I assume then from your statement that you leave more than 3 car lengths space between you and the guy in front of you at all times? That you drive as if a 53' trailer will suddenly appear across the road, not just in your lane? Wow, you are a perfect driver aren't you? I bet you keep your hands at 10 and 2 o'clock too. Good for you.

Lets look at the tape. Stop the tape right when the truck appears. They are under 200 feet apart. Look at the stripes on the road. The larger stripes are (for arguments sake) 3-4 feet long. The space in-between the larger stripes is at least the length of the X, say 9 feet. Looking at the tape I think a rough estimate of 150 feet or so is about right.

Since we know that the stopping distance of a X from 60 MPH is 125 feet we can surmise that at 55 MPH the X should stop in about 115 feet. Overdriving conditions, no, I don't think so.

He didn't lock it up and hope to stop. He braked and swerved to avoid the truck. Had he stomped on the brakes the X would have stopped a good distance before the trailer.

As for fog. I didn't see any fog or anything else hampering the view. Had the local police or roads department felt that the curve was 'blind' or was too sharp warning signs would be posted. There weren't any. They felt it is safe to travel that curve at the speed posted.

Is it not that way where you live?

You're still not getting it. I'm talking about lights where there are no turn arrows. You sit in a left turn lane, at the light, when it turns green you move forward into the intersection and wait for oncoming traffic to be clear before you make your left. At a busy intersection, you wait until the light turns yellow and oncoming traffic is clear, then you turn. Usually a few cars can make it before the light turns green for cross-traffic, but if someone runs a late yellow, nobody gets to go before cross-traffic has the right of way. That's the way most lights are set up in Michigan and other places where there aren't turn arrows.

You can't run a yellow. You run red lights. You go through a yellow or a green. You dont 'run' yellow or green lights.

And actually in the situation you described, you are not to pull in to the intersection. You are to stay behind the line till you can turn. People do what you described so they can sneak across. Those kinds of folks cause deaths. Do you do this?

And I thought you were the safest driver on XOC?

It's like that in my area,,,you run a yellow you get ticketed....

Another thing I'd like to point out that you guys keep missing is that if you look at that Trailer vid you see a turn off lane,well those turn off lanes also double as a turn in lane so to speak...Now why didn't the truck drive utilize that lane instead of blocking the whole damn 2 lane road??? no one has said anything about that,Am I the only one seeing that???????

Are you talking about the center lane? He IS turning into it.

And the truck isn't stopped in the middle of the road - he was already moving. Also look at the traffic - there's nobody in front of the xterra, that I can see. The truck thought he had enough space to get out there (and it's not like a truck can get speed quick).

There was nobody at fault here, in my opinion.

Although... 2 seconds into the video, you can see the truck. He (the xterra) had plenty of time to slow down to the point he wouldn't have had to go into the right hand lane.

Did you make it past 6th grade reading? I mean, your comprehension is absolutely horrible. I have to explain myself 12 times before you get a clue. If you are making a left at an intersection where there are no turn arrows, but there is a left turn lane, you are expected to pull into the intersection when the light turns green and wait for oncoming traffic to clear before completing your turn. Nobody is sneaking, and nobody is going "across" anything. Yes, I do this, as does everybody waiting to make a left turn at a light WHERE THERE ARE NO TURN ARROWS.

Ok we are at 2 days in a row… not as bad as yesterday though. Turn lanes are my friend!
http://superjens.com/xterra/day2.mpg

I think I'll stay home tomorrow.

And you say I have no clue?! Your too damn funny. No wonder California is so f*cked up. Re-read your drivers hand book, if its not over your comprehension level. To make this easier on you heres a page from the TN one.

http://www.state.tn.us/safety/graphics/chaptr7.pdf

Scroll down to the bottom of page 31. Look at the second sentence from the bottom. Pulling into an intersection while waiting for it to clear is ILLEGAL! Turn arrow or no turn arrow.....

Do you get that or should I explain it again?

OK, here it is from the California Handbook.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs22thru25.htm#turning
Huh, look at that. Doesn't say 'proceed into the intersection' does it?

Do you understand it now?

OK team other then Defib, who here has peeled somebody's face from being stuck to a windshield?, who has had to explain to someone's family that Johnny isn't coming home from the hospital?.....perhaps we watch the video's again and take from them the fact that we're happy a fellow X'er made it home safe w/ his girl, no medics were called out to run the job and drive the red bus and let's all try to be safe out there.......

...although running code 3 through a park on the grass and across a lawn is really cool. Almost as much fun as cutting off some idiots $500 leather jacket because he is having back pains.....after dumping his unregistered bike because he couldn't handle the burnouts and donuts he was doing in a school parking lot........ah life is good sometimes.

If the trucker had tried to pull into the center turn lane, he would have had to travel a significant distance against oncoming traffic in Ramness' lane before being fully merged into it, and would have caused Ramness to have MUCH LESS time to react since most if not all of the trailer would still be in his lane at that point before the entire length of the truck would have made it fully within the turn lane.

Brent

Ian, Burger ...
You are screaming that waiting in the middle of intersection for light to change RED, and then finishing LEFT turn is illigal ????

