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Avoiding left-hand turns when driving

#41
guy n. cognito said:
4 times as many incidents....
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... few or none of which involve serious injuries or fatalities.

I was just trying to help you understand why "our government claims that while incidents went up, the 'severity' of those incidents went down," about which you said "I'm still trying to figure that one out." We could argue about whether or not a small number of serious accidents is preferable to 4x as many minor ones, and what our public policy should be about such things, but that wasn't my point. (Actually, we can't argue about that, because I'm not even sure which side I would take.)
 
#42
DirtDog said:
Love the roundabout system in the UK. That, along with really detailed Satnav, makes driving so much more enjoyable when I visit! That said, my success so far with the Magic Roundabout in Swindon is at about 50%!
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I also find driving in the U.K. much more civilized than in the U.S., but only partly because of the roundabout system (and the fact that people know how to use them properly). The main reason is that I find drivers there to be far more observant about using the "passing lane" only for passing. (In their case, of course, slow cars say to the left, and you pass on the right.) Here in the U.S. it seems to me that the vast majority of traffic tie-ups on highways are caused by slow vehicles in the left lane. Last time I was there, I drove around England and Scotland for a week and was truly amazed how I almost never experienced that problem.
 
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#45
Gaolee said:
I drove a cab in NYC nearly 35 years ago. Some habits don't go away.
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Oh dude, we'll never get off the barstools if we get to discussing the idiotry we've both witnessed while on the clock! :rollno:
Killed_by_Death said:
There's a roundabout in a neighboring city & I have avoided it since I discovered it's there, not because I don't know how to use it, but because no one else seems to know.
I sat outside at the McDonald's nearest so I could watch the sh!show one day, which solidified my resolve not to go near that thing in my vehicle.
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Fixed that adjective for you :thumbsup:
 
#46
Low Rider & Me 2.JPG
Personally, I would appreciate it if all you car, truck, van, whatever drivers would avoid making left turns. Left turn accidents may not cause serious injuries or death for you, but they for-damn sure do for people who ride these...no matter whose fault they are.:facepalm:
 
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#47
GIBrat51 said:
View attachment 1059061 Personally, I would appreciate it if all you car, truck, van, whatever drivers would avoid making left turns. Left turn accidents may not cause serious injuries or death for you, but they for-damn sure do for people who ride these...no matter whose fault they are.:facepalm:
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I was knocked off my bicycle by a UK driver on a roundabout doing what would in the USA be a right turn off it. I was continuing around in the designated cycle lane on the roundabout (we have those on some) and the driver didn't look. I now look when I am in the car. I was OK, but my handlebar extensions left a big gouge on this car...

Luckily I've only fallen off my bicycle on two other occasions. which were both self-inflicted, the first being when I had just had my front brakes fixed (I ended up on my back on the road, still on the seat, but the bicycle on top of me). The other was when I realised that the new shoes I was wearing had such impressive treads I couldn't get them out of my pedal clips when I stopped... I had the sense to fall towards the pavement.

I did once crash my bicycle head on into a very attractive woman's bicycle and lock them together when we both came round a blind corner on a narrow cycle path.
 
#48
I have a six-inch steel plate in my left leg from being hit by a car from behind while on my motorcycle in 1966. Came within minutes of losing the leg. Never ridden a motorcycle in traffic since then; I like them, but I like having extra metal around me in traffic better.

Bikes - I'll ride where there's no heavy traffic, and where I can keep myself separated from traffic by a few feet. I see too many drivers cruising down the bike lanes. I like the idea of commuting to work, but it's not worth it. I'm more interested in saving ME than using a few gallons less of gasoline.

Left turns on a bicycle???? I wouldn't even think of it if there are cars present. I'll pull over, stop, and walk it across the intersection.
 
#50
MonetBass said:
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!
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Agreed. Speaking of "nice" drivers, sometimes they'll stop and let a pedestrian cross the street. But the traffic going the other direction isn't stopping!
 
#51
In large metro areas spending "less time" on the road does not mean "less risk", if that time on the road involves maximizing risks by engaging in dicey maneuvers. Like ill-advised left turns across four lanes of traffic that's moving in both directions. Sometimes it's not even legal (double yellow lines), yet people do it all the time in my locale, along with all manner of other stupid s***. Chaos...not good.

Let's not forget that (apart from dedicated "left turn on arrow only" lanes), when turning left you do not have right of way. Oncoming traffic and right turners do have the right of way. It's the rulz.
 
#52
And, as he lay dying in the wreckage, body mashed to a pulp, his last words to the paramedic were "But.. but... I had the right of way...":dead: When you ride a motorcycle (or a bicycle), legal right of way means nothing. Especially if you're dead. The Law Of Gross Tonnage is what matters. And I never, ever, forget it, either...:whistle:
 
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#53
Monday morning four kids (from the same family) on their way to school turned left in front of an 18 wheeler. Two didn't make it and the other two are on life support and latest reports say they are in guarded condition.

Same here about mororcycles. Before i got too whimpy to ride, i assumed every driver on the road wanted to kill me, especiall when approaching a car wanting to turn in front of me. These days i'm not anal about it but I do my best to not have to back up or turn across traffic
 
#54
GIBrat51 said:
And, as he lay dying in the wreckage, body mashed to a pulp, his last words to the paramedic were "But.. but... I had the right of way...":dead: When you ride a motorcycle (or a bicycle), legal right of way means nothing. Especially if you're dead. The Law Of Gross Tonnage is what matters. And I never, ever, forget it, either...:whistle:
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My first wife suffered from that silliness when she would leave a store. She never looked or stopped, just step off the curb and into traffic. On more than one occasion I caught the back of her shirt to keep her from stepping into the path of a car. Whenever i mentioned it she was alway quick to remind me pedestrians have the right of way. I told her remember that when we are jacking up a car to drag her from underneath it.
 
#55
fhm555 said:
Monday morning four kids (from the same family) on their way to school turned left in front of an 18 wheeler. Two didn't make it and the other two are on life support and latest reports say they are in guarded condition.

Same here about mororcycles. Before i got too whimpy to ride, i assumed every driver on the road wanted to kill me, especiall when approaching a car wanting to turn in front of me. These days i'm not anal about it but I do my best to not have to back up or turn across traffic
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:(
 
#56
Yesterday I got overtaken on a small roundabout my a large white van (white apart from the rust, that is). Absolutely baffling. It's not a roundabout I go round quickly as it's next to a supermarket, several other shops, a community centre, a church, and residential streets, so pedestrians abound. The van very nearly rammed into me.
 
#58
fhm555 said:
My first wife suffered from that silliness when she would leave a store. She never looked or stopped, just step off the curb and into traffic. On more than one occasion I caught the back of her shirt to keep her from stepping into the path of a car. Whenever i mentioned it she was alway quick to remind me pedestrians have the right of way. I told her remember that when we are jacking up a car to drag her from underneath it.
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Have you considered 'adult reins'? :) My wife has suggested getting those for me due to my habit of wandering off in shops if I've seen something remotely shiny. :)

On pedestrian crossings in the UK those that don't have traffic lights associated* give the right of way to pedestrians, but I still wouldn't advise stepping off the pavement until you know the car has stopped.

* I've noticed one locally only has walk/don't walk lights for pedestrians - the audio signal seems to be down so I must phone up about it.
 

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