Traffic Question?

May 2021 5 55 Report

Traffic Question?

Say you're at a 4 way stop red light. the north and south have green. theres a person at the front of the line needing to turn left. can the traffic from behind him go around him and continue straight or is it the law to stay behind him and wait until his way is clear. If this is seriously legal no wonder so many accidents happen.

Cars & Transportation / Safety

Doug K

Verified answer

Going around him when there is no specified left turn lane is considered 'passing on the right, or shoulder' and is illegal. The people behind will just have to wait until the left turning car has made the turn across traffic.

logicalgal

It isn't safe to make a right lane change to pass a vehicle turning left within about 30 meters of any intersection, with or without a traffic light. The key word here is "safety".

What if you quickly pull out to pass on the right very close to the intersection and another oncoming vehicle decides to turn left also?

What if there suddenly appears a pedestrian you didn't see?

There is too much going on at any intersection at any given time to take such a risk.

It is absolutely illegal to drive to the right of a solid white line (shoulder) or across any painted median such as a striped white section.

Al Mac Wheel

If there is only one lane each way, the traffic behind MAY not go around.

If there are several lanes, the traffic in the left lane, behind the person about to turn left, may ONLY go into the right lane if no other cars already in the right lane.

The time to get there is before you get to the intersection.

If there is a lane available on the right that is not marked "right turn only," it is perfectly legal to pass the vehicle on the right. However, if you have to drive on the shoulder, it's illegal.

Although many people believe that passing on the right is always illegal, it is not. If two or more lanes of traffic are moving in the same direction, passing on the right is permitted.