A Question about left-turns?

I was driving on a 2-way street and reached the red light. At the same time the person across from me also came up to the red light. We were literally the only two on the street (spooky). He had his left turn signal on, I also had mine. There is no left turn lane and there are no green arrows at this intersection. So, the light turns green and both of us look at each other waiting for the other person to turn left.

My question is: who had the right of way?

Or is the answer, we both turn left at the same time? It just seems like there isn't enough room to do that.

My second question is: We have the same situation. I am turning left, the guy across from me is turning left. However, this time he has a guy behind him wanting to go straight. On a left turn you must yield to oncoming traffic. However, do I have to wait for the guy to turn left, then wait again for the next guy to go straight through? Or do I go at the same time as the guy turning left?

I am not a confident left turner.

man_with_koolaid_smile

just make right turns

The Mr. Pine

Make eye contact and decide for yourselves. If the car is turning and the other car is behind it you can turn. Watch the other lane for traffic or wait until you are totally confident there is no cars.

Patrick W

why do you care when there is no conflict, two oncoming cars turning left are going in opposite directions...

UCANTCME

WHY DON'T YOU JUST CALL YOUR LOCAL DMV OFFICE, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY AND ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL BE GETTING THE CORRECT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.

nubi78

I believe you both have the right of way when both of you want to turn left. You should be fine as far as spacing between you and the oncoming car. I understand your concern regarding safety but I have made many of these types of turns safely.

I in your second situation your best option is to let the first car turn and the second car pass through the intersection. If the first car made it through and you had an accident with the second car, you would be at fault.

RAMairGTO72

You both can turn at the same time.

Funny thing, at a 4 way stop when all partys get to the stop sign at the same time the rules say that the most powerful car/truck gos first.

It's strange ,I know, but if I had not see the film in drivers ED in 1993 with a 1972 LeMans driving up to the stop sign the SAME car I was driving in HS I would have forgotten.

bostonianinmo

Right of way isn't an issue in the situation you describe. If you are both turning left you will not interfere with each other. If you time your turn properly, the other driver turning left will run interference for you with the vehicle behind him that is proceeding straight so again there is no right of way issue as the other driver is blocked by the other vehicle turning left.

jossa

If you are both turning left, you both have the right of way because you will not interfere with each other in traffic. If you move fast enough, you will be through the intersection before the guy going straight will get to you.

BantamBoy

All the manual says, is to yield to pedestrians, oncoming vehicles and vehicles already in the interesection. But this is redundant in this situation. So, I think this would be a special case where whoever is more aggressive would have right of way. If that person wasn't you and there was a person going straight behind an oncoming vehicle, then they just passed on the right of way, and you have to wait longer.

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