Hypothetical Driving Situation

crystalklear64

crystalklear64

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You're pulling up to a 4 way intersection. There are 2 cars in front of your and the light has just turned green. You need to make a left turn and are in the far turning lane. This is a protected turn. The two cars proceed through the intersection and just as you have passed the stop point for your lane, the light turns yellow. A short light but nothing that should stop you from making your turn. However, as you are making your left turn, another car in the lane across from you decides to make a right turn on red. The car slowly pulls out into your lane (the far lane). Seeing what is about to occur and being unable to stop in the middle of the intersection with the light quickly approaching red, you glance to your side, see that the near turning lane is clear and make a lane change into it in an effort to avoid hitting the car in front of you and to keep from being stopped in the middle of the intersection. When you make this change, you break traction and your tires squeak quite loudly.

Would you (red car) be ticketed if a cop had seen this situation? Would the other driver (green car)?
 
If a cop saw it, he or she would have likely ticketed or should have ticketed the green car. It wasn't clear to make that turn so the car shouldn't have proceeded. Plus the car could have caused an accident. You don't seem to know the timing of the light or what kind of light the opposing traffic had. If you were turning on a red and their light turned green, they'd likely have a way to argue out of the hypothetical ticket even with the safety violations.

It depends on your state, but if you go on the yellow, you often have to do it at a safe speed at which you can safely CLEAR the intersection. If you would have safely cleared the intersection if not for this other car unsafely turning, you could probably argue your way out of the ticket in court. If it turns red and you're still turning, in most states you can get a ticket for that.

People pull this shit all the time (turning on yellow/red, either left hand turn or right) and I never see cops give traffic tickets for it since you have to luck out and have them watching the intersection as it happens, which is like, never.
 
My guess is any cop that saw that would think to himself "Damn, I'm glad they didn't wreck. I didn't really want to get out and work that." and then go on his way.
 
[quote name='darthbudge']My guess is any cop that saw that would think to himself "Damn, I'm glad they didn't wreck. I didn't really want to get out and work that." and then go on his way.[/QUOTE]

This!

How do you know the green car had a red light? Were you in a turning lane that had a green/yellow arrow? (is that what you mean by "protected turn")
 
[quote name='cheapfrag']This!

How do you know the green car had a red light? Were you in a turning lane that had a green/yellow arrow? (is that what you mean by "protected turn")[/QUOTE]

I assume that's what OP meant. Like the left turn lane had a dedicated left turn arrow. I don't think I've ever seen a double left hand turn that's a simple yield to oncoming traffic on a solid green.
 
[quote name='Yahoo Answers']A protected left turn is a green/red arrow on the traffic light pointing left. Traffic coming from the other direction is stopped while motorists can turn left on a green arrow.

If you live on the west coast, you see these at almost every large intersection. If you live on the east coast, chances are you've never even seen one. :) It's a lot more common on the east coast to have a delayed green light - where motorists get a few seconds to make their left turn before traffic going the other direction gets a green light.[/quote]
Didn't realize it was a regional term.
 
It all depends on what the cop saw. If he hears a squeal and turns to see you rounding the corner, you're probably getting a ticket. Don't intersections like this usually have a "no turn on red"?

Regardless of whether the green car turned in front of you or not, if your tires squeal in any part of a turn you are going too fast. I would assume a ticket for something like this would be "wreckless driving" for the red car and "failing to yield" for the green one.
 
Lets assume there is no signage saying a turn on red is prohibited.

When the red car was entering the intersection, the light was green. It became yellow just as the red driver crossed their front wheels over the stopping line to enter the intersection.

My personal opinion. Both drivers are at fault according to WA state law.

For the red driver, you cannot break traction. I believe, that on a left hand turn and multiple lanes are available and clear you can pick which lane to turn into (ie red driver did not have to stay in the far lane) so they are ok in that regard.

For the green driver, when making that right hand turn on red you always have to yield to traffic and pedestrians. I would guess that the green driver thought the red driver was turning into the near lane.

In this particular situation, yes the red driver broke traction, which is against the law, however in doing so they avoided an accident. Would there be an exception because of this? I think the green driver would be ticketed either way.
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']Didn't realize it was a regional term.[/QUOTE]

That is bullshit. I've lived on the east coast my whole life and they're everywhere.
 
This whole thing hinges on whether or not you are turning into a Starbucks.

I guess I fail to see how the green car would be right at all in this situation. Shouldn't it be a protected turn for the duration, including the yellow? They've got to yield.
 
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