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Avoiding left-hand turns when driving

Lobster11

Lobster11

Supporting Member
Apr 22, 2006
7,735
25,019
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Williamsburg, VA
#1
Just came across this interesting article about the many benefits that UPS realizes simply by planning delivery routes to minimize the need for left-hand turns:

Why UPS trucks (almost) never turn left - CNN.com

Near the end of the article it is suggested that adopting such a strategy isn't usually as beneficial for us regular folks, but I disagree. I've been doing this all my life. If I'm running errands and making several stops, I always consider this when planning my route, and even if I'm just going from Point A to Point B I often choose the route with the fewest lefts. Granted that I'm probably not realizing great savings in fuel costs or emissions, or maybe even time, but at least it minimizes one source annoyance and frustration (and danger) when there's a lot of traffic.
 
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#2
I knew a woman that would literally drive herself in circles to avoid a left turn. She did it for "safety" reasons as well. Many of us pointed out the fallacy of spending MORE time on the road in the name of safety....to no avail.

I use the most direct route to get to my destinations.
 
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#7
Lobster11 said:
Just came across this interesting article about the many benefits that UPS realizes simply by planning delivery routes to minimize the need for left-hand turns:

Why UPS trucks (almost) never turn left - CNN.com

Near the end of the article it is suggested that adopting such a strategy isn't usually as beneficial for us regular folks, but I disagree. I've been doing this all my life. If I'm running errands and making several stops, I always consider this when planning my route, and even if I'm just going from Point A to Point B I often choose the route with the fewest lefts. Granted that I'm probably not realizing great savings in fuel costs or emissions, or maybe even time, but at least it minimizes one source annoyance and frustration (and danger) when there's a lot of traffic.
Click to expand...


I do this whenever possible. For me, it's more important to save time than fuel.
 
#8
guy n. cognito said:
I knew a woman that would literally drive herself in circles to avoid a left turn. She did it for "safety" reasons as well. Many of us pointed out the fallacy of spending MORE time on the road in the name of safety....to no avail.

I use the most direct route to get to my destinations.
Click to expand...
My wife does that. She's not impressed with the idea that less time in traffic reduces your exposure to risk. I keep trying to explain to her that the faster you go, the safer you are, because of that reduced risk exposure window. Even the detailed mathematical proof that if everyone were going 240 mph at all times, it would be the safest possible situation due to that reduced exposure doesn't convince her. I dunno. She's just not mathematical, I guess.
 
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#9
It depends on the street I'm on. If it's a main road with a lot of traffic, I'll avoid left turns unless there's a turn lane with a light. The other problem is if it's a four lane road, you'll have these morons in the inside lane going the other direction who will "try to be nice" and stop to let the idiots turn left, but the people in the outside lane can't see the person turning. I've seen a lot a near misses from that, which is why I won't let people turn left in front of me. Go around the block!
 
#10
Funky Ghost said:
As a former motorcycle rider I was very aware of left hand turns when I had to make them. It seemed all of my close calls happened from motorists being "left blind" at them.

I don't bother when in a car.
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I'm actually being serious this time. Don't worry, it will pass.

It's the left turning people who don't pay attention and pull into my path that really spook me. It usually happens on the motorcycle, but it has happened when I'm driving the van, too. How do you miss a great big, full-sized Chevy van with its headlights on? Apparently you can't miss it, because it keeps getting hit while it's parked. And apparently people turning left want to make sure they don't miss it, either. So far, my evasion tactics have been adequate. Someday they won't be. I kinda wonder what people are looking at and looking for. It's somewhat understandable that they don't see a motorcycle, because it's not very big and most people don't see many of them or think about them at all. But a van?
 
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#11
The problem (in my area amyway) is that NOBODY knows how to execute a leading left. If I am the first person in line in the left turn lane, I pull out I to the intersection when the light turns green. Even if there is oncoming traffic, I pull right out into the middle of the intersection.....usually far enough that a couple others can come with me. If the oncoming traffic keeps coming I sit right there until the light turns red. Once the light turns red I turn and quickly get out of the way. This is LEGAL. Where things become unsafe is some little old lady in a Buick just SITS THERE for three Light cycles. Not only are the rest of us about to have a stroke, but we also want to drag her out of her car and beat her to death right there in the street. THAT IS when you have unsafe conditions.





Relax. It's just a joke. I only fantasize about killing old ladies in Lincoln cars, not Buicks.
 
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#14
I do think about this a bit. All things being equal, if I have a choice of routes, if one involves more left turns and the other more right turns, I'd take the one that has more rights. That's only for really routine driving, I don't think about it much for anything else. In the house we just moved out of, there was one route from the highway that was left turns and more lights but a mile shorter, another that was mostly rights and less traffic lights. I almost always took the longer route. Not so much safety, just less frustration waiting on lights and traffic.
 
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#15
two fingers said:
Short version: Of you are too scared to be in traffic, you should not drive in it. If turning left safely is a concern of yours, you may be in this category.
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The other one is the incompetent left-turner who manages to straddle both the left turn lane and the through-traffic lane, effectively blocking ALL traffic until there's an opening. I'm not sure what that's all about. Being afraid of oncoming traffic and wanting an extra two or three feet? Or maybe it's just incompetence, because a whole lot of these idiots are splayed at an angle like they just can't figure out how to fit into a left-turn lane. They will be among the first to disappear when my bike is fitted out with the nuclear-laser-vaporizer ray that I have been developing in the basement for just such occasions.
 
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#17
Gaolee said:
My wife does that. She's not impressed with the idea that less time in traffic reduces your exposure to risk. I keep trying to explain to her that the faster you go, the safer you are, because of that reduced risk exposure window. Even the detailed mathematical proof that if everyone were going 240 mph at all times, it would be the safest possible situation due to that reduced exposure doesn't convince her. I dunno. She's just not mathematical, I guess.
Click to expand...

That whizzing sound was my point going over your head. ;)
 
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#19
Gaolee said:
The other one is the incompetent left-turner who manages to straddle both the left turn lane and the through-traffic lane, effectively blocking ALL traffic until there's an opening. I'm not sure what that's all about. Being afraid of oncoming traffic and wanting an extra two or three feet? Or maybe it's just incompetence, because a whole lot of these idiots are splayed at an angle like they just can't figure out how to fit into a left-turn lane. They will be among the first to disappear when my bike is fitted out with the nuclear-laser-vaporizer ray that I have been developing in the basement for just such occasions.
Click to expand...

I would be happy to do field tests of such a "TARD".


(Traffic Annihilator Ray Device)
;)
 
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#20
Gaolee said:
The other one is the incompetent left-turner who manages to straddle both the left turn lane and the through-traffic lane, effectively blocking ALL traffic until there's an opening. I'm not sure what that's all about. Being afraid of oncoming traffic and wanting an extra two or three feet? Or maybe it's just incompetence, because a whole lot of these idiots are splayed at an angle like they just can't figure out how to fit into a left-turn lane. They will be among the first to disappear when my bike is fitted out with the nuclear-laser-vaporizer ray that I have been developing in the basement for just such occasions.
Click to expand...

We solve this issue in the UK by a combination of few turning lanes and lots of roundabouts, including the XTC-celebrated Magic Roundabout in Swindon. I presume the satnav on my phone looked at my music choices and decided I really wanted to try it out when I was coming up from Devon one year.
 
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