(1) You come to an intersection to make a left turn. The light is green, but you must wait for the oncoming traffic to clear. You are directly behind a car that does not move up into the intersection. You know you will probably miss the light because only the car in front of you will likely get through when the light changes. How does that make you feel?
(2) You come to an intersection to make a left turn. The light is green, but you must wait for the oncoming traffic to clear. You go almost halfway into the intersection and wait there. Cars are facing you – coming from the opposite direction. The first car just sits where it is – it does not move up into the intersection. How does that make you feel?
(3) Same scenario as above, but there is only one car facing you, with no other cars behind him. He does not move into the intersection. How does that make you feel?
Three scenarios. Do you have three different feelings? Why don’t you re-read the above scenarios, and decide how you would feel? Then read my feelings (below) in relation to each scenario.
(1) Really annoyed. I feel like beeping – and I sometimes do beep. That driver has the right – and yes, in my mind, the obligation to move almost halfway up into the intersection.
(2) Annoyed. I feel like yelling to the driver, “Don’t you know you can move up to almost the middle of the intersection?” Although that driver’s actions don’t affect my ability to get through the intersection, I feel for the cars behind him/her.
(3) Annoyed. If there are NO cars behind that driver, I still feel annoyed because one day there might be cars behind him/her, and then they will not be able to make their left turns on time. Hey – one of those drivers might be me.
Now for the upshot: There do not seem to be any guidelines for California law regarding how far to move up in an intersection, let alone whether to move up in an intersection at all. That is really annoying! It can make “monsters” out of really nice people. What’s the story in your state?
What follows is all I could find relative to this issue in the California Driver Handbook. No wonder drivers are confused. It sounds like almost anything goes.
Intersections
An intersection is any place where one line of roadway meets another. Intersections include cross streets, side streets, alleys, freeway entrances, and any other location where vehicles traveling on different highways or roads join each other.
Driving through an intersection is one of the most complex traffic situations motorists encounter. Intersection collisions account for more than 45% of all reported crashes and 21% of fatalities, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
• At intersections without “STOP” or “YIELD” signs, slow down and be ready to stop. Yield to vehicles and bicycles already in the intersection or just entering it. Also, yield to the vehicle or bicycle which arrives first, or to the vehicle or bicycle on your right if it reaches the intersection at the same time as you do.
• At “T” intersections without “STOP” or “YIELD” signs, yield to vehicles and/or bicycles on the through road. They have the right-of-way.
• When you turn left, give the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching that are close enough to be dangerous. Also, look for motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. When you turn right, be sure to check for pedestrians crossing the street and bicyclists coming up behind you on the right. On divided highways, or highways with several lanes, watch for vehicles coming in any lane you cross. Turn either left or right only when it is safe.
• When there are “STOP” signs at all corners, stop first then follow the above rules.
• If you have parked off the road or are leaving a parking lot, etc., yield to traffic before entering the road again.
Safety suggestion: While waiting to turn left, keep your wheels pointed straight ahead until it is safe to start your turn. If your wheels are pointed to the left and a vehicle hits you from behind, you could be pushed into oncoming traffic. And this, about left turns from a highway from the CALIFORNIA CODES, VEHICLE CODE, SECTION 22100-22113, which implies that yes, one can move into the intersection before turning (the bold face is mine).
(b) Left Turns. The approach for a left turn shall be close as practicable to the left-hand edge of the extreme left-hand lane or portion of the roadway lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travel of the vehicle and, when turning at an intersection, the left turn shall not be made before entering the intersection. After entering the intersection, the left turn shall be made so as to leave the intersection in a lane lawfully available to traffic moving in that direction upon the roadway being entered, except that upon a highway having three marked lanes for traffic moving in one direction that terminates at an intersecting highway accommodating traffic in both directions, the driver of a vehicle in the middle lane may turn left into any lane lawfully available to traffic moving in that direction upon the roadway being entered.
Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com
