Texas Traffic Laws: Waiting in the intersection to turn left.

[eislyborges]

I got a ticket in West Virginia going 89mph on a 70mph interstate. I live in Houston, Tx. How does this affect my driving privileges or license here in Texas? What can I do? Or what do I have to do?

[dreamz77584]

Originally Posted by astrohip

Have you not read any of this thread? You are absolutely wrong, wrong, wrong. Heck, read jimmyev's post just a couple above you, where a judge threw out a ticket because being in an intersection when it turns red is not illegal.

I'll make this simple for you. In Texas, you are not running a red light if you have entered the intersection before the light turns red. Repeat: As long as any of your car has entered the intersection while the light is green or yellow, then you can continue thru the intersection legally, even if it turns red while you are exiting it.

This is Texas. Every state is different.

Oh, and the red-light cameras you mention? They look to see if you have entered the intersection after it turns red. Not if you are in it, if you entered it.

Wow...forums like this are for learning...

Thanks bud....Didnt know this before...livin in texas for more than 10 years...

Is it only for Turns or Straight through, I mean, if i cross the line in yellow, i can still continue.
But I dont know the timer Delay between this Red Signal and Other End green signal before I get T boned...

[Lbjen]

I have noticed that most people wait behind the line here instead of pulling forward into the intersection to wait, in Illinois everyone pulls forward, you can be 30% into the intersection to wait, but no more than 2 cars can be waiting in the intersection. I thought maybe it was the law here or something, but I guess it's just the way people drive here. I have almost been t-boned by someone speeding through the oncoming red light as I was turning left, in my black car at night. Scary stuff.

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by dreamzdecora

Is it only for Turns or Straight through, I mean, if i cross the line in yellow, i can still continue.

It doesn't matter why, straight or turn, as long as you entered the intersection while green or yellow, you are not running a red light.

Originally Posted by Lbjen

I have noticed that most people wait behind the line here instead of pulling forward into the intersection to wait, in Illinois everyone pulls forward, you can be 30% into the intersection to wait, but no more than 2 cars can be waiting in the intersection. I thought maybe it was the law here or something, but I guess it's just the way people drive here. I have almost been t-boned by someone speeding through the oncoming red light as I was turning left, in my black car at night. Scary stuff.

If I had to guess, I would say 75% of the drivers I see pull into the intersection, maybe 25% wait at the line.

I've never come close to being hit by this. Ever. It's pretty easy to see someone in an intersection waiting to turn. Only a blind drunk would hit you. Now if you fly thru right after it turns red, yeah you might find a fast-on-the-gas driver hit you. That's why running a red in Houston is foolhardy.

[Lbjen]

I was already in the intersection waiting when it turned red, I was in the right. The driver that almost hit me was the one in the wrong.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by Lbjen

I have noticed that most people wait behind the line here instead of pulling forward into the intersection to wait, in Illinois everyone pulls forward, you can be 30% into the intersection to wait, but no more than 2 cars can be waiting in the intersection. I thought maybe it was the law here or something, but I guess it's just the way people drive here. I have almost been t-boned by someone speeding through the oncoming red light as I was turning left, in my black car at night. Scary stuff.

This drives me nuts too, never seen such a high incidence of this foolishness anywhere else. Where's my 'nuke' button...

[Texamichiforniasota]

There aren't many lights in Houston where there isn't a controlled Left turn, so it's not as big an issue as it is in other cities. In LA, lights without a controlled left turn are much more common and the general rule is as many cars as will fit (usually two) pull into the intersection and they go through when the light turns yellow/red. There are a lot of lights where there is never really a break in oncoming traffic, so going into the intersection and turning when the light changes is the only way anyone ever gets to turn left. The system works pretty well until tourists foul it up.

[xsatyr]

Originally Posted by Texamichiforniasota

There aren't many lights in Houston where there isn't a controlled Left turn, so it's not as big an issue as it is in other cities. In LA, lights without a controlled left turn are much more common and the general rule is as many cars as will fit (usually two) pull into the intersection and they go through when the light turns yellow/red. There are a lot of lights where there is never really a break in oncoming traffic, so going into the intersection and turning when the light changes is the only way anyone ever gets to turn left. The system works pretty well until tourists foul it up.

I can think of quite of few on Washington Ave. Many of them have green arrows for a protected turn and the regular green light for unprotected. I prefer when the light starts off unprotected then switches to protected because it's safer. Too many drivers run the light forcing you to wait even longer in the intersection. I always have a slight hesitation before turning to make sure oncoming traffic is slower down for the yellow light.

[TheDarkSide]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

If you wait out in the intersection, I'm sorry but I HATE YOU. YOU are the reason accidents and holdups are caused.

Sincerely, Responsible Person with a spotless driving record

You people are ridiculous.
Waiting in the middle of the intersection doesn't slow down anything, or hold up
anything. You are inexperienced drivers, or retarded.

It is not illegal to wait in the middle of the intersection to make a left turn.
If it was dangerous, they WOULD make it illegal.

If traffic is tight, and you can see that the car in front of you might be the only one
making it before the light turns red, then You should STAY behind the line.

But, If you are in the FRONT and are NEXT, It is perfectly ok to move into the intersection. If the the oncoming traffic is heavy and does not allow you to get in and make your turn, You simply wait til the light turns RED, and the oncoming
traffic STOPS. Then you just quickly make your turn.
There is no chance of an accident, because the traffic coming from your left
AND right, are normally at a Red Light, WAITING for the light to get Green.
And unless they are idiots... there is no way they can hit you.

The HAVE TO WAIT for you to complete your turn. And since you are already in
the middle of the intersection... it is simple to make your left turn Long before the
traffic to the left or to the right have a chance to Go.

So it's stupid to even go around saying you "hate" anyone for making traffic
slow... etc. You just want to make something out of nothing.

And the answer is YES , IT IS OK TO WAIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION.
THIS IS TEXAS.