A Quick PSA re: Left Turns in LA Traffic (Irvine: condo, home)

[415_s2k]

Hey everyone.

I know that traffic blows here in LA, and it's tempting to go ahead and make a quick left across traffic to shave an extra five-to-thirty seconds off of your commute. As a cyclist, I frequently have people do this against me because they don't see me (or the super-powerful blinking light on my handlebars), or they misjudge my speed and think that since I'm on a bike, they have ample time to do this.

People do it when I'm in my car, too; they just whip out in front of me, barely giving me time to brake before nailing them...

Well, one of my friends decided to bust one of these idiotic left turns last night on his motorcycle, because he was already moving. He miscalculated, and was hit and run over by a bus. He was killed instantly, but I know that "instant" was utterly horrifying and agonizing.

I'm extremely, extremely pissed off at him, because if he would have waited another second and a half for the bus to go by, he'd still be alive. Me, his friends, his family, his girlfriend, wouldn't be hurting over this and he'd still be going about his life and goals. I think this to myself, when people bust a turn in front of me when I'm driving... if I didn't hit my brakes in time, or I'd been going an extra few MPH more, I could have t-boned you and killed your passenger, possibly you. Your wife, boyfriend, child, parent, best friend, etc could have been killed because you didn't feel like waiting an extra few seconds.

Please, everyone, think about this on your commute home tonight. Happy Thanksgiving. I hope yours is more pleasant than mine will be.

[taydigga]

Sorry for your loss and I totally agree with you. People tend to be needlessly impatient in this city when it comes to driving. We drive thousand lbs. of metal people. It is dangerous. Again, my condolences.

[bpeeps]

I'm sorry for your loss, 415. In our consistent need to be everywhere faster, we often take things like this for granted. People DO lose their lives, injure themselves or their loved ones in traffic on a daily basis. And we need to think, is that thirty second gain worth it?

I think another part of this is when traffic is clear or when there's a green arrow, people need to pay attention. You'll often find people are texting, talking to someone, eating, looking down, etc when they have right of way to make a turn. This slows traffic behind them causing people to cruise through on yellows, reds, or right as the light turns green. I can't tell how many times I've seen people look up and suddenly realize they have right of way, when three or four cars could have turned in that time. I've seen some narrow escapes and I also witnessed the horrific aftermath of a motorcyclist attempting a left turn at Ventura Blvd and Coldwater Canyon a couple years ago.

Cars need to be more aware of other motorists, motorcyclists, and bicycles when parked on the side of the street and opening their doors nearly into the moving lane of traffic. Everyone needs to be more observant.

Your post is spot on.

[415_s2k]

I've always used my drive-time as something meditative and cathartic: while I'm operating my car or my bike, that's what I'm consumed with. Whether it's five minutes to the store or two hours to Irvine, I have a reprieve from my social, monetary, or organizational issues to get myself from one place to another. I don't respond to texts, I don't answer calls, I don't try to read the punchline of an artcile in a magazine, I don't try to stuff that hoagie in my mouth. Both hands are at ten-and-two on the wheel, and I've got some cool music going.

When I'm on my bike and I've pedaled eight miles in traffic and I hit a congested red light near the 405 N onramp, I stop, take a deep breath, take a sip of water, and look around at all the cars around me. I smile to myself and I'm happy to be alive and enjoying that moment: I'm healthy, I'm active, I'm doing something I love. I have people who will be happy to see me at the end of my commute, I have projects to finish that will end up with great results for me and people close to me... I mean really, why bungle that moment up by freaking out over whether or not I can make it in front of that Audi that, of course, doesn't have its blinker on, is going too fast, and may or may not just bust that left-turn at the last second?

I'd rather that moment be just one of many more to come, than my last. I'd rather think, "what a nice sunset" and wait, than "check this out" and then get nailed. I wish that Patrick would have thought the same way.

[EscapeCalifornia]

People make aggressive and dangerous left turns because if they don't, they could literally be there until 10pm waiting for a truly safe opportunity to turn. It sucks but that's LA traffic and one reason I avoid LA.

[readymade]

I'm so sorry. That's awful.

My sister just moved here from Boston. In Boston, the second the light turns green, you make your left turn as fast as possible before the oncoming traffic starts to go. It's pretty expected. There are few left turn only lanes and fewer left turn lights there.

I learned, pretty quickly after moving here, that that DOES NOT FLY here in LA. When I see someone doing it, I assume they're from the east coast. It's the biggest thing I told my sister not to do in traffic.

Sister: "But what if I just quickly..."
Me: "NO!"
Sister: "But I could just..."
Me: "No. Just don't do it. Just wait."

I'm horrifying and so sorry this happened to your friend, and I'm going to use his story to illustrate the seriousness of waiting to my sister.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

People make aggressive and dangerous left turns because if they don't, they could literally be there until 10pm waiting for a truly safe opportunity to turn. It sucks but that's LA traffic and one reason I avoid LA.

No. That's the attitude that makes accidents happen.

If it's 6:05 and you miss your left, you'll be sitting there till maybe 6:07, 6:08 at the worst. It may feel longer, but just pause a moment and think about what could happen. You could get in an accient. You could get pulled over and fined. You could be that jerk who raced through the light at the last second and is now blocking traffic for everyone else.

[Fontucky]

Distinct lack of left turn arrows/lanes... quite possibly one of the most annoying aspects of LA driving.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by 415_s2k

No. That's the attitude that makes accidents happen.

If it's 6:05 and you miss your left, you'll be sitting there till maybe 6:07, 6:08 at the worst. It may feel longer, but just pause a moment and think about what could happen. You could get in an accient. You could get pulled over and fined. You could be that jerk who raced through the light at the last second and is now blocking traffic for everyone else.

I've driven in enough LA traffic to know that when there's an endless line of oncoming traffic and you don't have a protected arrow, you WILL NEVER get a perfectly clear and safe break to make a turn.

[Fontucky]

Which is the reason people make unsafe mad dashes across oncoming traffic.