# A driving question.. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472 "2013-06-08T14:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472/21 "2013-06-09T13:25:44Z")
Wait to see what he is going to do. Especially if I’m in Miami Beach and the guy is a retiree from New York, and thus keeps a turn signal on permanently. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472/22 "2013-06-09T14:53:40Z")
I guess number 3 is the closest. You wait until the turn actually starts. You’re not going to be saving any time doing otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472/23 "2013-06-09T14:59:00Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > Immediately after ensuring traffic from my right is clear. > > What’s the problem? We drive on the left. The car approaching from the left is not on an intersecting path. Unless he knows you’re turning, his path is quite likely to intersect with yours. And I don’t trust someone to notice that I’m turning while they’re concentrating on turning themselves. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472/24 "2013-06-10T20:07:38Z")
I have a friend who was in a similar situation, waiting to make a left turn onto the main road, but from a street, not a parking lot. A car was approaching from her left with its right turn signal on. In addition, the approaching car was in a right-turn-only lane. My friend pulled out. The approaching car didn’t turn and plowed into her. She was ticketed and convicted for failing to yield right-of-way, not to mention severely injured. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472/25 "2013-06-11T00:13:26Z")
I wait for the guy to slow down; then as soon as he starts to turn, I go. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472/26 "2013-06-11T20:39:40Z")
> [@Krouget](#): > > Yep, I don’t make a turn into the path of another car, unless I’m absolutely sure I’m going to make it into the lane I intend to go. > > People make last second decisions ALL the time when driving, and it’s simply not worth the risk. Yep. I’ve seen this too many times to ever count on someone turning just because they have their turn signal on, or even just because they’ve slowed down. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472/27 "2013-06-12T04:57:09Z")
Another possibility I don’t think has been mentioned yet: You (generic you; driver pulling out of parking lot) get lost in your cell phone conversation (both your cell phone and head being up your ass) and pull out into the street without even looking, let alone stopping. Car coming from left makes massive swerve and/or slams on brakes to avoid T-boning you (if he’s lucky; never mind _your_ luck). Happens. (ETA: Happened to me (as driver coming from left) recently. Fortunately, I was paying attention and/or lucky as defined above.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-driving-question/660472.md?page=1)