You are the first car in the left turning lane, green light and there is no left arrow. And no red arrow exists. While oncoming traffic exists you obviously can’t turn left but you’re supposed to pull ahead into the intersection, NOT wait behind the white line. Hello?? How is it that many people don’t know this?? Don’t driving schools teach this basic fact anymore?
Apparently some people have still not heard of a “right turn on red” where it is not prohibited. By observation, I have corrolated that with predominantly latino drivers, so I am guessing it may be forbidden in their country of origin and habits are hard to break.
From the on-ramp are entering a highway with very little traffic on it, and need to merge into the right lane. A clueless and possibly inconsiderate driver stays in that right lane instead of checking their mirror, signaling left and moving over. Again, the road is empty and this can be accomplished in three seconds with near zero effort.
People who automatically cruise the left lane at or below the speed limit when there is plenty of room to follow the rules and keep to the right.
Lazy gliders… two lanes are turning left or right and instead of the car in front of you remaining in their proper lane, they without signaling glide over and cut you off.
Correct, while this rule does not seem to be enforced very much, in most juridiction you are only supposed to enter the intersection if you know you can clear it.
Really? What states? It has always been perfectly legal here in New York. Also, for the other reply, it goes without saying only if you can clear it, that is the whole point in doing so; you are able to clear it almost 100% of the time.
Oh… Don’t. Get. Me. Started.
One quick one: large intersection with dedicated left turn arrow; long line of cars wanting to turn left. Some numb nuts ahead isn’t paying attention when the arrow turns green. The delay means many in the long line don’t make the green arrow before it turns red, forcing waiting another cycle.
Be alert, people, please. You have a responsibility to the people behind you!
Californian here. There’s also an unwritten rule of California roads: Traffic Flows.
Yes there’s a law requiring you to not enter an intersection unless you can clear it under green. But in large cities with heavy traffic, where oncoming traffic is so heavy, the intersection does not have a dedicated green arrow, and 1 car can make the left turn per green cycle only if they’re reasonably assertive to clear the intersection, then each car turning left needs to enter the intersection and wait under green while also ensuring the lane(s) they can turn into have a clear spot(s) for them. When the light turns yellow or red that car needs to accelerate quickly, smartly and safely through their left turn and out of the intersection.
I don’t see a reasonable cop issuing a ticket under these circumstances. And I’m not saying they won’t. IANAC.
>> #4. People who automatically cruise the left lane at or below the speed limit when there is plenty of room to follow the rules and keep to the right.
This includes cars in the fast lane going over the speed limit, if they aren’t going faster than the lane to their right. Yes, if the limit is 65 and you’re doing 75 in the fast lane but traffic to your right is also doing 75 or faster, then you’re potentially blocking people behind you from going faster. You can get a ticket for doing this!
One I saw just a week ago - pull all the way up to the stop line (painted on the pavement) in order to get a left-turn arrow. There was a pickup truck in front of me that was stopped 40 feet before the line. I waited through four cycles of green, until I finally got out of my car, tapped on his window and motioned to pull up to the stop line to activate the sensor. Idiot!
BTW in Minnesota we’re told that if you’re turning left, pull into the intersection until your back bumper (for a car) is over the stop line. That puts you far enough into the intersection to get you through when the lights finally change.
Agreed, though I rarely get someone who forgets or refuses to turn. More often, there’s light traffic coming and the person is afraid to push the gas hard enough to be able to merge into the long interval of free roadway. Usually they’re driving an SUV or pickup that would roll over if it had to turn and accelerate at the same time.
Disagree. Traffic from the on-ramp has to come up to the speed of traffic and yield to cars already on the highway. Using your method, they begin to expect that you’ll just move over for them and dawdle alongside waiting for you to do so. Until they run out of ramp and just crank the wheel over, forcing you into evasive maneuvers. My peeve with ramps is people who don’t accelerate to traffic speed until they’ve merged. And also those who don’t realize that off ramps are constructed so that you can maintain full speed as you enter them instead of slowing down 20 mph a quarter mile beforehand. Again, it’s the SUVs and pickups. Heavy trucks are given an exemption.
That applies to all of the middle lanes as well.
Don’t understand this one. if they’re in front of me, how can they cut me off? People in the adjacent lane that drift into mine? You have to forgive them. They’re too weak in mind and body to guide a 3000 bolide and are only driving because they’d be crushed within minutes if you put them on something more suitable like a bicycle or moped. They can’t even work a standard transmission.
I’d be surprised if there were states where this actually is legal. I think (just speculating here) you may have fooled yourself into thinking it’s legal because everybody does it.
Hi Nunzio,
The only way that you can disagree with #1 is if you are in a state where this is not allowed. Most states allow it and it was always featured in driver’s education years ago.
But states can certainly make their own laws. One of the silliest I have ever heard of is people in Virginia can get a ticket for going through a YELLOW light. Very silly indeed.
Nope. It was specifically cited in the NY State Driver’s manual and taught in driver’s ed. Actually I am quite surprised it is NOT permitted in some places!
DC has “Don’t Block the Box”: 18 D.C. Mun. Regs. Ch. 21 § 2103.7(a) and Ch. 24 § 2405.1(a), (b), no driver can stop within an intersection, and when approaching a stop light, drivers must stop before the crosswalk.