Left turns

[da prez]

  On Valentines day , at a T intersection , I had the stop sign. Cross traffic had no stop sign. We were turning right. I looked right , then left , then right again just as she short cut the turn and hit us in the front end. Yes , this was posted before. Here is where I am going. We have been watching people making left turns. The majority short cut the turns. Look at the yellow divider lines. They are usually worn out from short cut turns.  (failure to obey a traffic control devise is Illinois law)
  Had this happened while I was on the bike , I would not be writing this now. For a while , watch other drivers when they make left turns.  N O W , watch how you make them.

                                        da prez and Bon

[G-Man]

I think Left turns are what most people screw up.

Waiting to make a left with oncoming traffic.  Most people I see will sit behind the crosswalk instead of pulling out into the intersection.  Pulling out allows more cars to make the left when oncoming traffic ceases, and it helps avoid cutting the turn short.

I've been the first car many times and I always pull out into the intersection.  Sometimes the car behind me follows suit, many times the car behind will sit behind the crosswalk, even when there is no left turn signal.  I've event driven around the car in front of me so I can pull out into the intersection, and the car I just passed will still sit there at the crosswalk.    

[solo1]

Good practice, Gman but if you're too far out a rider from your right (cross traffic) will have to make a SHARP left turn to get around you.

When I was riding I always motioned for other people to go at a four way stop. It was safer when the intersection was 'cleared"

[Westernbiker]

Good practice, Gman but if you're too far out a rider from your right (cross traffic) will have to make a SHARP left turn to get around you.

When I was riding I always motioned for other people to go at a four way stop. It was safer when the intersection was 'cleared"

Now I don't know if it's true but I was once told long ago, NOT to motion other drivers to proceed. It was because of some law that when you motion for another driver to go, you have taken responsibility that all is clear and he or she is safe to proceed. If they get in a wreck doing so, YOU are at fault. They are going to tell the officer that you signaled them to go. Don't know how true it is but I NEVER signal other drivers to proceed. Maybe someone that knows will chime in.

[Jess from VA]

Pulling out allows more cars to make the left when oncoming traffic ceases, and it helps avoid cutting the turn short.

We have a lot of traffic cameras around here Gary.  Assuming you are first in line, it's easy to pull out, and never get to turn because folks keep coming all the way through the yellow.  Then you are sitting out in the intersection fat, dumb and happy as your picture is taken for your ticket.  And you are guilty as charged.  You can go ahead and complete your left on the red, but you're still getting the camera ticket.  And you're still guilty.

I agree with you in more rural settings, but in the urban world, it's best to stay out of the intersection while all the locals text their way through life, and localities increase their revenues with cameras.

(I'm mainly talking bikes here, but it applies to cages too)

[KUGO]

I agree with going out into the intersection itself when waiting (on green) to get your left turn in before the next red for the same reasons listed above, whether on 2 wheels or in your car. Just keep your front wheel(s) aimed forward, however, on either vehicle, until you're good to go left. You get bumped from the rear from someone not paying attention and your wheels are already turned left? You get thrust into oncoming traffic.

[Oss]

If you are in the intersection when the light turns yellow you beat 100% of red light tickets as the law says you may not enter intersection while red, you were waiting for someone who broke courtesy or the law judge will not hurt you.

If its yellow you cant have entered when red.

DO not enter the intersection when red !

Municipality has a laptop computer that plays the camera footage

I watch people beat these on those grounds in Mt Vernon all the time   Either way its no points on the camera

[Jess from VA]

Most people, me included, will never drive a distance, park ($), and spend a whole day sitting in court for a hearing, for a no point ticket (contested hearings are always last on the day's docket).  It's always worth a hundred to me to not do that.

Course, I've never had a camera ticket.  I pretty much never go to those congested places if at all possible, but they're around, and expanding all the time.

And how about when you entered the intersection on yellow, but never got to turn at all until after it was red.  That's the cases I was talking about.

[old2soon]

When I was still drivin 18 wheeler I'd have people well Past the white line they are supposed to be BEHIND. Me being the kind gentle peace luvin soul I are I'd stop the trailer Just before it would rub the dirt or chrome or both off the offending fender.  Course by this time other brain dead steering wheel holders are sucked up behind the car that stopped wrong to begin with. And now that I'm only 1/3 of the way thru the intersection my 18 wheeler has EVERYTHING stopped. AND I have NEVER gotten a ticket for this! Wish I could say the same for the brain damaged steering wheel holders!  Even WHEN the steering wheel holder exits his seat and attempts to confront me I leave the window up door locked and ignore the livin crap outa the wheel holder.  By the time the L E O shows up-they ALWAYS do-the steering wheel holder generally is very instrumental in helping write his or her own ticket.  Had brain damaged steering wheel holder stopped where they were supposed to no harm no foul!  RIDE SAFE.