driving accident question, green light turn

This was something I had wondered for some time.

Green light. Driver A wants to turn left into 2 lane road. Driver B
is the oncoming car, wanting to turn (to his) right into the same 2
lane road.

Proper driving ettiquette has driver A turn into the left lane, while
driver B should turn into the right lane, so neither has to stop. Is
this ettiquette, or the law?

Who's at fault if the drivers collide? I'm guessing the right-turner
has some advantage in the law.

"Tim923" > wrote in message
news:1105235264.783532ff8424081ffaf9c341b5c5d150@t eranews...
> This was something I had wondered for some time.
>
> Green light. Driver A wants to turn left into 2 lane road. Driver B
> is the oncoming car, wanting to turn (to his) right into the same 2
> lane road.
>
> Proper driving ettiquette has driver A turn into the left lane, while
> driver B should turn into the right lane, so neither has to stop. Is
> this ettiquette, or the law?

The law.

> Who's at fault if the drivers collide? I'm guessing the right-turner
> has some advantage in the law.

The only way the two cars would collide is if one or both veered into the
other lane during the turn. Completing a 90 degree turn without using any
of the other lane is a skill few drivers have.

So IMO the at-fault driver would be the one who veered into the other lane.
The exception would be a semi-tractor pulling a long or wide load; the other
driver is supposed to give way in that case. Few do--MFFY again and more's
the pity.

"Tim923" > wrote in message
news:1105235264.783532ff8424081ffaf9c341b5c5d150@t eranews...
> This was something I had wondered for some time.
>
> Green light. Driver A wants to turn left into 2 lane road. Driver B
> is the oncoming car, wanting to turn (to his) right into the same 2
> lane road.
>
> Proper driving ettiquette has driver A turn into the left lane, while
> driver B should turn into the right lane, so neither has to stop. Is
> this ettiquette, or the law?

The law.

> Who's at fault if the drivers collide? I'm guessing the right-turner
> has some advantage in the law.

The only way the two cars would collide is if one or both veered into the
other lane during the turn. Completing a 90 degree turn without using any
of the other lane is a skill few drivers have.

So IMO the at-fault driver would be the one who veered into the other lane.
The exception would be a semi-tractor pulling a long or wide load; the other
driver is supposed to give way in that case. Few do--MFFY again and more's
the pity.

In article . net>,
Skip Elliott Bowman > wrote:
>"Tim923" > wrote in message
>news:1105235264.783532ff8424081ffaf9c341b5c5d150@ teranews...
>> Green light. Driver A wants to turn left into 2 lane road. Driver B
>> is the oncoming car, wanting to turn (to his) right into the same 2
>> lane road.
>>
>> Proper driving ettiquette has driver A turn into the left lane, while
>> driver B should turn into the right lane, so neither has to stop. Is
>> this ettiquette, or the law?
>
>The law.

In some states, but not in others (unfortunately, whether it is the law
tends not to be signed on the road, so visitors may not realize that the
law differs from their home state). For example, California requires
driver B to turn right as close as practicable to the right hand curb
or edge of the roadway, which means the right lane for vehicles that
are not very long. But California allows driver A to turn into any
lawfully available lane on the destination road (unlike some other
states which require a left turner to turn into the left lane).

In California, if both drivers have green lights, the left turner must
yield. If driver A has a green light and driver B has a red light, then
driver B must yield. (Lots of drivers A and B mess this up, resulting
in near misses.)

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

In article . net>,
Skip Elliott Bowman > wrote:
>"Tim923" > wrote in message
>news:1105235264.783532ff8424081ffaf9c341b5c5d150@ teranews...
>> Green light. Driver A wants to turn left into 2 lane road. Driver B
>> is the oncoming car, wanting to turn (to his) right into the same 2
>> lane road.
>>
>> Proper driving ettiquette has driver A turn into the left lane, while
>> driver B should turn into the right lane, so neither has to stop. Is
>> this ettiquette, or the law?
>
>The law.

In some states, but not in others (unfortunately, whether it is the law
tends not to be signed on the road, so visitors may not realize that the
law differs from their home state). For example, California requires
driver B to turn right as close as practicable to the right hand curb
or edge of the roadway, which means the right lane for vehicles that
are not very long. But California allows driver A to turn into any
lawfully available lane on the destination road (unlike some other
states which require a left turner to turn into the left lane).

