So this has been annoying me lately; drivers leaving excessive spacing when stopped for a red light. I get it, you don’t want to be right on the next guys bumper, you should leave space to escape if the guy in front stalls or somebody tries to carjack you. But 2-3 car lengths? It really bugs me when they do it in a left turn lane causing a back up to the travel lane resulting in overall congestion. Or, if they’re first at the light, they don’t pull up far enough to reach the road sensors that trigger a light change. I haven’t been able to isolate to a specific demographic, seems to be young, old, black, white, you name it. Maybe they’re just stoned at the wheel. I’m tempted to roll down my window and ask ‘wtf’? I’m in the Northeast US. Has anybody else witnessed this?

  • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
    132·
    24 days ago

    No it isn’t, you’re not required by law to use a turn signal in a turn only lane. If I was giving a driving test I’d fail you for using a turn signal in the turn only lane as it demonstrates you don’t know the law.

    • miss_demeanour@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      211·
      24 days ago

      I was a Driver Examiner in the Province of Ontario.
      You wouldn’t fail for this, but it is an infraction.
      You must ALWAYS SIGNAL YOUR INTENTION.

      Also, cite this ‘law’ you pulled from your ass.

      • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
        120·
        24 days ago

        Ah, OK might be a Canadian thing then. There is no law in the US that requires usage of a turn signal in a turn only lane. I didn’t pull a law from my ass, you’re pulling one from yours, or rather I’m talking about US law and it seems you’re talking about Canadian.

        • corsicanguppy@lemmy.caEnglish
          2·
          22 days ago

          You don’t need them in turn only lanes

          No mention of America.

          No it isn’t[:] you’re not required by law to use a turn signal in a turn only lane

          No mention of America.

          I’m talking about US law and it seems you’re talking about Canadian.

          Are you forgetting that 95% of the world’s population lives outside of America?

          Minnesota (this is a state in the US) traffic code 169.19 Subd. 5 Signal to turn:

          … and incorrect even in America.

          What does False Consensus mean?

    • BassTurd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      24 days ago

      There isn’t a federal law on turn signal use that I can find and it’s left up to the individual states. Every law I looked at said you have to have a continuous signal before the turn and when turning into a different lane. I did not see any exceptions listed anywhere, including turn lanes.

      When turning from a turn lane, to a different lane, that is a change of lane and therefore falls under the law. If you have any other evidence to the contrary or happen to live in a state that I didn’t check where that is an exception, I and the others here would love if you’d source that. If you can’t, then you’re just making shit up and should just take the “L”.

      • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
        15·
        24 days ago

        The only law in my state that requires usage of turn signals states this:

        No person may turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a highway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety, and then only after giving an appropriate signal in the manner hereinafter provided, in the event any other vehicle may be affected by the movement.

        The key there is “direct course”. The direct course in a dedicated turn lane is the turn, so no signal is required. If it’s a turn or straight lane it is required as in that case the direct course is straight.

        • BassTurd@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          23 days ago

          You conveniently left out the rest of the law…

          (1) No person may turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a highway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety, and then only after giving an appropriate signal in the manner hereinafter provided, in the event any other vehicle may be affected by the movement.
          (2) A signal of intention to turn right or left must be given continuously during not less than the last 100 feet traveled by the vehicle before turning, except that such a signal by hand or arm need not be given continuously by a bicyclist if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle.
          (3) No person may stop or suddenly decrease the speed of a vehicle without first giving an appropriate signal in the manner provided herein to the driver of any vehicle immediately to the rear, when there is opportunity to give such signal.
          (4) The signals provided for in s. 316.156 shall be used to indicate an intention to turn, to overtake, or to pass a vehicle and may not, except as provided in s. 316.2397, be flashed on one side only on a parked or disabled vehicle or flashed as a courtesy or “do pass” signal to operators of other vehicles approaching from the rear. (5) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.

          • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
            12·
            23 days ago

            Yes because it’s irrelevant. The first clause failing means subsequent clauses don’t apply. Because a signal isn’t necessary it doesn’t matter how far back you don’t signal for.

            • LilB0kChoy@midwest.socialEnglish
              1·
              22 days ago

              Wow! You’re wrong again!

              No person may turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a highway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety, and then only after giving an appropriate signal in the manner hereinafter provided

              Even in your nonsense “direct course” argument “no person may turn a vehicle from a direct course” until such movement can be made with reasonable safety, and then only after giving an appropriate signal.

              That literally means you have to signal when turning from a direct course. The last part, “in the manner hereinafter provided” is inclusive. It means every one of those clauses applies.

              You are a great example of why people should be retested regularly.

              • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
                11·
                22 days ago

                The clauses apply if the first one does which it doesn’t. Since you’re never turning from a direct course you don’t need to signal in the manner the following clauses describe. Since you’re never leaving the direct course, there’s no need to signal otherwise you’d need to use your turn signal every time you turn the wheel on your car even if you’re just following the road (which is what you’re doing in a turn only lane). You need to signal when entering the turn lane, but once in the lane you’re just following the lane (the direct course) and therefore don’t need to signal.

                • LilB0kChoy@midwest.socialEnglish
                  1·
                  22 days ago

                  Wrong again.

                  Trooper Steve was asked by a viewer named Lisa, “Are turn signals required in Florida? I see them not being used all the time – and never being enforced.”

                  Trooper Steve started by saying that the answer to first part is plain and simple.

                  “You are required to use your turn signal anytime you are changing direction in your vehicle,” he said. “Florida Statue 316.155 talks very specifically about when you are supposed to indicate a turn or change of lane.”

                  • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
                    11·
                    22 days ago

                    Turn signals are required, but not in a turn only lane. The question asked and answered wasn’t what’s being talked about here. Also it’s trivially demonstrable that turn signals are not required “anytime you are changing direction” in your vehicle otherwise you’d be constantly turning them off and on just driving down any random road as it curves back and forth. They’re required when you depart one lane for a different one. In a turn only lane you never depart the lane, it just becomes another lane. Finally quoting cops is a terrible defense as cops are per court decisions not actually required to know the law which is super fucked up, but that’s an entirely different discussion.

      • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
        115·
        24 days ago

        What law, that’s the point, no law requires usage of a turn signal in a turn only lane. There is no law that requires that and a driving test is testing that you’re following the laws. It’s the same as if you turned on your turn signal in a straight lane and then didn’t change lanes.