Making Left Turns

[RidingOnRailz]

I'm attempting to make a left turn across a busy road, two travel lanes in each direction, heavy traffic.

A driver in the left lane(his left lane) of oncoming traffic sees I'm waiting, slows down and flicks his high beams, motioning me to complete my left turn. Remember, he's in one lane of two, and both lanes are moderately busy.

Should I accept his offer and complete my left turn?

[shorod]

Examples of courtesy on the road seem few and far between. Unfortunately, this example of attempted courtesy from the on-coming driver sounds like a bad idea. If that driver were to cause an accident due to their attempted good deed, it would obviously be their fault. But, if you cause an accident because you take advantage of their attempted courtesy, obviously you'll be at fault. And maybe this driver is out for an insurance payout, so when you attempt to turn in front of them after assessing that the on-coming right lane is clear, they speed up and t-bone you. All they need to do is prove their light was green. A DVR in their windshield won't necessarily pick up them flicking their "flash to pass" and may not pick up that they slowed down or sped up either.

-Rod

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by shorod

Examples of courtesy on the road seem few and far between. Unfortunately, this example of attempted courtesy from the on-coming driver sounds like a bad idea. If that driver were to cause an accident due to their attempted good deed, it would obviously be their fault. But, if you cause an accident because you take advantage of their attempted courtesy, obviously you'll be at fault. And maybe this driver is out for an insurance payout, so when you attempt to turn in front of them after assessing that the on-coming right lane is clear, they speed up and t-bone you. All they need to do is prove their light was green. A DVR in their windshield won't necessarily pick up them flicking their "flash to pass" and may not pick up that they slowed down or sped up either.

-Rod

W O W..

Excellent, and startling, points you bring up. I experience such ‘courtesies’ a lot due to where I moved(close to both a four lane road and its intersection with a major six lane highway).

I’d rather wait ten minutes to make my left turn, or just find another way altogether, than to act on the motioning of another driver in such a way to potentially put myself and yet other drivers in danger. And the thing about it is, if I refuse, the other driver gets MAD! Why? He has the overall right of way. Instead of slowing down or stopping - holding up traffic behind him - to let a left turner across his path, he should just mind his business and maintain the pattern.

Case in point: Where I used to live, I had to make a left turn across a simple two-lane road to get into a supermarket parking lot. The second of several oncoming drivers, who also happened to be signaling their intention to turn right into the same lot, extended his hand out the window for me to go first(I was stopped and blinkering left). I took them up on it - again only because the street in question was a two lane, but later on, I caught up with him and explained why he should not do such.

He kind of gave me a dazed look like, why not? I finished with, “Don’t try to be nice - be right”. He gave me a sort of “whatever…” and walked away.

[aleekat]

No. I never let anyone turn in front of me with another lane beside me. I never accept a wave to turn.

[RidingOnRailz]

sho, Stealthee:

This conversation has been a pleasure, and the type that needs a sub-forum of its own. I don’t know where else to post topics regarding just the act of driving and being around other drivers. Yes, there is another side to me besides gaining knowledge of all things tires, lol!

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by aleekat

no. I never let anyone turn in front of me with
another lane beside me. I never accept a
wave to turn.

thank


you!

[fredjacksonsan]

Thoughtful of the other driver, but you can't see the right lane...and you'd be at fault if you turned in front of traffic.

Kinda the same (but nicer) as the guy behind you beeping his horn to get you moving.

If it's not safe to go, don't go. And only the driver can decide that, not anyone else.

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by fredjacksonsan

Thoughtful of the other driver, but you can't see the right
lane...and you'd be at fault if you turned in front of traffic.

Kinda the same (but nicer) as the guy behind you beeping
his horn to get you moving.

If it's not safe to go, don't go. And only the driver can decide
that, not anyone else.

Now... If it could be proven, via dash cams in either the 'inviting' vehicle, the left-turning vehicle, or both, could both drivers be faulted for any incident arising from 'accepting an invitation to turn' and acting on it?

If the left turner's dash cam sufficiently captures the hand gestures or high beams of the other driver to turn in front of them, for instance. Of course the left turner would be cited for making an unsafe turn, but the driver extending the invitation to cut across could also face, at minimum, a warning not to do so.

I've seen, on video sites, loads of crashes where it is clear that an invitation, to turn left across multiple lanes, was made, resulting in the left turner colliding with someone in the right lane of the road they are turning left across.

And in 9/10 such situations, the actions of the driver motioning the left turner to cut in across their right-of-way go both overlooked and not disciplined.

I, as a driver neither extend nor accept such motioning to turn across mine, or someone elses, right-of-way.

[jeffmorris]

On some roads in New Jersey, you can't make left turn the regular way. You have to use what looks like an off ramp and make left turn.

[Stealthee]

In Jersey you have to turn right to turn left. There is a "highway" with several lefts like that on my way to the track here is PA too.

[Prodigal Prodigy]

Where I live, people are often super courteous on the road. Giving way when they don't need to just to give people some courtesy. Exceptions to this are intersections with lights and roads with more than one lane.

If they can't completely stop the traffic behind them, it's not safe to go. I'd give them a wave or a flash back.

It's just too possible that another car unaware of what's going on will zoom by and you'll cause a crash.

[RidingOnRailz]

And another aspect of this "courtesy" extended by oncoming drivers to left-turners - on roads of any number of lanes - if you don't act on their invitation, they get MAD!

One time, I was sitting at a stop sign waiting to make a left turn from my side street onto a slightly more trafficked two-laner, and this lady coming from my right, signalling to turn left on to my side street, stopped and waved for me to take my left turn.

Get it: I'M the one at the stop sign, SHE's not, and she has the right of way to complete her left turn! When I waved her to keep going and complete her maneuver, she stopped aside me, so we were drivers window-to-window. She yelled, "What's your problem? I was trying to be nice". I told her, "You have the right of way, I have a stop sign", she goes "So?", I finish with, "Don't try to be nice, be right!". She floors off away from me with a "F--- you!".

I don't understand this time that I'm visiting....