Road Rules Reminders / Pet peeves driving within the metro / unclarification / bad signs / laws (Atlanta: chapel, maintenance)

[Forhall]

Blocking the intersection. I get so pissed when traffic is heavy and 3 or 4 bozos are so selfish they go through with no room because they don't want to sit through another signal, blocking traffic for every other car when the light changes and wasting 5-10 seconds of "green light" while we all wait for them to clear. This selfishness just increases traffic for everyone across the metro.

Almost worse than that? When I stop at green lights to AVOID blocking the intersection and another breed of selfish human turns right on red in front of me so they can block the box instead. I wasn't letting you go, idiot, I was trying to keep traffic flowing.

[NC2ATL60]

I think the thing that irritates me the most on Atlanta roadways is the sheer amount of aggressive drivers here coupled with all the distracted driving going on. It is taking road rage around the metro area to new levels!

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Right turn on red.

So this is one thing that bugged me alot.

Frequently I would come up to a T - Intersection and there would be a Yield sign to turn right onto the street that dead ends onto the street you're turning from, which means the only possible traffic you could be yielding too would be traffic turning from the left coming from the oncoming lanes, however; according to state law... Left turn traffic must yield to ALL oncoming traffic, including traffic turning right.. rarely do I see this acknowledged, most people believe that right turns have to yield to traffic turning left into their lanes and left turners will take the opportunity to cut off traffic turning right which technically would cause an at-fault accident on part of the traffic turning left UNLESS they have a protected left turn arrow. This law is intended for all intersections and not just T-Intersections, even if the right turn lane is separated by a dividing island.

http://www.dot.ga.gov/PartnerSmart/B...ld%20signs.pdf

On page 24 here as well -
http://www.eregulations.com/wp-conte...GADM-Final.pdf

Nothing states that right turners are required to yield to left turning traffic.

You are incorrect (I'm pretty sure). If there is a raised island and a Yield sign, the person with the yield sign is technically at a separate intersection not controlled by the traffic signal, and must yield to all other traffic. It's in your DOT link. Two points confirm this:
• If a yield sign is present, the driver that had the yield sign is at fault in an accident. This means that those at a Yield sign do not have right of way under any circumstance.
• When a raised concrete island is present: a yield sign can be used. When a raised concrete island is not present: a yield sign should not be used because the driver is legally under the control of the traffic signal. Once you leave the main roadway and are at a separated lane controlled by a Yield sign, you are no longer part of the main intersection. You must Yield to all oncoming traffic, including left turners.

So many people do not understand this and believe they have right of way if they are at a Yield sign when someone else is at a stop sign. I do not believe this is true. I've almost been in several accidents at this intersection for a couple of reasons. First of all, the Stop signs are labeled "All Way", leading drivers to believe that all traffic has a stop sign and you follow the regular rules. But, the oncoming right turn lane has a separated Yield sign, and many of this people believe they don't have to slow down or stop for anything. That is false. If it were true, those turning left from the position of the image would almost never actually get to turn.

Typically..I did anyway, only to avoid a possible collision but it still irritated me to no end.

You would have been at fault if you didn't and caused an accident. You did not have right of way.

Incorrect signage on Interstates:

This sign: https://goo.gl/maps/VFY3MBPuYq92 has ALWAYS irritated me to no end! I've reported it and they state they see no issue.. Whats the issue? The mileage is wrong...

The sign states that the exit for I-575 is 1.75 miles away, truth is... in every vehicle I've driven.. the exit is only 1.25 miles from that point.. https://goo.gl/maps/Sh8oihgxTym that is a half of a mile difference..and if you didn't know the area and were in the left lane the sign leads you to believe you have alot more time than you really have to merge and exit.

The sign is wrong. It is absolutely 1.25 miles. You can measure it on Google Maps. Another one that gets me the the exit sign for Bolton on I285 North. It says one mile, but it's about 800' less than a mile. Not as bad, but still...

Windy Hill / Cobb Pkwy traffic light:

If this light doesn't just blatantly scream red light camera scam, I don't know what does... The green phase on Windy Hill is just WAY too short.. traffic would be backed up for miles and it will stay green for cross traffic for like 10 seconds and then try to grab some funds from frustrated drivers.

That's just typical of the Atlanta Metro and one of the reasons our congestion is so bad. Mis-timed traffic signals are rampant. Signals which are a mere 100-200 feet apart are not timed together, leading to blocked intersections and other atrocities.

