WWTBAM Bored

There is a somewhat of a Facebook feud in my suburb's news site about how to properly turn left when there is a median. It seems most of the women (all the men, but not many, are with me) are saying this is the correct graphic:

Spoiler

However, I disagree, and Texas law also disagrees.

Texas Traffic Law wrote:Sec 545.101.(c) "On a street or roadway designated for two-way traffic, the operator turning left shall, to the extent practicable, turn in the portion of the intersection to the left of the center of the intersection."

If you stay to the right, then you are passing in front of the cars trying to turn left and they are passing in front of you. You block their path, they block yours. Your vision is no more blocked than when multiple oncoming cars are wanting to turn left. You still can't see, yet you and they have to decide who goes across each other's right of way first.

Staying to the left, the only cars you need to worry about are the ones not turning left in front of you. And no one has to worry about you.

So I think the below graphic is correct and what I follow:

Spoiler

With the following exception:

In Texas, if the median is 30 feet or more wide (nominally), then each side of the median is considered to be a separate roadway. This means that crossovers through the median are considered to be a cross street, albeit a very short one. So in those cases, you must keep to the right as you cross over, just as if you were driving on a regular street. Usually, if this is the case, there will be a set of double-yellow lines in the middle of the crossover as well as yield or stop signs; these are your cue to keep to the right while passing through.

Spoiler

So, what is your practice?

I think if we both pull all the way forward we can both turn left at the same time, or wait for the people going straight to finish. If we try to turn tightly, the people going straight can't see us in time and it will be Doom.

We had an intersection re-made a few years ago in which everyone would either go straight or turn, and the people turning knew to pull forward so that people going the other direction could also pull forward and everyone could turn when there was an opening. Now that the city has changed the way the medians fit the intersection, everybody just sits there and waves at each other as if we were all arriving at a four-way stop simultaneously. If anyone is turning, the whole thing grinds to a halt because I guess no one goes to driver's ed anymore.

I don't go that way when I can avoid it. It makes me crazy.

As to the law you quoted, I think it's purpose is to prevent trouble when I am turning left into a two-lane situation and you are turning right into the same area (from the opposite direction). I should stay left and you should stay right. But that is more about where we end up than how we navigate through the intersection. Much like the Bored's political conversations.

I say the graphic marked wrong is the correct way to go. Every intersection here with multiple left-turn lanes and painted lane dividers goes that way. Better visibility may be one point for the other way, but you can still have a look at oncoming traffic once the other car clears your view. To show the MAJOR problem with the do-si-do maneuver, draw 3 or 4 cars in each line making left turns. How do they presume to handle that?

I follow Texas's law.

The intersection I struggle with has only one lane in each direction so none of these illustrations work for that one. If you are turning left, you sit there and wait, blocking the people behind you who want to go straight.

I am a fan of going straight and not holding up other people in that scenario anyway.

You can't really tell from this photo unless you know what you're looking at, but the white car coming toward you on the left is about 20 feet from a median intersection very similar to the first graphic BiT posted. I can state with absolute certainty that the version marked "correct" is correct for all the intersections on that beautiful tree-lined street.

If you try to do it the way that's marked "wrong," you will put yourself directly in the way of a driver who wants to cross the street without turning, if there is one. If you do it correctly, you can let that driver come into the intersection with you, then you each go when you have the opportunity because you can both see the oncoming traffic that affects you.

OK, I lied, it's not ALL the intersections on that street. Two have a different system -- one is controlled by a traffic light, and the intersection at the north end has the wonderful nickname of "Malfunction Junction." Sometimes if I'm walking, I'll go around the block so I don't have to risk life and limb at that point. I found a couple photos, but they don't do it justice.

Just for grins, this intersection is about a quarter mile north of Malfunction Junction and a block east from my house. I don't like roundabouts in general and this one in particular, but I have to admit that it's cut way down on accidents. I guess it'll be better as time goes on. Many people just don't know how to use a roundabout. Grrr...

Oops, I see I need one more photo. The roundabout was still under construction at that point.

Here's a photo of the artwork in the center -- five metal bicyclists looking so real, as if they're really on the move. Someone in the artist's family, I think it's his daughter, comes around every holiday and puts festive hats on the bicyclists. Way cool. You can see the roof of my house at the top of the little hill.

Estonut wrote:I say the graphic marked wrong is the correct way to go. Every intersection here with multiple left-turn lanes and painted lane dividers goes that way. Better visibility may be one point for the other way, but you can still have a look at oncoming traffic once the other car clears your view. To show the MAJOR problem with the do-si-do maneuver, draw 3 or 4 cars in each line making left turns. How do they presume to handle that?

My thoughts exactly.

Ritterskoop wrote:The intersection I struggle with has only one lane in each direction so none of these illustrations work for that one. If you are turning left, you sit there and wait, blocking the people behind you who want to go straight.

I am a fan of going straight and not holding up other people in that scenario anyway.

I am like that sometime. I will go out of my way to avoid inconveniencing someone, or to avoid a potential dangerous situation for me or others.

SportsFan68 wrote:

You can't really tell from this photo unless you know what you're looking at, but the white car coming toward you on the left is about 20 feet from a median intersection very similar to the first graphic BiT posted. I can state with absolute certainty that the version marked "correct" is correct for all the intersections on that beautiful tree-lined street.

If you try to do it the way that's marked "wrong," you will put yourself directly in the way of a driver who wants to cross the street without turning, if there is one. If you do it correctly, you can let that driver come into the intersection with you, then you each go when you have the opportunity because you can both see the oncoming traffic that affects you.

That median appears to be greater than 30ft. wide so the cut-through would actually be a street (a very short one though) where you should stay to the right. It should be stripped to indicate so. Galveston has several streets like that. Some intersections are signaled and it is annoying when some one turns left and then are facing the red light for the cross street and will stop. If they were supposed to stop at that light then only one car at a time could turn left during each light cycle.

BiT wrote:

That median appears to be greater than 30ft. wide so the cut-through would actually be a street (a very short one though) where you should stay to the right. It should be stripped to indicate so. Galveston has several streets like that. Some intersections are signaled and it is annoying when some one turns left and then are facing the red light for the cross street and will stop. If they were supposed to stop at that light then only one car at a time could turn left during each light cycle.

Yep, stay to the right, or FACE MY WRATH. J/K.

Yes, it should be stripped so people won't be taping their watches while newbies or visitors try to figure it out.