[Danube]

Originally Posted by Heytubes

You must stay in the leftmost lane when turning left, then signal to the right lane when clear. Be safe, rather than think you’re right.

No. Left turn can turn to any lane. OP had a green left arrow which means the opposing vehicle making a right had a red light. The vehicle at the red light must yield in all circumstances.

[Danube]

Originally Posted by Cassieb

You must remain in the lane you are turning from. From your explanation you nearly hit the other car by crossing lanes. It would have been your fault.

No. Left turns can go to any lane.

Right turns can only go to the right lane.

OP had a green arrow = turn into any lane while opposinf vehicle must wait at his red light.

Not complicated and it's in the rule book.

[Danube]

Originally Posted by Cassieb

You must remain in the lane you are turning from. From your explanation you nearly hit the other car by crossing lanes. It would have been your fault.

Wrong.

[Danube]

Originally Posted by Topgun 1776

You are correct! If you're turning from the far left turn lane, you don't get your pick of lanes in the middle of a intersection/turn. You must stay in the left lane through the completion of the turn and then, when the right lane is clear, safely change lanes. Left turns with an arrow don't get their choice of lanes.

Wrong.

See page 1:
"Florida DMV handbook (which outranks cops) clarifies it.

A left turn may be completed into any lane lawfully available or safe for the desired direction of travel. Diagrams addressing the different turning situations are in the Florida drivers handbook."

[Danube]

Originally Posted by Fenster

I disagree. Think it through. And reread the handbook. If you go from the left lane into the right lane, where the opposing car wants to go, you create a dangerous condition. Even if the law is vague, you are encroaching upon the other driver’s lane.

Also, to go from one lane (left) to another (right), you have to signal your lane change. There is a required distance for you to give notice (varies by state).

Depending on the timing, you are probably cutting the other driver off.

My advice: don’t do it. Saying that you’re acting legally (probably not) doesn’t make it safe.

Nope.
The car turning right had a red light since the OP (turning left) had a green arrow.

Really, this isn't complicated.

[BrianL99]

The number of completely erroneous and dangerous interpretations and opinions on this thread is mind boggling. Where did you folks learn how to drive? It's the same in EVERY state in the USA.

A vehicle turning right at a stop light or sign, never, ever, under any circumstances, has the Right of Way. They are at the mercy of any other traffic in the vicinity. Always.

If the OP had a Green Arrow, vehicles coming in the opposite direction at that intersection have a RED light. They can't move from a stopped position, until it's "safe to do so". Every other vehicle in the area, not subject to a red light, takes precedent.

Turning with a Green arrow allows you to enter into any available lane, unless it's a "double turning lane" you're in.

Driving 101.

[Danube]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

IF you are turning FROM one lane TO two lanes, AND IF you have the right of way, AND IF the oncoming traffic has a red light, THEN you can pick which lane you're turning to.

This is what happened in the OP's case.

They were in a single lane dedicated to people taking a left, from the main road (466A) to a strip-mall driveway (I believe this was Colony Plaza).

They were traveling east on 466A and got into the left turn only lane. People coming west on 466A had a RED light. The person taking a left had a GREEN light. The person taking a left had the right of way.

Immediately after turning into that driveway, there is a gas station on the RIGHT. The only way to get there from 466A, traveling east and taking a left at the light, is to be in the right lane after the turn. You can't turn onto the left lane in that drive, and take a right. THAT would be dangerous, stupid, and not lawful.

Well said, and correct.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by LuvtheVillages

I was always taught that the left turn yields to everyone.

The books says the car on the right has the right of way. The reality it is a bit of a reach assuming those around you know the law and a bigger reach that they know the law and will follow it. Defensive driving means be sure you have a way out if they..........

[VApeople]

The OP needs to learn how to drive in The Villages.

You can't expect old codgers to follow every rule perfectly. At every intersection or roundabout, I always have one hand on the horn so I can blast my horn at anyone who, in my opinion, does something wrong while driving.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

The number of completely erroneous and dangerous interpretations and opinions on this thread is mind boggling. Where did you folks learn how to drive? It's the same in EVERY state in the USA.

A vehicle turning right at a stop light or sign, never, ever, under any circumstances, has the Right of Way. They are at the mercy of any other traffic in the vicinity. Always.


Driving 101.

Never under any circumstances - is 100% incorrect.

If I show up at a stop sign and I'm taking a right, and someone else comes to their stop sign opposite me, and they want to take a left (in the same direction I'm heading) - I have the right of way if we arrived at the same time, OR if I arrived first. If THEY arrived first, then they have the right and I have to wait. But we both have to stop, because we each have a stop sign.

If I'm taking a right, and someone is coming across the road from my left, and we both have a stop sign, and we both arrived at the same time, then I have the right of way. If they arrived first, then they have the right of way.

So no - not "never under any circumstances." There are LOTS of circumstances when the person taking a right has the right of way.

[JustSomeGuy]

The statue starts with right turns and what is legal. That was left out.

If my understanding is correct, the other car was in front of you as you were turning left. If that is the case and he was making a right turn on red into the right lane, then that lane was no longer available for you to "lawfully enter" since he was entitled to use that lane to complete his turn. You could have slowed down and entered behind him safely. Any other interpretation would cause the driver legally entitled to the right lane to wait for all left turning drivers before he turns.... that defeats the reason for permitting right turns on red on to a roadway with two or more lanes.

You were turning into a lane he was already legally occupying. That lane was no longer legally available to you due to his right turn on red starting before your left turn.


316.151 Required position and method of turning at intersections.—
(1)(a) Right turn.—The driver of a vehicle intending to turn right at an intersection onto a highway, public or private roadway, or driveway must:
1. Make both the approach for a right turn and a right turn as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.
2. When overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction, give an appropriate signal as provided for in s. 316.156 and make the right turn only if the bicycle is at least 20 feet from the intersection, and is of such a distance that the driver of a vehicle may safely turn.
(b) Left turn.—
1. The driver of a vehicle intending to turn left at an intersection onto a highway, public or private roadway, or driveway must approach the intersection in the extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travel of such vehicle and must make the left turn so as to leave the intersection in a lane lawfully available to traffic moving in such direction upon the roadway being entered.

[JustSomeGuy]

The oadway being entered.

[Topgun 1776]

Originally Posted by Danube

Wrong.

See page 1:
"Florida DMV handbook (which outranks cops) clarifies it.

A left turn may be completed into any lane lawfully available or safe for the desired direction of travel. Diagrams addressing the different turning situations are in the Florida drivers handbook."

When you get in an accident and get a ticket for doing so, please show the officer this quote from the DMV handbook. He'll laugh at you all the way to his patrol car!!!!

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by Topgun 1776

When you get in an accident and get a ticket for doing so, please show the officer this quote from the DMV handbook. He'll laugh at you all the way to his patrol car!!!!

Hopefully an accident won't be necessary to test the theory. And cops already laughed at me. Come to think of it, most folks laugh at me.

[Jercop]

This post reminds me of my youth and my Driver Education course. The instructor stated "don't always expect you or the other driver to be right or wrong. Reason being even if you follow the rules of the road and you feel what you want to do is correct or right, you could be right DEAD RIGHT." Always drive defensively and arrive home alive.