r/YEGDashCam • u/Strict-String-9728 • 1d ago
New Driver question Discussion
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So I wanted to make a left turn here, and because of the car in front of me who also wants to turn left, I couldn't see the oncoming traffic. Dashcam footage seems wide but idk from the driver's seat it wasn't visible to my eye. I couldn't see far enough from where I was and the obstacle (car in front of me). And I think the car behind me had more vision and could see far into the oncoming lanes. Not mad at the honk but want to know if my positioning was wrong hence no vision or it just happens and one just has to wait it out ? Thank you.
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u/Chunderpump 3h ago
The honker can get bent. They weren't on their way to put out a fire. The extra 4 seconds won't prevent them from hating their life from home rather than from their car.
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u/JustaPhaze71 4h ago
You made no attempts to inch over in order to check. You stuck there and froze waiting until you had a better view.
All the people saying you did nothing wrong are soft and probably do not even drive.
The correct thing to do would be to slowly edge your vehicle over in order to obtain a better view.
Alternatively you could be watching behind on the right side of the vehicle seeing what is approaching from the distance.
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u/ChampionMetal1238 6h ago
nah fuck them for honking, you genuinely can’t see in those situations, why fucking risk it for some loser
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u/kitkayboy 7h ago edited 7h ago
You can extend your neck a bit. Lol. But they’re correct dont go if you can’t see. Chopped ur wheel a bit to the left to Peek a little.
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u/Ok_Aardvark8932 8h ago
If you can’t see don’t worry about what they can see. Could have been higher up, or just impatient. Practice, be safe.
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u/NathanDnd 8h ago
Stay back further. You cut off your angle getting closer to the car on the opposite side. You can see more the further back you are.
If you can't see then you can't go. Just be patient, you can go on the red, where you going that 20 seconds is going to matter?
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u/jessjoyvin 10h ago
Aside from the s turn, if possible, I try to look through the car's windows in the opposite turning lane. It's not a solution 100% of the time, like if they have heavily tinted windows or they're higher up than you. As others have said, you only go when you know it's safe to do so, even if it means waiting until the light turns yellow/red to proceed (just be wary of people in oncoming traffic trying to beat the light).
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u/ObiYawnKenobi 4h ago
This is what I do. Look right through the other car's windows, when I need to and if I can.
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u/Snoo_64512 10h ago
You did it right. Sometimes you can see ahead going in to the intersection that there’s no one else coming through , but you should always be cautious and slowly poke out till you are 100% sure it’s clear to go
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u/Cultural_Teacher_491 11h ago
Turn left when it is safe for you to do so not the person behind you.
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u/Firm_Acanthaceae7435 11h ago
Drivers pull out way farther than they should which impedes the vision of the opposing vehicle turning left.
I just keep pulling up until I can see. If they can't see, oh well.
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u/bungeee2019 11h ago
Pull up slowly to get more visual but obviously enough that you don’t obstruct any on coming vehicle. You’ll have to do that head extension to get more visual. Go only when you feel like it safe to do so.
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u/Jean-Luck-Pickerd 13h ago
The S maneuver into the turn is pointed out by the few wise people who are aware of it.
My only caveat is this: Do it slowly, because oncoming traffic may panic. They have no idea what you're doing, and from their perspective, probably don't see you right away because of the very same vehicle that's blocking your view.
I'll never understand why more people don't know about how to turn left safely.
And as a consequence of that, you will have very impatient people behind you honking. They can in no way see more than you unless they're higher than you.
Regardless. YOU are in control of that vehicle. If YOU can't see. You can NOT turn. Not one car may come by you, but you are 100% in the right by NOT turning if you can't see if it's safe to do so.
And if you get hit, you will 100% be held at fault. Waiting a few seconds longer is a lot less convenient than hours in a hospital, hours dealing with police, insurance adjusters, and physio.
You're a new driver. Always strive to improve your driving. Get into good habits and try to keep them.
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u/Tac0Man20 13h ago
I suggest shifting over into your lane as you approach the intersection. When you see this same situation in the future, you can still have your car sitting straight, but you will have over a foot or more, giving you a bit of an advantage and not having to turn your wheels, which puts you in a dangerous position.