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmanual/chapter05-manual.htm
read the SECOND example on the page

Example: You want to turn left at an intersection ahead. A vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction, going straight ahead. You must wait for approaching traffic to go through before you turn. You may enter the intersection, however, to prepare for your left turn if the light is green and no other vehicle ahead of you is preparing for a left turn (see "Turns" later in this chapter). When you enter the intersection, stay to the right of the center line. Keep your wheels straight to avoid being pushed into oncoming traffic should a rear end collision occur. [b]When approaching traffic clears or stops for a red light[\b], complete your turn.

So As you can see, EACH state IS different

AND THESE Videos, show NOTHING OUT OF ORDINARY
Ramness570 : why dont you come and drive in NY for day , you will have enough video fotage to last you a year.
I look a these videos, and some times wounder, what is that you are trying to show us , that was so scary or dangerous

(not meant as a personal attack)

I was wrong about you. I don't have to explain things 12 times. Maybe 13 times will work. Are you trying to be stupid? That thing you posted from California is about making left turns where there is NO LIGHT AT ALL! Read this... if you can:

(1)
About 100 feet from corner:
• Begin signalling
• Reduce speed

(2)
• STOP BEHIND LIMIT LINE
• Look left, then right, then left again.
• If safe, make turn.

Editted for content.

Hmm, I very clearly recall back in '89 or so when I got my license in TN that it was permitted to do just that, as long as you have a clear lane to turn into (don't get stuck out there). You do so at your own risk though, that was made clear. The example in the PDF there seems more applicable to an unsignalled intersection.

Brent

HUH WHY ????????

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmanual/chapter04-manual.htm

STEADY YELLOW: The light is changing from green to red. Be ready to stop for the red light.

but it dont say you HAVE to stop on Yellow !!!

Its easy for me to say this now, but the "Correct" thing for the truck to have done would be to make a right turn out of the driveway and then make a u-turn someplace down the road.

Ramness,
You said you have had problems in the past with this spot with cars/trucks coming out blinding and becoming a target for a broadside accident. I would suggest that they put a sign there informing drivers to make a right turn instead of a left. They could even go as far as putting in an R17 sign at the driveway exit, and make it illegal to make left turns.



One of my projects that I am working on is on US101 in Novato,CA. There is a driveway exit similar to this. Over the last few years there have been many serious accidents (a few fatalities) involving trucks exiting and making left turns. What the local authorities did was restrict the left turn movement and force the trucks to make right turns and then a U-turn later on.

It only costs your local public works office a few hundred dollars to install an R17 sign. Contact their office, and send them a copy of your video and an explanation of how unsafe the road design/opperation is. That is a quick fix that can quickly be handled. (shoot, if you can get an email address for your public works director, just email him the video)

Personally, I have a class-B drivers license to operate buses. Whenever I encounter situations like this - I know my bus is huge and is a sloth when it comes to acelerating. So I usually opt to make a right turn instead of a left. Unless I see a big gap (and I mean really big) in traffic and I know that there is enough time for me to complete that left turn safely.

Find in your states handbook where it talks about turning at a light? Find those rules and show me the link. Hmm, must be that ANY left turn is covered by the statement you posted above. Here, I'll repeat it for you.

(2)
• STOP BEHIND LIMIT LINE
• Look left, then right, then left again.
• If safe, make turn.

If that doesnt work try this.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs16thru17lawsandrules.htm#traffic
Scroll to the description of a green light.

Clear enought for you now?
Editted for content.

Thank you for posting that. Thats the first written proof of what we've been discussing. I stand corrected for my statements, in N.Y.. I'm still trying to find such an accurate description in CAs or TNs handbook.

I'm the moron? Then help me out here. You're saying the above statement covers all left turns? So you're also telling me that when you come up to a green light, you stop behind the line, look left, look right, and then look left again? Then you make your turn? Who's a moron?

Seeing as it is election day... I vote for you.
:p

I don't see the point to this debate. Common sense should be used when driving.

Where is that "if you win an internet argument" image.. We need it here.. STAT!!

... ANY left turn is covered by the statement you posted above. Here, I'll repeat it for you.

(2)
• STOP BEHIND LIMIT LINE
• Look left, then right, then left again.
• If safe, make turn.
---------------------------------------------

This doesn't apply if there is a priority left turn pocket/lane provided. (meaning that you get the green arrow light and there is a special lane for left turns.) You don't have to stopm but its still a good idea to look L,R,L to see if its clear.

With every post you prove yourself dumber. If you read back on all my posts you will see that I've said numerous times that I'm talking about Michigan where many lights don't have turn arrows. That completely irrelevant thing you posted doesn't shed light on anything discussed so far. Of course you saw the word "yellow" and "light" and figured that was enough to prove your point.

Editted for content.

From Michigan's handbook: Michigan Driver\'s Handbook

A red light means stop. It is at the top of a
traffic signal in Michigan. Stop the vehicle
behind a crosswalk or stop line. A yellow light
means the green signal has ended and the signal
is about to turn red. You are required to stop on a
yellow light. If you cannot stop safely, do not
speed up but drive cautiously through the
intersection. A green light means proceed
cautiously after checking for pedestrians and
vehicles.

Seriously watch the video again,he pulls out really slowly to let the car in the opposite lane pass before he pulls into that lane....What I am pointing out is why didn't the truck pull into the turn off lane to not block the road and make it easier to merge into the lanes he's trying to travel down....

It looks to me like he is trying to do that?