Who is at fault here?

[Howard]

- there is NO left-turn right-of-way light (arrow)
- the light starts out as green for north-south traffic
- the left-turning car enters the intersection, waiting for the opportunity to turn left
- the light turns yellow
- the left-turning car starts the left turn before the light turns red but most likely the light is red before they clear the intersection.
- the right-turning car starts the right turn after the light turns yellow but before it turns red.
- the two cars then collide in the process of making their turns as one or both cars cross over into the adjacent lane.

 

[marmasatt]

So which car were you?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Left turner is at fault. Failed to yield to oncoming traffic.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm assuming both are women texting, so both are at fault. Men wouldn't be stupid enough to screw up like that....

 

[FallenHero]

Left turner.

 

[shabby]

Another vote for left turner at fault.

 

[TallBill]

Both women drivers are at fault.

 

[Ken g6]

Left turner would be at fault if there were one lane. As there were two, I'd say both are at fault. Neither driver is supposed to cross into the other lane until the turn is complete and they've checked the other lane. ( probably 100 yards or something)

 

[Imp]

Money's on left-turner.

But THANK YOU for showing me exactly why I shouldn't feel bad for not making a right-turn when the opposing direction gets a protected left into a two lane road.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Left turner would be at fault if there were one lane. As there were two, I'd say both are at fault. Neither driver is supposed to cross into the other lane until the turn is complete and they've checked the other lane. ( probably 100 yards or something)

That would only be true if both cars completed a turn into their respective lanes and then one drifted over into the other's lane. As the OP describes it the collision was during the turn. In that case the left turner has the obligation to yield to the right turner and wait until the right turner has completed the turn before making their own turn. The right turner has the right of way unless it can be shown that they ran a red light in the process and the left turner had legitimately turned left on yellow. That would be one case where people might be happy to have a red light camera in place, assuming you weren't the one running the red light.

 

[velillen]

Whichever car crossed the lane is who is at fault.

If you are the right turn car you are supposed to "stay as close as practical to the curb". SO stay in the right lane. If you are the left hand turn....the rule is written annoyingly but basically stay as close to the center line as possible (ie left lane).


I could look up the laws but since i dont know what state it would only be for mine


Though i will say i have been the one to take a right turn and go straight into the left lane but only when there ar eno other cars around

 

[Vic Vega]

...

 

[Imp]

Though i will say i have been the one to take a right turn and go straight into the left lane but only when there ar eno other cars around

Same. Most people, including me, are shitty drivers. I expect them to cut corners and try not to make a right if someone's making a left unless there are three lanes. Even then, you just know the effer will turn into the middle lane.

 

[Lifted]

As the OP describes it the collision was during the turn. In that case the left turner has the obligation to yield to the right turner and wait until the right turner has completed the turn before making their own turn.

If the left turner was turning into the left lane of a 2 lane road, and the right turner was turning into the right hand lane of same road, how did they even hit? I don't come close to crossing into the other lane when turning. IMO, whoever drifted into the other lane making a "wide" turn is at fault. If the right turner was going too fast to stop for the yellow as the OP states, it sounds like they may have been going to fast to make a sharp right without drifting into the left a bit.

Conclusion based on OP's description which lacks way too many details: right turner was probably going to fast for the turn and drifted into the left lane in the process.

 

[Six]

The person turning left is at fault. It doesn't matter if the light is red, how many lanes there are, or who was there first.

edit: Left turner will be 51% at fault and get stuck with the whole bill.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

If the left turner was turning into the left lane of a 2 lane road, and the right turner was turning into the right hand lane of same road, how did they even hit? I don't come close to crossing into the other lane when turning. IMO, whoever drifted into the other lane making a "wide" turn is at fault. If the right turner was going too fast to stop for the yellow as the OP states, it sounds like they may have been going to fast to make a sharp right without drifting into the left a bit.

Conclusion based on OP's description which lacks way too many details: right turner was probably going to fast for the turn and drifted into the left lane in the process.

There are cases where a right turner has to turn into a multiple-lane road and then turn left in a very short distance. In most states it is not illegal for a right tuner making a turn into a middle or left lane and a left-turner must yield to that choice. Sorry, but it is illegal for a left-turner to turn concurrently with someone turning right onto a multiple lane road and in the case of an accident the person making the left turn will nearly always get the ticket for failure to yield the right of way. There are exceptions and it all depends on state laws, local roads, and local signs.

