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I am having issues at a certain intersection. I am constantly in a situation whereI am turning left off of Mulberry street onto Pete Hollis and get into the right lane. Not far past this area is a yield sign where cars merge from the other way. I assume I have right of way in this situation because once I turn and get into the right lane I am going straight and the cars that are merging at the yield sign armrest supposed to yield to me.
However there have been multiple times that they do not yield and almost hit me. I swerve to miss them and they go ahead of me. Am I wrong in thinking they should yield right of way. Or in this situation at this intersection am supposed to get in the left lane and merge later to the right lane. Just want to make sure my understanding of right of way is correct.
I was always taught that turning left one should turn into the lefthand lane. Turning right one should turn into the righthand lane.
So from my perspective I think merging later would be better. At an intersection like that one you would go into the left lane and that would allow the right turning traffic from Stone to go into the right lane.
I should say I see a similar problem turning left onto 291 from Worley, beside the Spinx station. I don't understand why people turning cross two extra lanes of traffic. If people would just turn into their closest lane (left into left, right into right) then more people would get through the light and there would be fewer chances of collision.
Exploring Google street view maps I see exactly what you are saying. I think there are multiple contributing factors here:
1. No protected turn signal light. Are both directions crossing Pete Hollis green at same time or programmed to go only one direction at a time? If both green those yield lane drivers may assume/(or have?) right of way.
2. The yeild Lane triangle markings on pavement and sign are set too far back from Pete Hollis due to crosswalk location, but yield lane drivers need to pull up much further to see if road clear due to that tree and any cars at light would easily block view. Signage & pavement markings should be moved up and crosswalk right of way signs put in current place so drivers know where to yeild/stop.
3. The yield lane pavement angles into Pete Hollis even though there is no lane to actually continue in, its just a slightly wider Pete Hollis right hand lane maybe giving illusion of an actual yield lane partially there. Suggest they put additional pavement marking lines so its clear to stop if its not clear to merge yet.
4. Merging is a skill honed in on over many many years in the Upstate I've learned apparently.
You may want to contact SCDOT about interchange improvement ideas. If there's a high accident rate there then they're more likely to listen/act as well.
Green light issues/questions aside, once you enter that direction of travel on Pete Hollis you should have the right of way.
I have a dash cam in my car just in case. And I too have always heard / been taught that when turning left across traffic turn into the left lane, merge later to the right if need be but when my light is green I choose whatever I want.
Ok. That makes sense and thats what I’m going to do in the future. I’m thinking about it I don’t make these kind of turns that often. Most of the time when I’m turning into a multi lane road it’s from another multi lane road where your path is clearly marked. So I’ve been in the wrong in this situation. The only reason I try to get immediately in the right lane is because I’m taking the next right and don’t have much room to merge after I turn. Also at this particular intersection i could turn into the left lane and merge to the right lane before the yield sign. All of the lanes are usually clear after I turn until you get to the merge. Shouldn’t cars merging still be yielding once they see me in the lane, or is this a situation where they just assume the right lane is theirs. Also at this intersection at the merge there is a stretch where there is room for the car to be in the right lane and be beside the car in the merge lane. This is the situation that I’ve constantly found myself, and have had to swerve into the left lane to avoid the accident. My thoughts are that once those merging cars see me
In the right lane they should yield. It seems like when traffic gets heavy there all of the cars stop yielding and just treat that as a road with no stops or yields.
I also agree that there are multiple problems with the intersection. I can now see why the merging cars think that the automatically have the right of way. It really isn’t clear where the merging lane ends. To them it may seem like that lane just continues into the right lane, and it isn’t that clear at what point they need to yield. To me the merging lane could be extended or just eliminated and a right hand turn be put in its place. I don’t think changing from the yield to a right hand turn would change the traffic pattern too much. It would help clear up who has right of way.
You only have right of way to the far left lane of Pete Hollis in this situation. If you are already in the far right lane going into the intersection, you have crossed over two lanes illegally and a collision would be your fault.
I see this every day around here with two lane roads and have learned to be cautious making right turns.
But crossing over two lanes into the far right lane is pretty egregious to me.
You're supposed to turn into the left lane, and then merge over one lane at a time to the right.
You only have right of way to the far left lane of Pete Hollis in this situation. If you are already in the far right lane going into the intersection, you have crossed over two lanes illegally and a collision would be your fault.
I see this every day around here with two lane roads and have learned to be cautious making right turns.
But crossing over two lanes into the far right lane is pretty egregious to me.
You're supposed to turn into the left lane, and then merge over one lane at a time to the right.
Thanks for the feedback. I have changed my driving habits to the correct way. I've went this path again going the correct way and this is still going to be a big potential for an accident for a couple of reasons, so I may just avoid this way in the future.
1. As I turned and changed lanes the correct way, no cars behind me did. They all went to the right lane.
2. I notice that when traffic is heavier there is a steady stream of cars that are coming from that yield. A lot of times at that point they are bumper to bumper due to having to slow down, and speed up for the yield and merge.
3. I am wanting to turn onto Buncombe rd. from this road so I really need to be in the right lane, and I need to start merging right away. Which is now very difficult to do, if you are trying to drive correctly because you don't have room to merge due to all the cars that are steadily merging and occupying that right lane.
So given all of that, I think I am going to look at going another way. I think this is an issue of the road design was for less traffic that is more residential in nature and now people are using it more. Probably for the same reasons I am trying to use the route. Which is to bypass Academy and Church street during rush hour traffic.
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