How Do You Make A Left-Hand Turn Through Stopped Traffic or Heavy Traffic?

How Do You Make A Left-Hand Turn Through Stopped Traffic or Heavy Traffic? One may be tempted to think that working for a personal injury law firm would give some sort of immunity from car accidents. But apparently this is not the case. A year and a half ago, I was a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident. (I’m a paralegal at the law office.) Because I had done work on so many other car accident cases, I thought I knew exactly what to do and who was at fault. The other car had hit us, clearly they were at-fault. However, once it became apparent that the accident was our fault, I was at a loss. How could that be!?

Why did the accident happen while trying to make a left-hand turn through stopped traffic?

We had been attempting to turn left into a parking lot. The double lanes of through traffic were both heavy and congested with cars. We didn’t think we were ever going to be able to turn. However, a very kind driver in the lane closest to us stopped and waved us through. We were wary of turning because it was a two-lane road. But as we started the turn, the car in the second lane also came to a stop. We had almost completed the left-hand turn when out of nowhere we felt a large jolt and our car spun ninety degrees.

What had happened? We were sure that the cars in both lanes had stopped to let us through! Once we assessed the situation, we realized that the car that hit us had swerved around the stopped cars completely unaware that those cars were stopped to allow us to make a turn. However, there were no witnesses to back up our version of the accident and it was assumed by law enforcement that we had turned in front of the other car.

Why is it dangerous to make a left-hand turn through stopped traffic and how do you make a left-hand turn through stopped traffic?

This scenario is not rare. In fact, it happens quite often, especially during heavy traffic. Other drivers are attempting to be “kind” by allowing another driver to turn left in front of them. This is, in theory, a considerate action, but it is just too dangerous. If an accident does occur, it is the fault of the driver that is making the left-hand turn.

The driver that is allowing the person to make a left-hand turn in front of them has no way of knowing or controlling the drivers in other lanes. The other drivers may not be as considerate. The driver in the next lane may not stop, nor realize that a car is making a left-hand turn. The car behind the stopped car may get impatient and decide to drive around the stopped car.

Further adding to the danger, as the driver of the car attempting the left-hand turn, your visibility is blocked by the car that waved you through. Until you are in the next lane you have no way of knowing if another car is coming. There are too many variables to make allowing a vehicle to make a left-hand turn in front of you a safe or good idea.

So how do you make a left-hand turn through stopped traffic then?

How do you make a left-hand turn through stopped traffic when another driver waves you through? The first thing to remember is that if an accident does occur, you will be at-fault. The risk of an accident is not worth the time you save by cutting through the heavy traffic! One thing to do if a car waves you through is to wave back and tell them to keep moving. Once traffic completely clears, you can then make your turn. This option might require some waiting, especially during rush-hour traffic.

The safest option is to continue driving and make a legal U-turn where there is less traffic or a traffic light. You can also make a series of left-hand turns or right-hand turns to get you where you need to be if there are no immediate legal options for a U-turn. When making the U-turn, make sure to not only yield to oncoming traffic, but also to any traffic that might be making a right-hand turn onto the same lane of travel where you are making your U-turn, especially if the roadway is not wide or a single lane.

If you feel you must make the left-hand turn and the cars are stopped far enough back that you can clearly see the traffic in all lanes, make sure you proceed with caution as you make your turn. Always keep an eye on the cars in all lanes of the through traffic, including the shoulder, as impatient drivers will sometimes go around stopped traffic. Once again, we advise against this option, but if you insist on doing it, do it as safely as possible.

What should you do if another car does not know about how do you make a left-hand turn through stopped traffic?

Car accidents are never a good thing, but they are even worse when you are the one that caused the accident. Waving left-hand turn drivers through is a practice that needs to stop. It is dangerous for the driver making the left-hand turn and it is dangerous for the cars in other lanes that may be unaware of what is happening.

If you find yourself in this uncomfortable situation, remember that it is always better to be safe than sorry. The other vehicle can wait for traffic to clear or continue straight until they can make a legal U-turn. You don’t need to feel pressure to facilitate their dangerous action.

Although not recommended, if you are going to insist on waving left-hand drivers through stopped traffic, stop as far back as possible to give the left-hand driver more time to see other oncoming traffic. Also, be aware of the profile of your vehicle. If you are driving a large truck or van, the other vehicle will have reduced visibility to see any vehicles behind you.

We hope you have learned how do you make a left-hand turn through stopped traffic. If you have been in a car accident, please give us a call to discuss your options. Call us for a free consultation: 801-738-9999. https://myutahinjurylawyer.com/contact/

Here is the Utah Law on making turns: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter6A/C41-6a-P8_1800010118000101.pdf