I just had what could have been a near collision thanks to somebody’s impatience. I was on a street in my subdivision and was about to make a left turn into my driveway. It’s a 25 mph speed limit street just wide enough for two vehicles, and with no pavement markings at all. I signaled perhaps 2 houses from mine, and just as I was about to turn I saw an SUV loom up behind me. Thinking he would brake and wait for me to make my turn, instead the driver honked his/her horn and passed me on my left at about 35 or so.
I was at first relieved I that no collision occurred, but this gave way to a jittery “Damn, that was close…it all happened so fast” and finally, irritation/anger.
Obviously, the SUV was speeding, but what I wonder is that since the pavement was unmarked, especially no double yellow line, was passing on my left still illegal? Or more to the point, if I had been sideswiped, who would be at fault?
This exact thing has happened to me a few times over the years. If there had been a collision, with or without speeding, it would DEFINITELY be the other guy’s fault. It’s not a matter of passing on the left, which he’d had the right to do if I were just sitting there, but ignoring my obvious intent to turn.
Being that close to home, I suspect the OP was already slowing down. That should have served as fair notice to the driver behind that something was about to take place and it was not the best time to pass. Instead, he became impatient and decided to pass. Happens commonly enough, though no less stupid for it.
Also depends on how many houses from the intersection - if the OP was the third or fourth house after the last intersection, they couldn’t have signaled much sooner.
Yes, slowing from 25 to not more than walking speed over a distance of about 150 feet had my left turn signal on for at least 5 seconds. As it is, I’m a few hundred feet from the intersection of my subdivision street from the secondary road.
Thanks for the replies and insight. What freaked me was how there was nobody behind me visible several seconds before attempting to turn, and then…
The side street that enters our neighborhood is on a 40 mph two lane road with a single yellow line in the center. About once a week, while slowing down to turn right into the neighborhood an impatient driver behind me has barreled past me in the opposite lane going way over 40 mph. Very often laying on the horn while doing so.
This is a place where you cannot see very far down the road because of a curve to the right just maybe 150 feet (three houses) ahead.
A couple times a year, someone will pass me on my left while I am turning LEFT. That is they are so impatient they will pass across my path as I am making a left turn. It’s insane that I have to worry not only about someone coming in the opposite direction at 65 mph as I’m turning across oncoming traffic lane, I have to worry about someone passing me going there wrong way because they think I slowed down too early or too much to make the left turn.
Did the OP perhaps pull right to turn lift, those people confuse the F out of me and I sometimes pass them because they are indicating that they are pulling over to the right for me to ass them on the left.
Another vote for the overtaking vehicle would be at fault.
My street run along the crest of a hill, with my house on the upper side. My single driveway runs up from the street between a retaining wall on one side and a 60+ year old maple tree on the other, which necessitates wide right turn when coming from the east.
I was once heading home, signalled right well ahead of the house, and when I swung wide to the left to turn right the car behind me gunned it and passed me on the RIGHT as I turned right. The speed limit on my street is 30 km/h - under 20 mph!
The more relevant question would be whether an unmarked road is equivalent to a dashed yellow line (for both directions). Not that it makes Señor Asshole any less of one, note (or less culpable).
I once had that happen when I was turning left into a parking garage in an unfamiliar town. After the incident I went back and looked at the street and noticed these bizarre street markings. The street changes from a two-way street with one lane in each direction, to a one-way street with two lanes in one direction, right in the middle of a block! I was stopped for a left turn just at the point where it changes, about where the white car is in the photo. Where the driver passed me it it was still a two-way street, but only for another few feet, so I think he was in the wrong (that is, I was turning left correctly and should NOT have moved into the left lane to make the turn).
I didn’t, but I can see where somebody may interpret it that way. Nonetheless, my left turn signal blinking and my garage door opening should have been easy dots to connect for Mr Biginnarush silver SUV driver who was in a mad dash to dart toward the dead-end cul-de-sac an eighth of a mile farther.
I have a much nicer problem. People, including my Wife in front of our house, park on the street. Guys coming towards me as a signal to turn left into the drive way, stop in front of my driveway and courteously wait for me to pass, while I sit there with my left turn signal on.
