves someone's life or keeps property from damage then it will have been worth it.

Well Said !
I'm glad that you're more graceful with your words than I am...'

I look back and see All of my errors in driving, the dangers,the risk, the plain stupid stuff we used to do for entertainment, Hell..,this afternoon my buddy sliced off the last digit of his finger and bled like a gutted hog...me and another guy were laughin and crackin jokes. The other guy ask,,":you a mean SOB " are;nt ya? I said noooo.....I'v just been watchin him do shit like that for 40 years, so him bleedin all over the place ain't nuthin new...it ain;t nuthin new at all....

But, as I age I am perfectly content to cruise these horrible pothole freeways at 60 mph and not try it at 80; its too brutal. The area is a big part of the reason they drive as they do. Can't blame them directly,. they drive to survive thier area and some, most are much worse than others.

 

[John Robinson]

What bugs me

Here's my list of drivers that bug me
1.Pass me going like h--- on interstate and then parking next to a 18 wheeler and crawling past them for 10 miles
2. Same as above but just stays there forever if it is raining making all of the rest of us run in the mist instead of the clear air past the slower vehicle.
3. Runs 10 mph slower then the traffic flow in the left hand lane and won't move over even with a clear lane on the right side.
4. Does not pay attention to on ramp traffic and blindly goes along when moving over would let the on ramp have a safer entrance to interstate.
5. Drives up on ramp at 35 mph and onto the interstate and then crawls up to speed. Or stops on ramp and waits for a clear spot with maybe 3 miles without any traffic before going onto interstate.
6.People who just have to pass a Corvette only to pull in front of them and slow down making them have to go around and then we start to leap frog each other.
7. Hanging in my blind spot someday there is going to be a nasty accident from this.
8. Catching up to pass and then slowing down and forcing me to have to back off because of slower car in my lane when if they had keep there speed up I could have pulled over and passed without having to hit the brakes and then accelerate.
9. People who think they have to improve there gas mileage by drafting on my bumper.
10. Those who drive 15 or 20 faster then the traffic flow while putting on makeup,texting,talking,working on lap top,changing clothes. Or in this group are those doing the above things and there speed is like a roller coaster ride.

 

[LLC5]

Here's my list of drivers that bug me
1.Pass me going like h--- on interstate and then parking next to a 18 wheeler and crawling past them for 10 miles
2. Same as above but just stays there forever if it is raining making all of the rest of us run in the mist instead of the clear air past the slower vehicle.
3. Runs 10 mph slower then the traffic flow in the left hand lane and won't move over even with a clear lane on the right side.
4. Does not pay attention to on ramp traffic and blindly goes along when moving over would let the on ramp have a safer entrance to interstate.
5. Drives up on ramp at 35 mph and onto the interstate and then crawls up to speed. Or stops on ramp and waits for a clear spot with maybe 3 miles without any traffic before going onto interstate.
6.People who just have to pass a Corvette only to pull in front of them and slow down making them have to go around and then we start to leap frog each other.
7. Hanging in my blind spot someday there is going to be a nasty accident from this.
8. Catching up to pass and then slowing down and forcing me to have to back off because of slower car in my lane when if they had keep there speed up I could have pulled over and passed without having to hit the brakes and then accelerate.
9. People who think they have to improve there gas mileage by drafting on my bumper.
10. Those who drive 15 or 20 faster then the traffic flow while putting on makeup,texting,talking,working on lap top,changing clothes. Or in this group are those doing the above things and there speed is like a roller coaster ride.

Now those items do bother me. Someone making a turn and not grabbing the closest lane isn't anything that has ever bothered or annoyed me. I will be looking for it more than usual now though.