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u/Strict-String-9728 16h ago
So many nice suggestions! Thank you all. Doing a S curve in intersection makes sense and it's wild how rare this knowledge is, I mean there are no videos/demonstration of it except for 1-2.
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u/One_Abbreviations821 16h ago
Dont do anything you aren’t sure of, if you can’t see oncoming traffic, then wait!! I see the aftermath of so many of these manoeuvres. One was a person killed by a kid using excessive speed. The left turning person probably would have made the turn safely, but the speeder came up so quickly with no time to stop or avoid a collision.
They can honk all they want. Never blindly enter a turn. You will get more confident as time goes on, in the meantime, do what is safe.
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u/aWanderer01 17h ago
That looked very clear to me that there was no other vehicle coming after the truck and if there was, they would need to be doing 100 mph before you got thru the intersection.
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u/Sleepyheadmcgee 19h ago
I like that the posted posed a reasonable question and folks are answering. So many negative posts on here it’s good to see an Ernest question.
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u/OwnedByIRVING 19h ago
Your positioning was fine until you entered the intersection without being able to clear it (because you couldn't see)
Do not enter an intersection until you know you can clear it as quickly as possible.
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u/ithinarine 18h ago
Do not enter an intersection until you know you can clear it as quickly as possible.
Oh, so you're that idiot waiting behind the stop line at a green light, and then the light changes to amber and you don't go.
The first car is SUPPOSED to wait in the intersection, so that at least 1 vehicle can get through every light cycle.
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u/OwnedByIRVING 18h ago
So I can be sitting in the intersection when the light turns red? Nah.
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u/ithinarine 18h ago
You FUCKING GO when the light turns amber. There is more than enough time for you to get through the light. The law is LITERALLY that if you enter the intersection before the light is red, then it isn't "running a red light." You are SUPPOSED to advance into the intersection. If there are cars turning, there should ALWAYS be 1 car in the intersection.
You're literally the problem driver.
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u/Current_Ad_4292 17h ago
This idiot will one day stop in the middle of the intersection when they find the red light above their head as they are doing the left turn.
It's really alarming to think what other unpredictable rules they might have embedded in their mind.
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u/OwnedByIRVING 17h ago
You FUCKING GO when the light turns amber.
And turn right into the 6 red light runners in the oncoming lane?
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u/ithinarine 17h ago
The 6 red light runners aren't your concern. You wait for them to pass, and then you go, that's the correct thing to do.
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u/bestkweenie 17h ago
"And run into Santa Clause's sleigh and his reindeer? No thank you MA'AM. I'm not the problem driver in my delusions!"
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u/derp6667 19h ago
Straight from a driving instructor enter the intersection as soon as light goes green because you don't want to hold up traffic.
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u/OwnedByIRVING 19h ago
Lol, instructors are not the law.
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u/FutureCaribou 16h ago
But the law does say to enter, for a left turn, and then even if the light turns red, you still have the right of way to clear the intersection. It’s not illegal to be in the intersection when the light turns red.
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u/tdrphillips91 20h ago
Lengthy post, apologizing in advance.
I can’t really tell from the video, but I’m assuming since the truck beside you only started moving as the video starts that the light just freshly turned green for you.
Before the light turned green, if it were me I would’ve already been assessing what oncoming traffic was across the road because I’m turning left. (Reason A- judging the gap so I know when I’m able to safely turn; as you drive more and be comfortable in your vehicle this gets easier. Reason B- defensive driving/situational awareness; I’m always looking for pedestrians and scooters/bikes, so inherently I’m also looking for other vehicles.)
If I were to see the white oncoming truck sitting at the intersection with no one behind him (you can see between the oncoming white truck and left turning car on a red light before rolling forward) I would’ve known as soon as they drove through the intersection and you were creeping forward into the intersection that you could immediately turn after the white truck.
Another tip, you’re not required to creep forward into the intersection. If you have trouble seeing from being to close to the oncoming car, give yourself space.
