Why is it so hard for people to turn left at a traffic light?

[Anonymous]

I agree. One of my largest pet peeves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no trouble with this, but I thought you can get a ticket for being in the middle when the light turns red. Also, a lot of times even after the light turns red, the right turn lane never clears and you can't turn left into the road you wanted.

Lifelong Washingtonian here. Back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, the remaining left-turner could always count on turning on the yellow light. The cars from the other direction slowed down at the yellow, leaving time and space for the left-turner to go.

Fast forward to today, and cars coming from the other direction are busy pushing their way through the intersection up until the second the light turns from yellow to red. The left-turner often has to make that turn after the light has already changed.

Agreed. And this is when a cop can ticket you. I also worry a lot in DC about getting a ticket from a red light camera so there's no way I'm pulling forward in DC. (But I'm a good driver and pay close attention. I'm not the 55mph in the left lane poster above)

Well by this logic, you'd never be able to make the turn then. If you're already in the intersection when the light turns red, you need to clear the intersection. It's a bit different than proceeding INTO the intersection AFTER the light turns red.

[Anonymous]

I'll say the people that do this, are often only paying attention to cars, and not pedestrian traffic. Just because it's green, doesn't mean it's safe for you to go - I've lost count of the number of times I've almost been hit by someone making a left turn, failing to check for pedestrian traffic (who have the right of way!) before trying to gun it left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no trouble with this, but I thought you can get a ticket for being in the middle when the light turns red. Also, a lot of times even after the light turns red, the right turn lane never clears and you can't turn left into the road you wanted.

Lifelong Washingtonian here. Back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, the remaining left-turner could always count on turning on the yellow light. The cars from the other direction slowed down at the yellow, leaving time and space for the left-turner to go.

Fast forward to today, and cars coming from the other direction are busy pushing their way through the intersection up until the second the light turns from yellow to red. The left-turner often has to make that turn after the light has already changed.

Aaah. The good old days of sensible driving. When car seats weren't necessary. The driving patterns have changed as the population has.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll say the people that do this, are often only paying attention to cars, and not pedestrian traffic. Just because it's green, doesn't mean it's safe for you to go - I've lost count of the number of times I've almost been hit by someone making a left turn, failing to check for pedestrian traffic (who have the right of way!) before trying to gun it left.

I drive frequently in the city and the suburbs, and the complaint of this thread happens to me more often in suburbia. Super skittish drivers. In the city, we are aware of cyclists and pedestrians, but we still inch out to get that turn in. Especially with traffic, as long as we don't block the box.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on the intersection. At my local intersection both directions have two lanes plus a left turn lane. Due to to it being a slope, cars in one left turn lane will obstruct the view of the oncoming traffic of the car in the opposite left turn lane. Unless there's no car in the opposite left turn lane, car will either have to wait for the left turn signal on the next round, or wait to turn until it becomes yellow/near red to make sure no car is running a yellow light.

While I understand OP's frustration, I'd always prefer a overcautious left turner than a reckless driver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When there's no left turn arrow, you pull out into the intersection when it turns green, and turn when there's a space in the traffic or the light turns yellow.

Yet time after time, people sit behind the line and don't move forward, and when the light changes they stay there.

I know and its infuriating. I know someone will get on here and argue that its "dangerous to pull into the middle of the intersection and wait" but that is what you are supposed to do people!

No, it's not. I will turn left when I think it's safe for me to turn left, with respect to oncoming traffic and pedestrians in the crosswalk. And honking at me (if you're behind me and think that I should turn left) is not going to make me turn left any sooner.

Well, you probably go 55 MPH in the left lane, too.

No, I go 55 mph in the right lane, in places where the speed limit is 55 mph (unless the weather is bad and it's not safe to go 55 mph; then I go slower).

[Anonymous]

Left turns are the most dangerous vehicular movement - for both cars and pedestrians - so drivers are wise to proceed with great caution.

Think about it - in this area if you are waiting for the light to turn to make the left you also have to worry about drivers from the opposite direction accelerating to run the light as it turns so you cannot even count on a small break in the traffic with a changing light giving you an opening - you really do need to be certain that opposing traffic is coming to a stop.

