If two cars approach each other and are turning in opposite directions in the median intersection of a divided hiqhway, should they pass each other first, then execute the turn?
Example: Divided Highway 1 is running north and south and has a four lanes, a left turn lane and a long and wide median intersection. Country Road 2 is running east and west across the highway. Pickup truck A is going north and wants to turn west onto Country Road while Pickup truck B is heading south and wants to go east on Country Road. Do these trucks pass each other in the median intersection then turn, or do they take the shortest route and turn from their lanes onto the county road. It makes sense to pass each other, but a lot of people seem to not think the same way I do and take the shortest route.
It doesn’t seem to make much sense to me to have the vehicles pass each other in the median before turning. If both vehicles take the shortest route, their planned paths don’t intersect, and that would seem to me to greatly reduce the chances of a collision. However, I can’t back that up with any citation of the Rules of the Road.
If the median was say three car length’s long, I’d say they should pass each other. Otherwise they’d be driving in the wrong lane and could in fact still be there when the light changed green in the opposite direction causing all kinds of havoc. So unless you want to define at exactly which width the opposite rule should take effect, I guess they should always do it.
This can also be a problem even without a median. Near my house there are two well-traveled roads that cross at 45 degrees (if you’re making a left turn). It is quite a bit easier for two left-turners to make this turn by cutting in front of each other without passing and most locals do this, but you have to be very very careful about this.
Picture a busy intersection controlled by a traffic light with a left-turn arrow. You get the green arrow at the same time oncoming traffic does, and everybody can turn without crossing paths, no problem.
Unless I’m missing something in the OP, why should this be any different at an uncontrolled intersection?
When the cars turn in front of each other, there are sometimes dotted lines thru the intersection to indicate the path of the turning cars. I have seen at least one intersection with pavement markings that indicate the cars should pass each other prior to turning. There was no light in that case. I’d not do this unless the markings were clearly there.
To see this intersection (and correct my interpretation possibly), use google maps to look at Saluda, VA. there there is a triangle formed by US17, SR33 and their business versions. Center and zoom on the intersection at the upper left of the triangle and switch to satellite view. If you switch to street view and view the interstection from several angles you can see a blue van crossing in front of where the other car would have been.
Here is an intersection close to like what I am talking about (not exactly perpindicular and even, but close enough). There is no light. Cars are going 65 mph on the highway. This one happens to have white “stop here” type lines, which seems to encourage people turning left to stop there (which means the cars are passing each other?).
Think about two cars that are going east to west (the cr 183 drivers) in addition to the two people who are turning left across the highway going in opposite directions. If you have two cars who did not pass each other on the highway and they are waiting to turn sitting in the median, they will be on the wrong side of the median facing the cr 183 drivers. It just seems strange to me to have all 4 cars going all over when there is a clearing in the hiqhway traffic.
I would feel weird if I was in the median waiting to cross the hiqhway and there was a guy to my right as if I was in England.
It still seems logical to pass the guy who is turning opposite of me.
In that photo there is a 2 way street between the 2 directions of the divided highway, so it would seem to make sense to cross into the correct travel lane of that small street.
IIRC the driving book in Texas you are supposed to pass each other then turn. Each should be on the right of each other going through the crossover. Any I have seen painted show a double yellow line down the middle.
Practically in short crossovers that are barely a car length long, many people turn short so they don’t cross, especially when making U-turns.
Technically it is a visibility thing. You should be able to look right and see the oncoming traffic to look for your opening. If there is a car there waiting to go across, it can be difficult to see over/around that car.