Left turn view obstructed --- lean out or wait for the yellow?
 

Just wanted to know what you guys think.

You're at an intersection with no left turn lanes and you and the car opposite you are planning on making left turns. Because both of you block each other's line of sight (even worse if it's a truck across from you), do you

a) lean out slowly and turn when it's safe?
b) just wait for the yellow?


I have on occasion leaned out, but now I usually just wait for the yellow because it's so dangerous to lean out. If there's a lineup behind the car opposite you, even when it is clear, they might switch lanes and proceed through the intersection and if they hit you you're at fault.
Similarly, if you lean out, and then the car opposite you is able to make his turn, now you're an asshole blocking the opposing left lane.

What do you guys do normally?
I could frankly care less if the person behind honks or whatever because they are obviously too dumb to realize that because they are farther back, they have a better view. You do not and will not risk getting an accident just to save someone 40 seconds of their life.

I think it would be better to just wait, even if theres a line up of cars doing a left in the opposing lane it would prove yourself to be a lot safer. Unless you lean out, by the time you realize that you just blocked the incoming traffic, it would cause a jam and humiliate yourself

And if someone behind you is honking, just let him be, don't risk yourself for the sake of him

Always keep your car straight until you do the actual turn! So wait it out if you can't see. If you're rear ended and your car is straight, you'll just go straight but if your wheels are turned and you're at an angle, you'll follow the direction your wheels are pointing. You'll end up facing oncoming traffic and who knows if they can stop. So many times, the car in front of me makes the left and I try to go straight... only to find the oncoming guy sitting in my lane waiting to turn left.

Safety first, just wait.

If you're lucky enough and there are reflective store windows on that side of the street, use it. It's easier to use at night since people have headlights on.

I would wait.

i'd wait for the yellow... better safe than sorry.

i never wait
sometimes i take a leap of faith

not wait until it's Yellow,

Wait until it's RED.

IF you got T-Boned by a car running Yellow, you are most likely 100% at fault

safety first..

your life is worth more than all those dumbasses lining up and honking behind you.

besides, the road sense book says that you should go when you feel it's safe to go..

If my vision is obstructed I always wait until I'm positive all cars coming my way have stopped, then make my turn, and I usually always complete my turn after the light is red.

I've never had someone honk at me due to this.

Wait till RED

people run yellows!!!!!!!!!! you're allowed to complete your turn on a red anyways....

maybe you meant red and just made a typo.

even if you think it's clear, or there's a gap just big enough for you, be aware someone could be trapped behind the left turners opposite from you, and suddenly pull out to go straight through the intersection

I guess no one took YD of Canada here? You should do the "S" approach when your waiting for a left turn anyway. Basically you position your car to the left of your lane position but still having the car straight and the wheels straight. Then you look through the opposing car's windows. At night look under the car or ground for headlight beams or use the parked car's reflection for lights.

I've never heard of the S approach, but is it something like this?

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2159/26259077vw1.jpg

That only applies if there is a median.

Essentially, you are trying to get the closest to the lane without actually being in it, it works well if there is a median there so you have an extra meter or so and you can see the cars coming easier.

However, if there is no median, there is nothing you can really do, I usually just wait until there is a yellow before i turn and even then, I make sure the car behind the left turner isn't going straight.

Yes. Thank you for putting up an illustration. I would've but I suck at stuff like that.:)

Yes and no. It works best if there is a median because it allows you to have the best view since you have that extra room, but in the case of the OP's scenario, you can still do it since you get that extra foot or so which will still help a lot.

the S approach, lol never heard of that.

Just to clarify when I said wait for the yellow, I mean also wait until it is safe, so this usually means wait until the red and you're positive there isn't anyone trying to beat the light.

People don't normally honk, I know for a fact there ARE a lot of drivers with common sense and courtesy. However, there are occasions where it happens.

Happened to me on canada way trying to turn at a flashing green (line up behind me, lineup across from me as well because of a pickup trying to make a left). It was impossible to see, even if if it "looked" like there were no cars coming I wasn't comfortable and just waited until the light changed which meant about 6 seconds later heh. I admit, this was during rush hour but I had to get to where I was going (normally don't take this route, and I was not breaking any laws as there were no signs prohibiting the turn.

I could care less about the driver(s) behind me if they are too impatient. But it sure is annoying as hell. You're driving your girlfriend and chatting, and some a-hole disrupts your conversation with an annoying honk. If it's a simple beep, okay, but some people lean on the horn. Regardless, it sure is annoying.

TBH it's like a natural reaction for me. Even though I could care less about the person (they won't influence me to make the turn any faster), the honk sure gets my blood boiling. I wish my body would not immediately get worked up about this but it's a natural reaction. Sure pisses me off lol. Next time ima finger the dude behind me. I saw a white guy finger someone behind him because the person was honking at him to make his turn. Lol good stuff.

(not saying it happens a lot, but when it does it's annoying as hell)

There's an intersection like this in Coquitlam, Lougheed Highway at Chilko. The cars coming down Chilko turning left have their view obstructed by the left-turning cars in the oncoming lane (Como Lake). They tried to remedy it by giving the oncoming traffic a left-turn signal (I guess they thought the lane would clear by the time the signal was over) but there are too many cars left-turning onto Lougheed Highway (doesn't take a genius to predict that...). I don't understand why they don't just give the cars coming down Chilko a left-turn signal too.

Anyways, yes, my remedy is a.) wait for the vision obstruction to clear, b.) wait for the yellow, but most of all c.) Chilko is a downward incline, so if I wait about half a carlength before the intersection, I can see clearly. The other cars think I'm nuts or not paying attention, but at least I can see!

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...=16&iwloc=addr

I've seen a couple accidents that are the result of "leap of faith" drivers (or worse! drivers jumping out of the oncoming left-turn queue to go straight!). So I think it's worth it to play it safe.

Close your eyes.. Count 3 seconds in your head and GO! I heard it works.

I just keep my wheels straight..and when the light turns yellow..i let go of the brake..and proceed when it's clear.

I only honk when the person in front of me is blanking out.

I actually honked at some c-lai that was trying to break the last split second of the yellow light (she was going straight, i was the leftie). Usually i dont mind it but she was doing it at 40km/h and the traffic in front of her was all the way to the intersection already.

When you start relying on that..what happens when the opposing car that's running the yellow light doesnt have his/her headlights on?

perfect example would be turning left onto e hastings from renfrew. if the #16 bus is turning left onto e hastings from renfrew. The view is totally obstructed, and in rush hour traffic, the left turn lane is jam packed with cars.

wait for sure. Why care what the car behind thinks?

that's what i do, but i didnt take YD... as a driver, you always want to see as much ,and as far as you can...

it's like looking for a sniper , see , but not be seen ;)

you should be able to look at reflections from store windows etc..
if there are no store windows , u look thru the persons ( the person who's turning left) window, you should be able to see any light that is moving from back to front...