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It is WRONG to use a double left turn lane as a merge for the left turn from a side road.
I was stopped waiting to turn left into a driveway when someone came from my right and tried to enter the double left lane where I already was. He swerved to his right and almost hit the oncoming car I was waiting for before I turned. He would have been in even more trouble if I had started the turn.
It is high time this merging use of the double left lane be prohibited and ticketed.
According to the Federal Highway Administration it is perfectly acceptable to use it as a merge lane. I agree with you that doing so is problematic, but it is legal.
Perfectly acceptable vs. completely legal per state and local laws is totally different.
The use of a center lane as a merge lane can change between states and might even change between local government entities.
One state I lived in allowed you to turn from a road into a left turn lane of the other road and travel NO further than 200 fee; that was either TN or NY and was many years ago so it could have changed.
Boise Idaho states:
"Upon a roadway where traffic is permitted to move in both directions, whenever the center lane of said roadway is bounded by solid lines, vehicles shall travel upon said center lane only for the purposes of turning to the left or entering a designated traffic lane after completion of a left turn. Vehicles shall not use said center lane as a passing lane nor shall any vehicle travel upon said center lane for a distance of more than one hundred feet (100') prior to turning to the left or following completion of a left turn.
I do it all the time, turn into a left turn lane and basically stop till traffic clears in the lane I want to merge into. I have done this quite a few times with a local cop or sheriff coming down the road and never been pulled over.
One thing I am learning from being on this site and reading comments in this part of the forum is I am getting more nervous about driving, because of all the comments and threads about how other people are nervous, afraid, etc., of driving on roads for no apparent reason.
Unprotected left turns are potentially perilous for the masses of unskilled and unable to discern momentum, distance as well as too timid to accelerate drivers (ladies who lunch piloting 400+hp Porsche Macan Turbos as if they were Prius V’s). It is evident in 1000s of dash-cam videos and in most of our day-to-day driving.
But for the rest of us we can easily figure it out, signal and calmly get in the proper lane and proceed when we know we have the space for our car’s performance characteristics to safely complete a simple maneuver.
Left turns are extremely dangerous with roads that are above 40mph. One of our roads here, frequently have accidents with many deaths due to the speed and people who turn left and right on the roads. Now you're gonna have people advocate for speed limit. Speed limit never works when you have a long straight road and over building of stores along the stretch.
Even at speeds of 30mph, a car suddenly slowly down in front of you to turn into the drivethru could've been struck by someone driving a big car. People who make turns need to think and learn how to properly make a turn off the road without impacting others behind.
I hate people who thinks that everyone behind them must slow down from 50mph to 5mph just so they can turn into a Mcdonald drive thru.
I have heard them referred to as suicide lanes. I like them for turning left but it does cause me concern when one pulls into them before merging right as I am concerned they will just pull through it.
Left turns are extremely dangerous with roads that are above 40mph. One of our roads here, frequently have accidents with many deaths due to the speed and people who turn left and right on the roads. Now you're gonna have people advocate for speed limit. Speed limit never works when you have a long straight road and over building of stores along the stretch.
Even at speeds of 30mph, a car suddenly slowly down in front of you to turn into the drivethru could've been struck by someone driving a big car. People who make turns need to think and learn how to properly make a turn off the road without impacting others behind.
I hate people who thinks that everyone behind them must slow down from 50mph to 5mph just so they can turn into a Mcdonald drive thru.
Turn signals exist to tell drivers behind you that you are going to turn.
There’s a McDonalds in this area that requires a 170 degree turn to enter it from the street. It it, unfortunately, necessary to slow down for that turn. You’re just going to have to be patient. Most turns can’t be safely made at 30 mph or greater, you know.
Are these specifically designated as "left turn ONLY" lanes, or are they the center 'chicken lanes' found all over the country? Because the latter are for both safe left turns out of traffic, and for merging into left-bound traffic without having to wait for both directions to clear. Unless the drivers are sitting on top of lane labels to the contrary, they're using them exactly the way they're supposed to be used.
For some reason, almost no center-turn lanes exist in Dallas, all the roads are divided by medians. We do have a few in Austin.
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