Texas Traffic Laws: Waiting in the intersection to turn left. (Howe: drivers license, transportation)

[meet4]

Try to apply parking brake when temperature is below zero outside. You won't be able to move the car next day because it gets frozen. Ye, California

[People Are Crazy]

It is NOT illegal to enter an intersection to make a left turn while the light is in your favor (green). Neither is it illegal to complete your turn after the light has turned red when necessary.

Having said that, it is not always a good idea to do so. When I face this situation, I make several judgments. First, is there room for my vehicle in the roadway into which I am turning? Second, how heavy is that oncoming traffic? Third, is there already another vehicle in the intersection waiting to make the same turn?

If the answer to any of these three questions is not favorable to making my turn quickly and safely, I stay out of the intersection. The second question is the one I worry about most. Any large group of drivers will contain at least one or two who believe that if the traffic light controlling their movement was green in the last five minutes, they have the right to go through the intersection. They won't hesitate to run you down and then tell the cops you "came out of nowhere."

[Oildog]

I had to take the Texas drivers test a couple years ago. I was taught like the OP to move into the intersection to make your intention known. But in Texas you are supposed to wait behind the line untiil traffic is clear and then turn. I told the examiner thats how I was taught in another state, but she said its wrong in Texas.

[People Are Crazy]

There are just so many things to say about this post that it is hard to know where to begin.

First, that guy from Canada and you are both correct about making left turns.

Second, perhaps you should spend some time in Germany. They do have problems with the autobahn. Accidents in Germany are often spectacular and spectacularly fatal due to excessive speed. Additionally, most autobahns do now have speed limits at least part of the time. The lack of speed limits was originally mandated by the low traffic density. Low traffic density was the result of the extensive economic damage the Germans suffered in the Second World War. As the German standard of living rose and more and more Germans could afford to drive, traffic density increased. At times they will have a "stau" (traffic jam, gridlock) on the autobahn which is also spectacular. The one thing the Germans do right is their government mandates driver training for all licensed drivers. It is extremely expensive but each driver is actually given hands-on training in operating a car. For instance, they don't tell you how to recover from a skid, or show you, they have you actually do it. If you can't, you don't get a drivers license.

Third, all those "policies" and "rules" serve a purpose. The more drivers follow the "policies" and "rules" the more the accident rates and fatality rates go down. Thinking "outside the box" while driving often results in motorists ending up "inside the box," six feet under. One may get around the traffic laws, but the laws of physics are immutable.

Fourth, if you want to know why a government is doing something, ask your political science teacher not your sociology teacher.

Last, but not least, calling people morons, while emotionally satisfying, doesn't really do any good because...

People Are Crazy!

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by Oildog

But in Texas you are supposed to wait behind the line untiil traffic is clear and then turn. I told the examiner thats how I was taught in another state, but she said its wrong in Texas.

I'm confused. What you say in the red part (I added the colors for clarity) you contradict yourself in the green part. If the red part referred to another state, it would make sense. For example...

But in California you are supposed to wait behind the line untiil traffic is clear and then turn. I told the examiner thats how I was taught in another state, but she said its wrong in Texas.

[jimmyev]

I got a ticket for doing this, turning left onto Bay Area Blvd from El Camino Real. I pulled into the intersection when the light was still green, an oncoming vehicle moved from the left turn lane to the thru-lane, delaying my left turn, and the light turned red. I turned and was promptly pulled over by a City of Houston cop and given a ticket. The judge read the traffic code, consulted the instructions in the Texas Drivers' Handbook, and dismissed the ticket.

[Oildog]

Originally Posted by astrohip

I'm confused. What you say in the red part (I added the colors for clarity) you contradict yourself in the green part. If the red part referred to another state, it would make sense. For example...

But in California you are supposed to wait behind the line untiil traffic is clear and then turn. I told the examiner thats how I was taught in another state, but she said its wrong in Texas.

Maybe poor sentence structure rather than contradiction. In another state I was taught to ease into the intersection, signal on, to show your intent. Thats what I told the examiner, she said you need to wait behind the line in Texas.

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

I got a ticket for doing this, turning left onto Bay Area Blvd from El Camino Real. I pulled into the intersection when the light was still green, an oncoming vehicle moved from the left turn lane to the thru-lane, delaying my left turn, and the light turned red. I turned and was promptly pulled over by a City of Houston cop and given a ticket. The judge read the traffic code, consulted the instructions in the Texas Drivers' Handbook, and dismissed the ticket.

Whew, you scared me when I first started reading your post, thinking "No way they gave you a ticket!" Glad to see the judge understands the law.

What's surprising is that a cop would give you a ticket. It's not like this is news or anything. Been a law for years. Maybe he thought you wouldn't fight it.

Originally Posted by Oildog

Maybe poor sentence structure rather than contradiction. In another state I was taught to ease into the intersection, signal on, to show your intent. Thats what I told the examiner, she said you need to wait behind the line in Texas.

Then she is just wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.

[Indianspringsguy]

Technically, you are breaking the law if you are in the intersection when the light is red. However, there is generally a wait time to let traffic clear. Police will give a ticket if you arein the intersection when the light is red and cameras at monitored intersections will take you photo and you will get a fine. Youyr will not clear the intersection in time generally before it becomes a problem for you (and others).

[elnina]

Indeed this is a bit complicated and rules seems to vary from state to state
Driving In The USA And Canada - Left Turns At Intersections