DriveSmartBC - Making a Left Turn
 

This column is dedicated to the middle aged male driver who turned left in the intersection and completed the turn half way into my lane as I approached him and half way into the lane that he was supposed to be using. Was he being inattentive, careless or did he not know any better?

Unless you are using an intersection that allows a left turn from multiple lanes, you approach the intersection in the lane closest to the center line. Enter the intersection itself with your vehicle still positioned to the right of the center line. If it is possible, turn your vehicle in an arc with an apex to the right of the center of the intersection. Enter the first available lane for your direction of traffic, with your vehicle positioned to the right of the center line of that road before you leave the intersection.

If multiple lanes are allowed to turn left, exit from and enter into the corresponding lanes on either side of the intersection in the manner outlined already. Of course, it may not be possible to remain to the left of the center of the intersection depending on the lane that you are in. Also, while it may not be illegal to change lanes in an intersection, a defensive driver will not do so.

Sir, you stick to your lane and I will stick to mine. While you may otherwise be a nice person, I don't want to accidentally meet you at an intersection!

Reference Links

How often is this type of sloppy turning at intersections actually monitored and enforced?

i'm sure it's enforced whenever practical... just like all other rules.

I sometimes am guilty of driving onto the right hand land immediately after completing my left turn.... if i am trying to complete the turn fast (a left turner right in front of me and behind me with green left turn arrow traffic light).

Knowing that and seeing many people doing the same bad habit... if I were on the opposing traffic trying to make a right with herds of left turners trying to make that left turn, I usually wait a bit until safe (or make that right turn if there's 3 lanes)

It's scary doing the right turn when there are others doing a left turn. I've seen so many turn directly into the right lane.

I'll always wait until they are finished making their left turn before I make my right turn.

Another thing I do - if I am making a right turn onto a road with more than one lane in the same direction of travel and there is a car in the left lane, I will wait until the car has passed before I make my turn even if the right lane is clear.

I can't tell you how many times I see people making lane changes right as someone is about to turn onto that road.

I have a shitty time making a left turn from the driveway of my complex onto the main road. Because there's a divider in the middle of the street (Even though it was installed about 8 years ago, I still do NOT know why it's even there), there's VERY little room for me to make the turn with a smaller traffic gap, or else I risk being hit by a passing car in the adjacent lane because the way the divider is set up forces me to swing a bit wide.

This is made worse by the fact that I have to cross two lanes of traffic before passing the divider, further increasing the risk of being hit by incoming traffic that could possibly be speeding. Therefore, I have to wait an unusually long time to complete my turn since I make sure that I have a big enough window to avoid being hit.

I'm confused.

I've read Skidmark's post a few times... and I still can't figure out where he was coming from and going to...

A) Straight through the intersection? In which case the guy was coming towards him, then moved into the oncoming lane, then pulled a left turn in front of him..

B) Turning right? In which case the guy was again coming towards him, and turned left on the same road?

C) Travelling on a road to the left of where the guy started turning from? And he turned short into oncoming traffic?

or D) ???

+1

but i've been honked at for doing that lol

Probably by someone who wasn't going to turn into the proper lane :)

jlenko I believe that he was making a right turn onto a 2 laned street. The other driver was making a left turn onto the same street. The other driver is required to first drive into his nearest lane in the "new" street. That would mean he was required to first enter the lane closest to the centre line...but he did NOT. Instead he moved right into the curb lane, cutting off Skidmark who was making a legal turn into HIS nearest lane...the same curb lane where the other guy illegally drove.

^That's how I read it too. That happens all the time by our place: Lougheed Highway and Harris Rd., in Pitt Meadows. The two roads cross at a bit of an angle, so when turning left from Lougheed westbound onto Harris southbound, it's a tight turn... plus, there's a mall entrance immediately after the corner on Harris, so a lot of people will swing directly into the right lane when making the left. I rarely have to make the right from Lougheed eastbound, but when I do, I don't let the left-turners frighten me - I'm more than happy to make my turn anyway and scare the bejeebus out of them.

That's what I thought at first... but this part throws me:

As he approached him?

I'm thinking maybe the guy was coming from the road to the right of the OP... then turned left onto the road that the OP was on... in doing so, turning left and cut the wrong-direction lanes as he turned... way tight, instead of wide...

Maybe I need a break from this forum :rolleyes:

It reads to me that the turner (lets say he's turning east) cut across the westbound lanes and then proceeded into the outside lane eastbound.... ? Not sure if that is what its meant to say, but it happens all too frequently.