When I learned to drive, if you were turning left, you got into the left most part of your lane; same with turning right, you shaded over to the right side of your lane. Now it seems to be that people have to use every inch of the lane to turn, driving almost onto the sidewalk to turn left, and onto the center line to turn right. Doesn’t seem to be any particular kind/brand of car ( I’ve seen Toyota echo or Ford Expedition both do this) Is this a new way people have been taught or the latest iteration of the ‘it’s MY road’ mentality
No, those are the people who have watched too many episodes of Ice Road Truckers.
It might be in some cases that the driver was taught that way… incorrectly.
In many cases it might be a total lack of understanding of how the wheels track when turning, leading to the misconception that it’s necessary to get as far out to the side of the lane opposite to the turn direction to get as much room as possible.
For the record, I’ve almost been hit on multiple lane roads by idiots doing this. Fortunately, they’re not common.
Truckers have a whole different problem. To get the rear end to track through the corner without “taking something down” they have to swing wide and cut as tight a radius as possible all the way to the outside edges of the lanes. But even then, I’ve never seen a trucker swing into other lanes unless absolutely necessary, and when they do need to they do it carefully and make every attempt to broadcast their intended path. It’s the ladies in the SUVs gabbing on their cell phones that are the biggest offenders. I suspect realtors must study this action in real estate school…
It might be in some cases that the driver was taught that way..... incorrectly.
How’s that incorrect?
“Apexing” a turn (outside-inside-outside) allows for the greatest possible radius, and thus the lowest lateral g-loading (and the largest margin of error) at any given speed. One could argue this is more “correct” than creeping over to the edge, and making the turn sharper that it has any need to be.
“For the record, I’ve almost been hit on multiple lane roads by idiots doing this.”
As long as they used turn signals, it should be trivially easy to discern intention. If one is still having issues, it is at least open to interpretation who, exactly, the “idiot” is. (For me, I needed to perform a U-turn (legal) on an especially wide 2-lane road. I 1) put on my LEFT turn signal, 2) got to the RIGHT edge of my lane and 3) executed a hard LEFT turn…only to be nearly broadsided by some “idiot” incapable of discerning the meaning of that flashing red light on the rear of my car!)
This is also incorrect form a “driving laws” perspective: if you occupy a lane, you occupy ALL of it (passing slower traffic excluded), to do with as thou willst, so mete it be. Saying you “can’t” use the left edge of YOUR lane, while turning right, implies you do not “own” all of the lane you are occupying, which is incorrect.
When I learned to drive, if you were turning left, you got into the left most part of your lane; same with turning right, you shaded over to the right side of your lane.
All that does is encourage some idiot to see if he can “squeeze” around you as you turn. (Hope that he does!) This is the exact reason I do NOT do this: it’s MY lane (right now); stay the heck out of it!
meanjoe75fan I always apex curves on highways and country roads while staying in my lane. I have never thought of doing it on city and residential streets. I always just ensure that I stay between the lines. I will give apexing a try and see if it works for me. My problem is not with drivers turning wide. It is with the corner cutters. I have nearly been clipped several times by these idiots who insist on crossing my stop stripe in the center or worse! The lines painted on the streets are there for a reason!
when some one puts on their left blinker then moves right before hanging a sudden u turn to the left and is surprised that that confuses people behind them and insists that the people behind are idiots for being confused by their erratic driving , i am even more inclined to go miles out of my way to stay on the back roads…
doing a u turn may be legal, but hanging one in traffic could be considered reckless. you should have pulled over, waited til the way was clear, then pulled your u turn
Left blinker = Left turn. NOT hard to understand. At any rate, as the sole occupant of the solitary westbound lane, I’m entitled to Every Fine Inch of it until I vacate it.
Even if trailing traffic didn’t know their left from their right, they STILL are supposed to wait until the sole lane is clear vs. squeezing two cars illegally in one lane. The near-miss in question was caused by trailing traffic 1) not noticing/caring about a left-turn signal and 2) violating my ROW by being too impatient to wait until I completed a (persumed) right turn.
if your driving habits cause problems you may want to consider changing them. being right and dead is no good…
if you had been broadsided I think you would have been the one ticketed…, if you lived
just out of curiosity, are you also the guy who drives 55 in the passing lane alongside another car?
My daughter is still learning to allow for the rear tires to follow her lead. Most of the time she gets it good enough so we have a good laugh when bumps over a curb or has to back up to make a parking spot. Oh by the way she’s not but 5 feet tall and it’s an Expedition …EL !
Meanjoe, in a nutshell, the road is not a racetrack, but you are driving like it is.
Left blinker = Left turn.
LOL in Florida Left blinker = I signaled a left lane change 27 miles ago and don’t remember doing it.
Check your local laws. In Ohio it is the LAW to turn right into the rightmost lane and left into the leftmost lane. It is universally ignored, even by the police, and taught incorrectly in drivers ed.
Meanjoe, if you choose to swing up against the right lane before turning left, or swing into the left lane before turning right, if you think that the goal is to create the largest turning radius possible, than all I can say is “keep your insurance current”.
I tried this turning procedure about an hour ago. At normal 10-15 mph speeds when making 90 degree turns in business or residential areas I could see no appreciable advantage.