Why are people making left turns passing on the drivers side?

I have been seeing this a lot more over the last year or so where two people making left hand turns make the turn by driving past each other and then making the turn instead of turning without passing each other. I’ve been seeing this happen more and more and today I saw it happen at a traffic light and I’m glad that there was someone in front of me or I might have hit the other person. I’ve also seen a lot of intersections that now have lines on the road that make you pass on that side.

Is this something that’s new? Is there some sort of safety reason for it? I think it’s more dangerous and causes problems. I’ve been caught a few times where someone will pull up to where I’m trying to turn so then I have to pull past them, then someone pulls up behind me blocking the other person from turning and then then someone will pull up behind the other person and I can’t make the turn so we’re all just stuck there. It’s making it hard to figure out where I’m supposed to turn like this and why.

Has this been a law change or have people just decided to do this on their own?

Don’t know about a law change, but the obvious safety advantage would be that the two cars are not obscuring each others’ view of oncoming traffic if they pass each other prior to turning.

I have not seen this at a normal intersection. Where I live, there is a four-way stop, where there’s about a 30 foot offset between two roads, like in the figure. Cars coming from left and right, and both making a left turn, will very occasionally do this, but not very often at all. Usually, they still pass to the left of the oncoming car.



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I have never seen this, either. Where are you located?

Passonthdriverbeforeleftturnwhat?

It’s probably just me, but I can’t make heads or tails of what the OP is describing.

So there are two cars, one from the north and one from the south and North drives south and South drives north until the car from the north is south of the car from the south and then they execute the left turn? Weird. I can only guess it’s a response to people making their left turns too soon and cutting into the right turn lane of the street they’re entering.

It’s not just you. I reread the OP three times and gave up.

They do it to get in front of other people who will also be turning left.

I suspect the underlying reason is because of either caffeine, cocaine, or crystal meth. They are wired up, wound up and desperate to advance in traffic no matter what it takes.

To answer this, it’s just people doing this, no law change.

Two cars approach a four way intersection on the same main road, but from opposite directions. Each intends to make a left turn into the cross street. So both cars are making cross-traffic turns in opposite directions.

Should they make the turn such that the fronts of the cars face each other, or should they pass each other and then turn?

If I understand the OP correctly it concerns two vehicles approaching from opposite directions and both intending to make left turns at the same intersection. In the default case they turn before each other (passing on each other’s passenger side), in the case criticised by the OP they pass each other then make the left turn (passing on each other’s driver’s side).

BTW turning before each other was only made the default (absent signage to the contrary) here in Western Germany in 1992 (one of the very few cases of West Germany adopting what previously was East German legislation), so I am still a bit familiar with the contrary case. Turning left before each other is sometimes referred to as an American left turn BTW. I cannot really see much difference between the methods always provided both drivers are on the same page, of course. As mentioned above, the configuration of the intersection may have an influence. Also one disadvantage of turning left before each other may occur when one driver still indicates left from changing lanes or from the previous intersection but does intend to continue straight - in that case when the other driver intends to make a left turn before the oncoming vehicle the possible consequences are obvious.

I have a hard time describing this but I’ll try again.

Two cars are at a light, both wanting to turn left. With clear traffic they can both go at the same time, they pass each other on the passenger side. This is the normal way, and the only way really, that at a light you can pass at the same time.

Today, when I was at a light I started my turn the other driver passed me to turn left. I’ve seen a lot of this at non-light controlled intersection.

Here is a diagram of a normal


[left turn.](http://www.gnuoynwahs.com/2009/09/quick-refresher-course.html)

now imagine the two cars passing each other to try and turn.

I am in Maryland and I’ve been seeing this a lot lately. Frederick county Maryland has started to put yellow lines in showing where to turn which makes you pass the other left hand turning car.

Sorry I can’t describe it any better, I will try and look for a better diagram.

In the UK, it’s taught that way, though depressingly rarely done. Well, except it’s right turns, not left, but same principle applies. And it makes sense. If you have passed the other car, it’s not blocking your view of oncoming traffic.

I get what you’re describing, but I cannot fathom why it would ever be a good idea. For one thing, if there is more than one or two cars in each left turn lane, then you end up with gridlock, don’t you?

See section on “turning right”

http://m.direct.gov.uk/syndicationController?action=view&param=DG_070332&utn=d0d093a89de842118901201108190022

This is what has happened to me a couple of times, then someone has to backup or people drive off road. There are also a couple of intersections where they have started to put lines on the road forcing you to do this. I just want to know why this has started.

It’s not always appropriate, but the reason to do it is that the other car does not block your view of oncoming traffic. I think I mentioned that somewhere. At very busy intersections, it’s likely not going to work so well.

Of course, one option at busy junctions would be for left turning traffic to hold back and not enter the intersection until it’s clear and safe and you can see that there are no other cars turning. That would avoid any issues with the two lines blocking each other.

Show us a Google map of one of these intersections.

One way to visualize the difference in the two ways of making left described by the OP to imagine there is a tiny roundabout in the center of the intersection. Then, to make a left turn, cars have to make the alternative maneuver he described instead of the “normal” one.

Whether this is the correct way to make a left turn or not – that is, whether that tiny roundabout is virtually assumed to exist at every intersection – is a matter of local law and custom. It seems to be the case in places where roundabouts are common in general.