I came close to giving a right tuner a beatdown today when I made a U-turn and some jackass made a right turn on a red right (without coming to a stop, of course) in front of me when he had a sign that explicitly stated "Right turn on red MUST yield to U-turners."

 

[Howard]

There are cases where a right turner has to turn into a multiple-lane road and then turn left in a very short distance. In most states it is not illegal for a right tuner making a turn into a middle or left lane and a left-turner must yield to that choice. Sorry, but it is illegal for a left-turner to turn concurrently with someone turning right onto a multiple lane road and in the case of an accident the person making the left turn will nearly always get the ticket for failure to yield the right of way. There are exceptions and it all depends on state laws, local roads, and local signs.

I came close to giving a right tuner a beatdown today when I made a U-turn and some jackass made a right turn on a red right (without coming to a stop, of course) in front of me when he had a sign that explicitly stated "Right turn on red MUST yield to U-turners."

So if the light is yellow the right turner had right of way and if the light is red the left turner (already in the intersection) has right of way?

Is this universal?

 

[IronWing]

So if the light is yellow the right turner had right of way and if the light is red the left turner (already in the intersection) has right of way?

Is this universal?

If the light was yellow, the left turner had an obligation to clear the intersection. If the right turner could have avoided entering the intersection then the right turner was at fault. If the speed of the right turner was such that stopping prior to entering the intersection was not possible then it comes back to in which lane did the accident occur. Did the left turner stray right or the right turner stray left?

 

[styrafoam]

Whom ever finished their turn and went into the far lane after completing the turn, but you are also not supposed to enter the intersection on a yellow signal. The left turner was already in the intersection, this would probably be one where it would end up being a judgment call of the responding officer.

 

[Howard]

OK so not everyone agrees. Where is the code?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

So if the light is yellow the right turner had right of way and if the light is red the left turner (already in the intersection) has right of way?

Is this universal?

There are no universals for traffic laws.

There's also a problem with your scenario. Legally you are supposed to wait at the turning lane line and shouldn't creep out into the intersection. If an accident happened where the right turner had a red light and the left turner was in the intersection, past the stop-line, both could be ticketed and considered at fault since both failed to follow proper driving laws. As far as common driving etiquette goes, if someone is out in the intersection turning left, I am turning right, and the light is red, I give the left-turner the right of way. Some won't do that though and it never fails to amaze me how some self-absorbed douchebags simply can't seem to wait that extra second to allow traffic to progress safely because they seem to believe they are more important than anyone else on the road.

 

[Perknose]

OK so not everyone agrees. Where is the code?

Laws go state to state. Go to your state's DMV site, but good luck parsing what is written and matching it up to your situation. I thought that collectively, people did a decent job of covering various scenarios, though.

All other things being equal, that is, there being two lanes and neither car having entered the intersection after the light has turned red, and since it seems from your scenario that they turned more or less simulataneously, it should come down to what veillen said:

Whichever car crossed the lane is who is at fault.

However, in many states, if one driver strayed over the line but the other driver had a reasonable chance of still avoiding him, then "last clear chance" may come into play.

Look, we're great here for giving incontrovertibly sound advice on whether to have that brain surgery or whether or not to divorce you wife and leave her and your kids, but for the really important stuff like this, you need to seek out a certified traffic law professional.

 

[Murloc]

traffic lights never allow cars to be on collision courses, that's why there is a security interval where everything is red for a few seconds, so that two cars can't go through with the yellow from different directions and crash.
So someone didn't respect the lights and is bullshitting about the light being yellow.


If by some chance both cars had yellow light for turning into that street (so left for the bottom one and right for the top one), and the municipality won't cover the cost, then the left turner is at fault because it's like if there weren't any lights.

 

[Triumph]

So did the right turner turn right on red or not?

Left turner is also at fault because hanging out inside the intersection is not an excuse. "Never enter an intersection you can't get out of." Getting out of it on red doesn't count. This goes for the assholes who jam up the box when traffic is stopped in front of them, then the light turns red and opposing traffic can't move because these assholes blocked the box.

 

[tboo]

Looking at the picture, Id say the right. When turning into a double/triple lane, you are supposed to turn into the lane closest to you. Once in the lane, if you want to switch to the next lane, you check to see if its clear & then proceed. It looks like the car turning left is turning into its closest lane but the car turning right is heading to the farthest lane in the turn. Thus I say the car turning right.