To answer this explicitly, there is no “official” time that turners go. When it is your turn to go, you go, whether you are turning or gong straight.
The only time it matters whether someone is turning is when two cars approach simultaneously from opposite directions. In that case, the only effect is whether one of the cars has to wait for the other; If both are going straight or turning right, neither has to wait. If both are turning left, neither has to wait. If only one car is turning left, that car yields to the other. It’s that simple.
Thanks.
Does a person turning left have right of way over a person going straight if the person turning is to the right of the person going straight? Simultaneous arrival.
Everyone stops at the intersection.
First person there (I.e. first to a full stop) goes before those who arrived later. Whether turning left, right, straight ahead, or doing donuts in the midle, this rule applies.
If it appears two people stopped at the same time, “right of way” i.e. person to the right goes.
If he’s opposite you, arrived at the same time, and you want to turn left in front of him, let him go first. (As you turn, he’s on your right).
Can’t get any simpler than that. Although there is the “drive like grannies” problem, and people unclear on the concept of 'stop" or “wait”.
BTW: flashing red/yellow is likely a failure mode for computer problems; if the cotroller PLC is confused, I assume it defaults to that mode sometimes. It may also default to 4-way red flashes. At night when traffic is light, minor cross-streets will shut down to this mode also - this is normal behaviour.
In Northern Virginia, such intersections are indeed treated as 4-way stops, but with the “emergency situation means I’m special” clause: if the person ahead of you is going through the intersection, cram onto their tail and try to get as many cars through the intersection without stopping as you can before the people going in the other directions assert their turn and prevent you from going.
I have no idea why these people drive like that, but it’s pretty prevalent. It seems like the motorists’ equivalent of looting during natural disasters – “the light’s out, meaning normal rules don’t apply, and I’m fending for myself – screw everyone!”
Good explanation. Many people do not understand these rules. Just last week a guy opposite me arrived after me and still turned left in front of me after I had already entered the intersection. Equally annoying are people who don’t know it’s their turn and wave me through in front of them (annoying because it disrupts the flow, and makes the situation unpredictable, not because I really don’t want to go).
I have seen this at multi-lane intersections in N. Va. and I truly think it’s because people don’t know the rules. I have been honked at for stopping at a dark intersection. You haven’t lived until you go through 123 at International Drive with the lights out. On 123, three lanes go straight and two lanes turn left in each direction. On Int’l north, one lane left and two straight, then south has three lanes straight, one right, and two left. It’s bad enough when the lights are working.
The real rule with 4-ways is:
You stop, you let anyone go who arrived before you and can go before you.
So if you stop and the fellow directly opposite you is now going straight through, and you also are going straight through or turning right, for example, you don’t need to wait your turn. People you might have to wait for are blocked by that oncoming traffic.
Often, unless there’s cross-traffic, you can turn right immediately after stopping.
But if you do wait until everyone who was there before you has gone, worst you’ll get is honked at (or hit by someone else but you’re not at fault.)
This is especially frustrating, as there have been cases where unscrupulous drivers “waved you through” when they had right-of-way, then accelerated into your car, causing an “accident”, telling the police that you crossed in front of them, as they clearly had the right-of-way!
You get points assessed on your record, and they claim on your insurance.