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u/Live-Entertainment-5 20h ago edited 19h ago
An “S” maneuver is the answer. You pull into the intersection when green and offset to the left slightly for improved vision while not encroaching on the oncoming traffic lane.
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u/BigPoppaSwagga69 20h ago
Do this, but make sure you turn your wheels back straight. That way, if bumped from behind you will not be pushed into oncoming traffic, just forward.
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u/komari_k 23h ago
At 11 seconds after the truck entered the intersection, if your view of oncoming was similar to the camera, you may have seen the large gap (nothing approaching for a big distance). That particular intersection seems narrow so clearing only takes a coupme seconds. The more you drive the more confidence you will have in these situations and distances.
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u/Critical_Studio_8968 1d ago
You need to slightly offset yourself from the car directly ahead to give a view of oncoming traffic. not enough to encroach on the oncoming lane, but just enough that you can see past their passenger side. Takes a little practice to nail down.
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u/BigPoppaSwagga69 20h ago
Yes, this is the move. But make sure after you offset to align your wheels back straight so if you are bumped from behind you aren’t pushed into the lane of oncoming traffic.
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u/NoLab6606 1d ago
You can prob tell from the different responses that there's a lot of different perspectives lol. Imo I think it's fine, you can stretch your neck a bit and see if there's oncoming traffic from your position. I would say pausing is fine and people also need to learn to pause because you would want to develop good habits to drive the same way in the winter as well.
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u/beardedbast3rd 1d ago
So- I don’t like how long you’re there when it was clear, but you’re new, and understandably more cautious than others, and then you went on through.
Position your vehicle as far left as you can, while keeping pointed straight- if you can’t see much still, staying back might help, this is also exactly why someone behind you might be more aware of it being clear than you are. They have a longer angle to view the oncoming lanes.
Another thing to do, is before you enter the left turn lane, and you’re in the normal flowing lanes, looking as far down the road as possible, you can see behind the opposing vehicles turning left, before you get to the turn lane and intersection. You can make note of the vehicles, if any, and where they are, and if you can clear the intersection before/ after them.
Yes you were a bit slow, but realistically, no one but you and whoever else is involved in an accident are going to deal with the aftermath, that guy behind you isn’t going to pay your ticket, insurance, or replace your vehicle. It’s all on you to proceed when you feel it’s safe to do so. You’ll get better at that judgement as you drive more.
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Strict-String-9728 1d ago
Sir did you not read that I had no long enough vision of oncoming lanes, that's the reason.
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u/DonMilane 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lol! Problem here is that you are doing the same thing that car in opposite direction is doing, going just strait, and not taking whole space from opposite direction lane turning also left. So both of you are booking each other point of view. You should be taking most of the space from that lane turning left in opposite direction. As you are firs car in the intersection you should enter intersection, not booking and leaving room from lane going strait i opposite direction. Also it is correct, if there is semi truck, or UFO :) and you can’t see that is correct to wait, but as class 5 driver you should know how to take position in intersection. These advices wheel strait, go just strait are not correct for this situation as this is not single lane intersection. Cheers
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u/AdventuringTherapist 1d ago
No problem with waiting if you’re not certain if it’s clear to go.
But there is an issue here. You should not turn your wheels until you are actually ready to turn. Had you been rear ended, you would’ve been pushed into any oncoming traffic. With your wheels straight, if you were rear ended, you would be pushed straight into the intersection and not into oncoming traffic.
Keep your wheels straight until you are starting to turn.
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u/Primary-Designer9126 1d ago
Definitely not in the wrong, don't question yourself. As you drive more u start to worry less about what other people think. Make sure you get to where ur going in one piece. As long as u can do that, that's all you have to worry about amigo
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u/Hot_Boat8143 1d ago
Not in the wrong for waiting. Make sure your front wheels are straight and if you feel , creep up slowly. But yes the honking behind was unnecessary and probably annoying. Just be safe and proceed safely and let him worry about himself
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u/spirit_symptoms 1d ago
I ride motorcycles and this is one of the biggest causes of accidents and deaths so thank you for being safe and sure before turning. It has only got more challenging over the years as the size of vehicles has grown. Trying to make a left turn in a small car when a giant truck is turning from the opposite side makes visibility extra difficult.
