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Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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I'm looking for tips on avoiding accidents when other drivers don't follow the rules of the road relating to Michigan u-turns (or Michigan lefts, median u-turns, whatever you want to call them). I'm currently teaching my son to drive and this is stressing me out.
Here's how it works: When coming from a secondary road, drivers are directed to turn right and enter a designated U-turn -- or cross over -- lane in the median strip. When the traffic clears, the driver completes the U-turn and goes back through the intersection. This U-turn lane is also designed so that traffic only goes one way.
Here's the issue: drivers entering from the secondary road are NOT proceeding to the designated u-turn (despite signs).
For example, we're stopped at a red light on a secondary road. There are three lanes turning right. The first two left lanes must cross the highway and veer left to the median and get into the corresponding 2 left turn lanes.
The only cars that can actually turn right and head down the highway are the cars in the far right turn lane. There are signs above each lane that tell you which lane is heading where.
However, there is always someone in the far left lane who wants to actually make a right and not head to the left turn lanes at the median. They will then cut off the person in the middle lane. There is not enough time or road space to change lanes. These drivers do not care because, by God, they are not going to proceed to the median as directed and make the left. They don't use blinkers or anything, they will just swerve right into the other lane at the last minute (and they'll usually curse you, give you the finger, etc).
My son understands the rules of the road. He knows what lane to get into. He's fine. The issue is the other drivers. There have already been several accidents. Does anyone have any tips for teaching him to stay safe when making lefts?
I think one picture of that intersection would be worth thousand words. I am still trying to fathom how do you take Right turn into U-turn. All U turns I ever saw where Left turn into U-turn.
If I understand correctly, it seems like some people are in the wrong lane when they realize that they need to make a right instead of a left, but are in the lane to turn left so they panic and then cross over all traffic to make their right turn. Those are the types that cause accidents!
I know this isn't really a tip for what he can do in that situation other then basically, be prepared for the unexpected. It would be so much easier (and safer) for everybody concerned if those who realized they are in the wrong lane to just continue on through, correctly, and then do another U-turn further down the road. Traffic would go much smoother and there would be less accidents!
Sorry, I am exclusively dumb, I guess. I still see a left turn into the left turn only lane followed by left turn into the U-turn.
Not: drivers are directed to turn right and enter a designated U-turn
This shows R turn into primary FWY>crossing one lane to the LEFT to get into the left turn only lane>left U-turn. That's pretty normal solution on rural freeways, we have those here too.
The problem you describe is the biggest problem with them. If you don't know that the intersection has one, your in the wrong lane. Drivers are conditioned to move left to make a left turn. That problem doesn't ever go away because not every intersection will be like that (most intersections even in Michigan, are still left-hand turn lanes). Even if its signed beforehand (many are poorly signed to begin with), many people will not understand them (I didn't the first time I encountered one). Out of towners will almost certainly be in the wrong lane as well, as they aren't anywhere else in the country.
Granted if you live in a place, you get used to it. But because you get used to it, doesn't make it a good idea.
When your driving, something that is not a regular occurrence can be dangerous. I made a left at that intersection, at that point my Michigan passenger (my cousin) told me I had just made an illegal left turn. She had no idea they were no where else, so said nothing about it. Were there signs saying no left turn, probably. There weren't left turn arrows. Since it was a rural area, I didn't think a lack of a left turn arrow was a big deal.
So instead of just making a left turn (illegally) or continuing straight through, people do the most dangerous thing and make a right from the left. I am guessing that never came up in a traffic study before they tried them the first time.
I am also guessing traffic engineers were hoping that people would understand it works kind of like an interstate exit, since the majority of interstate exits are to the right, no matter which direction you will go after exiting. But that doesn't seem to work in practice. Many times something that looks good a paper doesn't work out in reality. I think that is the case with these.
People either ignore signage, don't understand the info, or have no real way to be in the correct lane. Or the traffic volume is low, so it seems a waste of time to go "the wrong way" instead of a simple left. To many it will always look like a flawed design. A waste of electric with the additional traffic lights as well. And remember u-turns are otherwise illegal everywhere else. So you have to go against two major assumptions of driving (making lefts from left lanes, and that u-turns are illegal).
They may claim fewer and less serious accidents. But its small comfort to those involved in wrecks caused by this design.
Maybe they would work better if more places had them and more people would be familiar with them. But I am glad we don't have them in the Chicago area, our traffic volume would overwhelm them, so people are not used to doing them.
Frankly I don't think they work good enough to use. I am guessing someone in charge at MDOT loves them, but never manages to talk other states people into using them, and maybe when that person isn't there anymore, they will begin to disappear.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,870,624 times
Reputation: 9885
Quote:
Originally Posted by ukrkoz
Sorry, I am exclusively dumb, I guess. I still see a left turn into the left turn only lane followed by left turn into the U-turn.
Not: drivers are directed to turn right and enter a designated U-turn
This shows R turn into primary FWY>crossing one lane to the LEFT to get into the left turn only lane>left U-turn. That's pretty normal solution on rural freeways, we have those here too.
We have to enter the highway from the secondary road (the one at the bottom of the picture).
Our secondary road entrance is incredibly confusing because the secondary road has 3 lanes that go right onto the highway. The first two lanes must proceed across the highway and go into two lanes on the left of the highway.
Only the 3rd lane can turn right onto the highway.
Does that help?
Incidentally, this is not in Michigan. I'd never seen anything like this until they came to my town. I just read the signs and followed them.
This design may also be intended to help with a problem I have seen twice while traveling westbound on a 4 lane divided expressway that had secondary, 2 lane, road crossings "at grade". (No over/underpass).
Both times, at night, I had oncoming traffic in MY left lane. Obviously these drivers made a left turn onto the expressway into the westbound lanes instead of the eastbound lanes. Fortunately they were in their "right" (but not correct !) lanes so we passed each other without colliding.
The first time it took me a few seconds to realize what just happened. 8-)
The design is not the problem. There are signs posted, according to the OP, that directs which lane to be in. It's the idiotic driver who just does whatever the hell he wants, everyone else be damned, who causes the accidents. The only thing you can teach your son is to expect it, and be ready to hit the brakes, or other necessary avoidance maneuvers. The same situation happens here in Virginia at a two left turn lane intersection. After the turn, the left lane goes one way, and the right lane goes another. Signs are posted telling you which lane to be in, yet, everyday, people turn left from the left lane and then cut over to the right to take that lane where it goes. There's nothing that you can do but be ready for it (expect it) and be prepared to avoid them or stop. It's called defensive driving.
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