OT - Left hand turn Etiquette in intersections

[inkman]

The rule of thumb when I was learning how to drive was pull into the intersection under the light (or as close as you could while still seeing it) and wait until you had an opening to turn. At the very worst, as the light turns yellow and the oncoming traffic stops, you can then turn.  
 

What I’m seeing regularly now, is vehicles not even breaching the crosswalk ensuring that they won’t be able to get through the yellow light. Are they teaching it differently now? 

[spndnchz]

Pull in. Wait for the red. Turn. 
 

and tell that to the woman who decided to cut off my motorcycle as I was turning right. 
try to hold up off of the ground a 600 lb Harley either no help 🤬

[Demoted]

People just dont know how to drive and most are on their phones. 

[aristocrat]

It’s called claiming the intersection. By law you can do that but I’d say the safer option is not doing that cause you’re in the intersection. More left green arrows would solve having to go claim the intersection 

[shrader]

I’m a big fan of the people who pull into the intersection and then turn their car to a 45 degree angle, directly in front of oncoming traffic. They’re the true geniuses of the road. 

[PonyBoy2]

I taught driving for years, yes still alive to talk about it. 

You have to check the state. In Idaho I was very surprised to learn capturing the intersection is illegal. California, NY capturing is allowed. 

I think that's very dumb, but I've had to adjust my lifetime habit so as not to get a stupid ticket. 

[shrader]

You'd love Massachusetts.  The second a light turns green, the first two people waiting to turn left will gun it and cut off the person going straight.

[Big Guava]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

The rule of thumb when I was learning how to drive was pull into the intersection under the light (or as close as you could while still seeing it) and wait until you had an opening to turn. At the very worst, as the light turns yellow and the oncoming traffic stops, you can then turn.  
 

What I’m seeing regularly now, is vehicles not even breaching the crosswalk ensuring that they won’t be able to get through the yellow light. Are they teaching it differently now? 

I've always pulled up under the light and turned on yellow once I ensure the other cars are actually planning on stopping, which has saved me from more than a few accidents when they didn't.

Big pet peeve of mine is the left turn arrows that turn red and they expect you to sit there and wait while there is literally not a car in sight coming the other direction. This happens regularly at the entrance to the 90 off Transit road.

I check for police and then just turn. No time to be waiting for minutes for no reason. Dumbest thing of all time...should always be a blinking yellow in thos situations.

Edited 1 hour ago by Big Guava

[Mr Peabody]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

The rule of thumb when I was learning how to drive was pull into the intersection under the light (or as close as you could while still seeing it) and wait until you had an opening to turn. At the very worst, as the light turns yellow and the oncoming traffic stops, you can then turn.  
 

What I’m seeing regularly now, is vehicles not even breaching the crosswalk ensuring that they won’t be able to get through the yellow light. Are they teaching it differently now? 

I was taught the same way but too many folks accelerating through “stale” red lights it’s borderline suicidal.  I only do it now if incoming traffic is 200-300 yards away.  I expect everyone to run the light it has become so common now. 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

The rule of thumb when I was learning how to drive was pull into the intersection under the light (or as close as you could while still seeing it) and wait until you had an opening to turn. At the very worst, as the light turns yellow and the oncoming traffic stops, you can then turn.  
 

What I’m seeing regularly now, is vehicles not even breaching the crosswalk ensuring that they won’t be able to get through the yellow light. Are they teaching it differently now? 

It's how I was taught.

By the way, did you know you can make a left on red if both streets are one-way? My wife didn't believe me.

3 minutes ago, Mr Peabody said:

I was taught the same way but too many folks accelerating through “stale” red lights it’s borderline suicidal.  I only do it now if incoming traffic is 200-300 yards away.  I expect everyone to run the light it has become so common now. 

The light at the intersection of my development and the main drag, You don't dare go on green until the clowns running the red go through first.

[inkman]

46 minutes ago, shrader said:

You'd love Massachusetts.  The second a light turns green, the first two people waiting to turn left will gun it and cut off the person going straight.

My ex was from Boston.  It’s a different world there.  

[Doohickie]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

The rule of thumb when I was learning how to drive was pull into the intersection under the light (or as close as you could while still seeing it) and wait until you had an opening to turn. At the very worst, as the light turns yellow and the oncoming traffic stops, you can then turn.  
 

What I’m seeing regularly now, is vehicles not even breaching the crosswalk ensuring that they won’t be able to get through the yellow light. Are they teaching it differently now? 

People are morons now.  Here in Texas, hardly anyone goes to driving school now; the cheapest/easiest way to get a license is to do the "parent led" training and in most cases it's just mom or dad signing off saying they did all the training but they don't actually do the training.  So there's a whole cohort of drivers that don't know anything about driving.

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

I’m a big fan of the people who pull into the intersection and then turn their car to a 45 degree angle, directly in front of oncoming traffic. They’re the true geniuses of the road. 

"Today we salute you, Mr. Block All Traffic To Make A Left Turn!"

 

53 minutes ago, shrader said:

You'd love Massachusetts.  The second a light turns green, the first two people waiting to turn left will gun it and cut off the person going straight.

I learned about that in Buffalo, tbh.

[aristocrat]

7 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

People are morons now.  Here in Texas, hardly anyone goes to driving school now; the cheapest/easiest way to get a license is to do the "parent led" training and in most cases it's just mom or dad signing off saying they did all the training but they don't actually do the training.  So there's a whole cohort of drivers that don't know anything about driving.

Not sure why you downvoted my post but the law is called claiming the intersection. I didn’t make the law I just know what it is

[Doohickie]

4 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

Not sure why you downvoted my post but the law is called claiming the intersection. I didn’t make the law I just know what it is

Because I disagree with the bolded parts. 

2 hours ago, aristocrat said:

you can do that but I’d say the safer option is not doing that cause you’re in the intersection. More left green arrows would solve having to go claim the intersection 

 

[shrader]

40 minutes ago, Mr Peabody said:

I was taught the same way but too many folks accelerating through “stale” red lights it’s borderline suicidal.  I only do it now if incoming traffic is 200-300 yards away.  I expect everyone to run the light it has become so common now. 

They don’t know how to sync lights here in NC and it has created a serious problem with red light runners. There are times where I think I’m going too late on a yellow and I’ll look back in my mirror and see 2 more cars follow me. 

It’s a horrible combination of not syncing lights and intersections where the light goes green for around 10 seconds. They’ve created a monster out here. I had one drive home a couple months ago where I hit 19 consecutive red lights, ever single intersection on the same road. It was so comically bad that I was actually rooting for a red each time I approached the next one. 
 

 

12 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

"Today we salute you, Mr. Block All Traffic To Make A Left Turn!"

 

I learned about that in Buffalo, tbh.

I wish they never changed that ad campaign away from “real American heroes”. It fits the song so much better.