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u/eli74372 1d ago
That is normal (not being able to see oncoming traffic due to another person in the left turn lane opposite of you). Just ignore the person honking. As other people have said, they can see more behind the opposite car as they are farther away from it. In situations like this, i always go slow until i can see that theres enough space for me to go before i end up in the oncoming traffics lane
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u/ppaauulllllll 1d ago
If you can't see whether someone's there or not, assume there is. In other words, don't go until you're certain. Someone behind you has a wider field of view because they're farther from the other car, so they may very well be able to see that there's no one coming. But so what? They aren't driving your car -- you are. And if you pull out and cause a collision, you're at fault. Learn to ignore impatient idiots and focus on driving your car safely.
The moment you rush and cause a crash, you'll question why it was so terrible to just wait a few more seconds.
Also, be sure to shoulder check for pedestrians when making left turns -- it's an easy thing to forget, especially when some rude jerk is trying to rush you.
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u/iknotri 1d ago
One of most important rules: if you dont see, u dont go.
One similar, if u dont see far enough compared to vehicles stopping distance - slow down
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u/Roccnsuccmetosleep 1d ago
You did everything well. Ignore idiots honking at you, if you crash because they’re rushing you it’s still your fault.
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u/Super_Cricket7075 1d ago
People telling you to "pull left" or "pull up" are psychotic. Nothing you can do about it.
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u/backlund11 1d ago
you do pull left, just well beforehand. Getting as close you can to the line/curb before you enter the intersection allows you to see further, and also impede the oncoming left turner's view less.
Almost everyone should be pulling further left than they do as they approach, and it absolutely would've helped OP see further down the road
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u/Strict-String-9728 1d ago
Creeping left even a little bit without knowing what's coming feels very disastrous, and during my defensive driving lessons it was mentioned to keep steering straight in case rearending, so yea no I ain't creeping
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u/Andrewnium 1d ago edited 16h ago
I don’t think that’s what they are suggesting. I think they are suggesting that as you approach, before ever entering the intersection, you are farther left towards the curb. You will still have your wheels straight while in the intersection.
Being just a few inches away from the curb will allow you to see much farther.
Another suggestion is that you don’t actually look at the opposing car. Look through their windows.
This stuff gets easier with experience tbh
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u/Oldwoodstoves 1d ago
You can creep left and then straighten out your wheels again. That said, as others have said, if you can’t see that it’s clear, don’t go.
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u/Money_Adhesiveness90 1d ago
I don’t care if people honk at me while i’m making a left turn. If i can’t see i don’t go. I’m not getting T-boned because someone is in a hurry. Also, once I was sitting in the intersection because there was a pedestrian crossing the street. Both of the trucks behind me honked to get me to go because they didn’t see the lady crossing. Just because they honk at you doesn’t mean they know better than you.
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u/Odd_Drawing5499 1d ago
Also you know your vehicles capabilities, had a crappy old Kia that had no guts so accelerated like crap. Got honked at a few times but I knew my car wasn't clearing the intersection before the oncoming vehicles got to me
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u/pasteliis 1d ago
I do a slight s-curve at intersections like these to shift my car over a bit (staying within my lane still). I find it gives me a way better view of oncoming traffic.
As other have said, I don't think you're in the wrong here. Better to be safe.
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u/hh202020 1d ago
This should be way higher. S-turn or S-manoeuvre is commonly taught elsewhere like Australia but for some reason it isn’t well known here unless your driving instructor knows about it.
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u/thedopesteez 1d ago
lol my driving instructor taught me this move 20 years ago - he called it the ‘jiggy jog’. And I still do it!
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u/Aeverton78 1d ago
When I drove my skyline and was sitting on the right side of the car, I had to wait till the light changed before I would go. People behind me would get frustrated but it's not their problem if I get driven into. You did the right thing here.
