Move into intersection when turning left - WHY don’t people do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not to enter the intersection unless you can complete your traffic maneuver.

Yes, I understand the practical implications of entering and waiting to turn left. I do it. It's not legal. Neither is consistently driving above the speed limit.

Completely false

Keep dreaming. It's a logical outcome from don't block the box. You should never be hanging around in an intersection.

Ok, I will when I get home. You'll still be sitting at the intersection. By the way blocking the box refers to blocking the crosswalk, not necessarily the intersection as you can pull out past the crosswalk if you are the first car, similarly if you have driven in the burbs for any amount of time there are many intersections that don't have crosswalks due to lack of sidewalks or even because of dense trees or some other reason.

block the box = STUCK in the intersection, not just waiting to turn

if you cannot complete the turn because the street is full, don't enter the intersection. but if you are just waiting for oncoming traffic to pass, then move up into the intersection and make the turn when you can. even after the light has turned yellow/red is fine.

+1 good explanation

[Anonymous]

No one ever wants to be the lead car in these scenarios. But it happens.

[Anonymous]

The left turn is probably associated with the most number of car accidents; it's one of the most dangerous moves because opposing traffic is coming fast and if you get it wrong, consequences can be severe. For example the family of three killed making a left turn into Whitman a couple years ago. These kinds of fatalities happen literally daily, just do a google search.

Many people are rightfully cautious about this. Those of you honking at people to move up, or pressuring people to turn, are really contributing to a toxic atmosphere on the road and amping up pressure in a way that can actually cause accidents.

[Anonymous]

I’ve almost been hit 3 times as a pedestrian by cars making left turns but in nine of the occasions was it because the driver moved into the intersection to make the left. In two cases, it was because the drivers saw a basically open road and decided to accelerate into the turn so they didn’t lose the green—without noticing I was in the crosswalk. The other occasion was the lead car stopped to yield to me, and the person behind them was impatient they weren’t making the turn so swerved around them and accelerated. All three were very close near misses. In one of them, the fender actually touched my pant leg (wide leg pants!) as she slammed on the brakes. So definitely don’t go around a car stopped!

[Anonymous]

Whoops—meant to say none of the occasions, not nine of them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are not to enter the intersection unless you can complete your traffic maneuver.

Yes, I understand the practical implications of entering and waiting to turn left. I do it. It's not legal. Neither is consistently driving above the speed limit.

I agree. Often in dense urban areas drivers are forced to do illegal maneuvers, but that does not make them legal, and therefore, OP should not be complaining about drivers who refuse to break the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the way you're supposed to turn left. The reason is that the cars behind the one turning left are not blocked from going around them.

This is how I was taught to drive. I get pissed off when people just sit there blocking all traffic instead of moving into the intersection to wait for a space to turn.

Well too bad for you. Maybe you need some anger management training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the way you're supposed to turn left. The reason is that the cars behind the one turning left are not blocked from going around them.

This is how I was taught to drive. I get pissed off when people just sit there blocking all traffic instead of moving into the intersection to wait for a space to turn.

Well too bad for you. Maybe you need some anger management training.

I am trying to imagine how large an intersection would have to be for the left turning car to pull up enough for the car behind him to proceed straight around him while not blocking the cars coming from the other way... I do not enter an intersection until it is safe for me to proceed. You can beep as much as you like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not to enter the intersection unless you can complete your traffic maneuver.

Yes, I understand the practical implications of entering and waiting to turn left. I do it. It's not legal. Neither is consistently driving above the speed limit.

I agree. Often in dense urban areas drivers are forced to do illegal maneuvers, but that does not make them legal, and therefore, OP should not be complaining about drivers who refuse to break the law.

If you can turn onto the street after ongoing traffic has stopped (when light turns yellow/red), then it’s legal.

If that street is blocked then don’t enter, but if you’re just waiting on oncoming traffic or pedestrians to cross then it’s legal to enter the intersection and wait to turn.

Didn’t you take drivers ed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the way you're supposed to turn left. The reason is that the cars behind the one turning left are not blocked from going around them.

This is how I was taught to drive. I get pissed off when people just sit there blocking all traffic instead of moving into the intersection to wait for a space to turn.

Well too bad for you. Maybe you need some anger management training.

I am trying to imagine how large an intersection would have to be for the left turning car to pull up enough for the car behind him to proceed straight around him while not blocking the cars coming from the other way... I do not enter an intersection until it is safe for me to proceed. You can beep as much as you like.

If the first car moves into the intersection then the cars behind wouldn’t need to go around?

[Anonymous]

I’m routinely amazed by all of the incompetent drivers who think they are above the law. No turn signals, no headlights when raining, passing on the right, ignoring lane markings, etc. Where did these folks get a driver’s license?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m routinely amazed by all of the incompetent drivers who think they are above the law. No turn signals, no headlights when raining, passing on the right, ignoring lane markings, etc. Where did these folks get a driver’s license?!

Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The left turn is probably associated with the most number of car accidents; it's one of the most dangerous moves because opposing traffic is coming fast and if you get it wrong, consequences can be severe. For example the family of three killed making a left turn into Whitman a couple years ago. These kinds of fatalities happen literally daily, just do a google search.

Many people are rightfully cautious about this. Those of you honking at people to move up, or pressuring people to turn, are really contributing to a toxic atmosphere on the road and amping up pressure in a way that can actually cause accidents.

Agree, and even though the left turner will always be found at fault, opposing traffic is often seriously speeding and not driving defensively. Everyone needs to be alert going through an intersection, even on green, and stop with the excessive speed on streets punctuated with stoplights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not to enter the intersection unless you can complete your traffic maneuver.

Yes, I understand the practical implications of entering and waiting to turn left. I do it. It's not legal. Neither is consistently driving above the speed limit.

I agree. Often in dense urban areas drivers are forced to do illegal maneuvers, but that does not make them legal, and therefore, OP should not be complaining about drivers who refuse to break the law.

If you can turn onto the street after ongoing traffic has stopped (when light turns yellow/red), then it’s legal.

If that street is blocked then don’t enter, but if you’re just waiting on oncoming traffic or pedestrians to cross then it’s legal to enter the intersection and wait to turn.

No. No. No! You do NOT proceed into an intersection on a yellow light. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a hurry. Yellow doesn’t mean speed up. I’d love to hear your explanation to the judge when you get a ticket.
Didn’t you take drivers ed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m routinely amazed by all of the incompetent drivers who think they are above the law. No turn signals, no headlights when raining, passing on the right, ignoring lane markings, etc. Where did these folks get a driver’s license?!

Wrong thread. This one is about the morons who don’t move into the intersection when turning left at a light.