[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Davonu

Exactly as it is supposed to work…then you complete your left turn when the opposing traffic stops.

Making up your own traffic ideas huh

[Davonu]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Making up your own traffic ideas huh

If basing my ideas on Florida statutes and 25 years of traffic engineering experience is making up my own traffic ideas, then…yes.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Davonu

If basing my ideas on Florida statutes and 25 years of traffic engineering experience is making up my own traffic ideas, then…yes.

Statute says we can go into intersection and until we are safe to complete left turn than yes you are making up your own ideas.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Davonu

If basing my ideas on Florida statutes and 25 years of traffic engineering experience is making up my own traffic ideas, then…yes.

Professional expertise holds no sway on TOTV.

Thanks for your answer. Having spent $100,000's on Traffic Studies, I have a pretty good clue how it all works, which is why I asked about Queues and what the US Highway Safety Manual says about such intersections and how they're supposed to work.


Whatever you do, stay away from LOS, Queue times, turning radii and the rest of it. You'll be pummeled by someone who learned traffic engineering behind the wheel of a '75 Honda Accord.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by CarlR33

The only disadvantage is if an emergency unit happens to come along while you’re sitting in the intersection. I normally get part way into the intersection not all the way.

If an emergency vehicle is on the way, you will either hear it or see it well in advance of your turn.

[Win1894]

Originally Posted by sjeffries

The cars that have correctly entered the intersection, past the white line, all have the right of way to make their left turn before cross traffic can move.

Agree. This may be the Fl statute that covers it which is the same as in NJ and Indiana:

FL Statute 316.121  Vehicles approaching or entering intersections.—
(1) The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle which has entered the intersection from a different highway.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Win1894

Agree. This may be the Fl statute that covers it which is the same as in NJ and Indiana:

FL Statute 316.121  Vehicles approaching or entering intersections.—
(1) The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle which has entered the intersection from a different highway.

Except that is not applicable to the situation in question. Note the last 7 words:

"entered the intersection from a different highway".

In this case, we're talking about a vehicle entering the intersection, from the same road as the opposing traffic.

[rhood]

Originally Posted by VillagesDude

Only one car may enter the intersection as long as there was a green light for that vehicle. Another vehicle may not enter the intersection regardless of there is a green light as long as another vehicle is there. If you do enter the intersection prior to the other vehicle clearing it, and the light turns red, the first vehicle is ok as it must clear the intersection; the second vehicle will be ticketed. Bottom line, you may not enter an intersection to turn left if another car is waiting.

Please cite the statute that covers this.

[J1ceasar]

The trouble is a lot of midwesterners are too polite to do that. I grew up also in New Jersey and New York and would not hesitate to do that of course when I did that in LA the guy in front of me decided to stop and I got a ticket

[VApeople]

After all is said and done, I guess we are going to do whatever we feel like doing.

In my case, I wait behind the white line until the traffic is clear, and then I make my turn left.

Other people like to pull out into the middle of the road, wait for awhile, and then make their turn.

Either way is OK, in my opinion. We just should not expect everyone to act exactly like we choose to.