Others are just too damn long and favor side streets instead of main roads. The intersection at Moore's Mill and Wesley is awful for this. Even if there is very little traffic on Moore's Mill, it will often back up for 1/4 to 1/2 a mile at this intersection because the light is red for so long. All for a cross street that only puts through a few cars at a time. Another is Northside at McDaniel. The left turn arrow for southbound Northside onto McDaniel itself is literally 90 seconds long. That means that cars traveling north are stopped for two and a half minutes or more. Far too long for a major arterial.

But, the absolute worst timed traffic signal in the city, in my opinion, is the light at Northside and North. I don't know what Mensa candidate came up with the plan for this one, but it's a two part light. The light closest to the camera in the intersection will turn green, but the one that controls the next intersection just 140' away doesn't turn green for another 15 seconds or so. But, that next light is always backed up form the previous phase. So, when the light turns green from the camera location, you don't go. You sit there and wait. It's like that from several directions.

Various traffic lights at night:

This happens all over the metro at select intersections. There wont be a soul not even a ghost waiting at the cross street and the light will not only turn red for no apparent reason..but also stay red for like 5 minutes to allow some dust and leaves to blow through the intersections.

Most intersections should become blinking lights at night. I cannot count how much time is spent sitting at an intersection not moving for two minutes when I'm the only person in sight.

Wonky and dangerous left turn situations:

So it seems like when Georgia adopted those flashing left turn arrows (good idea) they decided to include the opportunity to confuse drivers into steering your vehicle into oncoming traffic by not giving certain intersections a green arrow EVEN WHEN THEY COULD (meaning left turning traffic from both sides at the same time would likely not cause a dangerous situation).

Yeah...not getting the green arrow is annoying.

But the thing I hate more is red arrows at intersections which do not need them. Red arrows should be used only in instances where sightlines are reduced, or where an actual dangerous condition is present. Too often I sit on on empty road with a green light, wanting to turn left, but can't. Again...this is stuff which just causes extra congestion.


I got a big one: when you are coming north on the connector through downtown, the left three lanes are marked for 75/85 North starting just before Freedom Parkway and lasting until just before Grady Curve. This causes drivers to move over to those three lanes. But, the reality is that none of those lanes goes to 75 North. You must be in the right two lanes to get to 75 North. So all the people who have gotten over due to lane markings must now get back over when the sign at North and the sign at 10th tell them different lanes. This gives them approximately 1.25 miles to get over on an often congested road, creating a massive slowdown, and honestly what I believe causes the backup there somewhat. Sheer idiocy.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Forhall

Blocking the intersection. I get so pissed when traffic is heavy and 3 or 4 bozos are so selfish they go through with no room because they don't want to sit through another signal, blocking traffic for every other car when the light changes and wasting 5-10 seconds of "green light" while we all wait for them to clear. This selfishness just increases traffic for everyone across the metro.

Oh, God...this!! This is easily a huge part of what causes congestion around town: not being able to go because some idiot has decided to block the intersection. And especially when you blare your horn at them and they don't even flinch: they know they're doing it.

[tikigod311]

Something to add... the newer HAWK signals at pedestrian crossings.

GDOT/CoA put these up, they have a totally different signal phase than any other signal, and they provided no explanation to drivers. Total negligence by whoever is in charge of these. A pedestrian likely get seriously hurt or worse due to lack of explanation to drivers.

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Something to add... the newer HAWK signals at pedestrian crossings.

GDOT/CoA put these up, they have a totally different signal phase than any other signal, and they provided no explanation to drivers. Total negligence by whoever is in charge of these. A pedestrian likely get seriously hurt or worse due to lack of explanation to drivers.

What's unique about them? I can just recall the one on Buford Highway. It flashes yellow and stop then it turns back off.

[PKCorey]

The badly timed lights here. My goodness. I waste so much time on Mountain Industrial and others lights in Dekalb.

What's up with the lights at the highways? Most of the time, their changes does not help traffic flow but impede it.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by PKCorey

What's up with the lights at the highways? Most of the time, their changes does not help traffic flow but impede it.

I'm almost convinced that Atlanta traffic lights are specifically timed to stop flow as much as possible.

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

I'm almost convinced that Atlanta traffic lights are specifically timed to stop flow as much as possible.

Right.

What's the point of giving me the green light and I have to stop at the next light on the other side of the ramp/bridge?

[alco89]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Something to add... the newer HAWK signals at pedestrian crossings.

GDOT/CoA put these up, they have a totally different signal phase than any other signal, and they provided no explanation to drivers. Total negligence by whoever is in charge of these. A pedestrian likely get seriously hurt or worse due to lack of explanation to drivers.

Also, doesn't the flashing red (after a solid red) mean "stop, but you can proceed if no one else is crossing the street"?

I think it does, but most times people just sit there for an extra 5-10 seconds even though no one is crossing the street. Of course, this leads to more unnecessary congestion.