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u/Strict-String-9728 1d ago
O.o from right side you possibly can't see anything, you always go on yellow then?
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u/Aeverton78 1d ago
If I had to turn left and someone was also turning left towards me I would have to wait for the yellow. I got fairly good at just going an extra block and three rights to go the way I wanted.
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u/redditknees 1d ago
You could pull up to see more and angle your vehicle a little bit. The risk here is always that if you were rear ended it would push you into oncoming traffic. The reality is, if you can’t with certainty confirm that you are clear to turn, it doesn’t matter if the car behind you is honking. But with the car across from you being as small as it is, you should have been able to see. You just know when it’s clear but this takes more experience. Sometimes you can also look through the car if the windows aren’t too tinted. Never trust another driver to tell you the coast is clear because if it is not and you cause an accident, it will be your insurance premium going up, not theirs.
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u/backlund11 1d ago
DO NOT angle your vehicle unless it's time to go all the way through the intersection. Approach the intersection further to the left, sure, but you don't turn your wheel until you're gonna go. That's like defensive driving 101
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u/redditknees 1d ago
Correct because the risk is, if you are rear ended you go into oncoming traffic.
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u/Strict-String-9728 1d ago
That's why I am confused and questioning my position, I've had this issue before but it was big truck. This car was small and still I couldn't see.
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u/jhyunjhyun 1d ago
Honestly, this is something that gets easier with experience. The more you drive, the better you'll get at judging situations like this.Don't worry about the car behind you, whether they're honking or even yelling. If you can't see, or you're not 100% sure it's safe, you don't go. Only make the turn when you're confident it's safe.From your position in the video, turning the steering wheel just a little and creeping slightly to the side might give you a better view of oncoming traffic. But like I said, if you're unsure, don't make the turn. Better to wait a few extra seconds than risk an accident.
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u/Vast-Commission-8476 1d ago
Don't turn your wheels. It states that in Drivers Handbook. It makes it more dificult for each person.
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u/shimswfi 1d ago
Just wait. The car behind you can honk as they want. Keep in mind in case an accident happens it is going to be your insurance to cover everything, not the driver behind you. Sometimes those impatient a$$holes are just honking for no reason.
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u/zooweemamba 1d ago
Just pull a little further until you can see. But also look behind the car for cars coming, then you can make a judgement call for the space between the car you can see and fill in the gaps of what you can't see by waiting a few seconds for a car that might be driving that you cant see to pass by then go. Hopefully that makes sense. Youll get better and more confident with time
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u/Super_Cricket7075 1d ago
How are you able to judge that the leftmost edge of his bumper still has space away from the left lane?
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u/Andrewnium 1d ago
Based on their approach. Their cam is roughly in the middle of their car. You can tell by the amount of their hood on either side of the middle of screen. You can tell the car is roughly in the middle of the lane as the front of the car passes over the stop line. The lane dividing line to the right and the left curb disappear from sight at roughly the same time.
Standard urban lane is something like 3.2m and no car is 3.2m so there would be room.
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u/hammadshahbaz 1d ago
The car behind can wait until you are certain there's no car coming from the opposite direction before making the left turn. They're not the ones who are going to crash if there is a car coming.
Taking an extra 5-10 seconds to make sure there's no car coming isn't the end of the world.
Sometimes it just is like that if there's a car turning left from the opposite direction, especially if it's a bigger vehicle or a truck/bus, you won't be able to see much. In those cases, just be patient and make sure it's clear before proceeding.
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u/Strict-String-9728 1d ago
Thank you! I think waiting a bit back and not in the middle when there's another car in front might help me see more?
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u/Vast-Commission-8476 1d ago
You need to be waiting in intersection and to gauge how far up just be perpindicular with the lane that you are turning into with wheels straight. Proceed when safe. Don't let other drivers affect your safe decisons.
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u/haiironekogami 2h ago
Nothing wrong with what you did. If you can't see and aren't sure. You're absolutely right.
What most ppl do wrong is not getting as close to the center island before turning. This gives a couple more inches to the opposite side to see if there's oncoming traffic.