In California, if both drivers have green lights, the left turner must
yield. If driver A has a green light and driver B has a red light, then
driver B must yield. (Lots of drivers A and B mess this up, resulting
in near misses.)

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

>The only way the two cars would collide is if one or both veered into the
>other lane during the turn. Completing a 90 degree turn without using any
>of the other lane is a skill few drivers have.
>
>So IMO the at-fault driver would be the one who veered into the other lane.
>The exception would be a semi-tractor pulling a long or wide load; the other
>driver is supposed to give way in that case. Few do--MFFY again and more's
>the pity.
>

The case I had in mind is:

Driver A turns into left lane without hesitating
Driver B immediately turns into the left lane also (since he wants to
be in that lane in the future) resulting in a collision.

>The only way the two cars would collide is if one or both veered into the
>other lane during the turn. Completing a 90 degree turn without using any
>of the other lane is a skill few drivers have.
>
>So IMO the at-fault driver would be the one who veered into the other lane.
>The exception would be a semi-tractor pulling a long or wide load; the other
>driver is supposed to give way in that case. Few do--MFFY again and more's
>the pity.
>

The case I had in mind is:

Driver A turns into left lane without hesitating
Driver B immediately turns into the left lane also (since he wants to
be in that lane in the future) resulting in a collision.

On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 21:24:52 -0500, Tim923 > wrote:

>>The only way the two cars would collide is if one or both veered into the
>>other lane during the turn. Completing a 90 degree turn without using any
>>of the other lane is a skill few drivers have.
>>
>>So IMO the at-fault driver would be the one who veered into the other lane.
>>The exception would be a semi-tractor pulling a long or wide load; the other
>>driver is supposed to give way in that case. Few do--MFFY again and more's
>>the pity.
>>
>
>The case I had in mind is:
>
>Driver A turns into left lane without hesitating
>Driver B immediately turns into the left lane also (since he wants to
>be in that lane in the future) resulting in a collision.

A failed to yield. It's the responsibility of a left-turner to yield
to any traffic close enough to be a hazard. This includes the
responsibility of being cautious enough to realize that B might not
actually turn or might turn into the wrong lane.

B turned into the wrong lane, if the state requires that a right turn
be made into the rightmost lane. If so, then B also failed to yield to
A, who was allowed to turn into the left lane when B wasn't.

There's some comparative negligence, any way you look at it. I think
the conventional answer would be that A bears the majority, because of
the extra care required when making an unprotected left turn.

--
Chris Green

On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 21:24:52 -0500, Tim923 > wrote:

>>The only way the two cars would collide is if one or both veered into the
>>other lane during the turn. Completing a 90 degree turn without using any
>>of the other lane is a skill few drivers have.
>>
>>So IMO the at-fault driver would be the one who veered into the other lane.
>>The exception would be a semi-tractor pulling a long or wide load; the other
>>driver is supposed to give way in that case. Few do--MFFY again and more's
>>the pity.
>>
>
>The case I had in mind is:
>
>Driver A turns into left lane without hesitating
>Driver B immediately turns into the left lane also (since he wants to
>be in that lane in the future) resulting in a collision.

A failed to yield. It's the responsibility of a left-turner to yield
to any traffic close enough to be a hazard. This includes the
responsibility of being cautious enough to realize that B might not
actually turn or might turn into the wrong lane.

B turned into the wrong lane, if the state requires that a right turn
be made into the rightmost lane. If so, then B also failed to yield to
A, who was allowed to turn into the left lane when B wasn't.

There's some comparative negligence, any way you look at it. I think
the conventional answer would be that A bears the majority, because of
the extra care required when making an unprotected left turn.

--
Chris Green

In article <1105235264.783532ff8424081ffaf9c341b5c5d150@teran ews>,
Tim923 > wrote:

> This was something I had wondered for some time.
>
> Green light. Driver A wants to turn left into 2 lane road. Driver B
> is the oncoming car, wanting to turn (to his) right into the same 2
> lane road.
>
> Proper driving ettiquette has driver A turn into the left lane, while
> driver B should turn into the right lane, so neither has to stop. Is
> this ettiquette, or the law?
>
> Who's at fault if the drivers collide? I'm guessing the right-turner
> has some advantage in the law.

Check the DMV section of your state's web site for an authoritative
answer to your question.