Then there is the issue in DC of drivers, particularly Uber/Lyft drivers, parking in the crosswalk and often not close to the curb thus barely giving you room to get straightened out to squeeze onto your new street.

And on busy streets very few cars can even make left turns but a single vehicle stuck trying to turn can completely block a travel lane (assuming there is no queue lane which is usually the case in DC) that otherwise would have enabled dozens of additional cars to move through on the light cycle. Hence in DC at least prohibiting left turns on busy streets makes the street safer for pedestrians while also increasing the carrying capacity of the road, something DDOT is increasingly utilizing.

BTW only cars already in the intersection are legally allowed to turn when the light turns - if you are back in the queue you cannot pull up and turn left as the light cycles.

It bothers me a lot more when people making right turns come to complete stops before turning when they don't have a stop sign or red light and nothing is obstructing their path.

[Anonymous]

These people should never, ever go anywhere near LA. The invention of the left turn arrow has not really made it to that city yet and if you don't pull into the intersection and go after the light turns red, you will literally never get anywhere and will create a huge traffic jam as people stack up behind you and block the thru lanes. Usually 1-2 cars also run the red after the person who has pulled into the intersection.

[Anonymous]

People would fail a driving test if they didn't pull forward into the intersection to wait for a break.

And you can't get a red light ticket for it. As others have said, waiting in the intersection is what you are supposed to do. They only give tickets when you're crossing into the intersection after red.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no trouble with this, but I thought you can get a ticket for being in the middle when the light turns red. Also, a lot of times even after the light turns red, the right turn lane never clears and you can't turn left into the road you wanted.

Lifelong Washingtonian here. Back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, the remaining left-turner could always count on turning on the yellow light. The cars from the other direction slowed down at the yellow, leaving time and space for the left-turner to go.

Fast forward to today, and cars coming from the other direction are busy pushing their way through the intersection up until the second the light turns from yellow to red. The left-turner often has to make that turn after the light has already changed.

Agreed. And this is when a cop can ticket you. I also worry a lot in DC about getting a ticket from a red light camera so there's no way I'm pulling forward in DC. (But I'm a good driver and pay close attention. I'm not the 55mph in the left lane poster above)

Well by this logic, you'd never be able to make the turn then. If you're already in the intersection when the light turns red, you need to clear the intersection. It's a bit different than proceeding INTO the intersection AFTER the light turns red.

No you wait until the next traffic cycle when you get a green turning arrow. I have been ticketed for pulling into the middle of an intersection and not being able to turn before the light turned red due to the volume of traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People would fail a driving test if they didn't pull forward into the intersection to wait for a break.

And you can't get a red light ticket for it. As others have said, waiting in the intersection is what you are supposed to do. They only give tickets when you're crossing into the intersection after red.

It's not a cop, it's a red light camera.

[Anonymous]

Don't block the box, unless you know you won't have time to turn if you stay politely behind the white line in your lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People would fail a driving test if they didn't pull forward into the intersection to wait for a break.

And you can't get a red light ticket for it. As others have said, waiting in the intersection is what you are supposed to do. They only give tickets when you're crossing into the intersection after red.

Of course you can. You're not supposed to be in the intersection when the light is red.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When there's no left turn arrow, you pull out into the intersection when it turns green, and turn when there's a space in the traffic or the light turns yellow.

Yet time after time, people sit behind the line and don't move forward, and when the light changes they stay there.

I know and its infuriating. I know someone will get on here and argue that its "dangerous to pull into the middle of the intersection and wait" but that is what you are supposed to do people!

+1, drives me bananas. It seems like some people don’t know how to turn left without an arrow or an engraved invitation. I’ve had to honk at cars in front of me waiting to turn left, not pulled into the intersection, with zero visible oncoming traffic.

+2

Let's not forget those who won't turn left into the left-hand lane when other drivers are turning right into the right-hand lane. Georgia/Eastern Ave intersection, I'm looking at you.

+3

LOL. I’m always saying how drivers here need a personal invitation before they move their car. Are they just not paying attention or what? Drives me NUTS!