Why not ban left turns on busy streets?
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By Daniel Pink, Contributing Opinion columnist
Maybe it was you.
Maybe you’re the person in the maroon Subaru Outback who cost me two minutes of my life last month.
Maybe you’re the character who was driving north on Wisconsin Avenue — one of Washington’s most crowded thoroughfares — and chose to turn left at a packed intersection, thereby pinning me and a half-dozen other drivers behind you.
Maybe you’re the dope who couldn’t negotiate that left turn until a yellow light provided a momentary gap in the thick oncoming traffic, which meant that I — and soon even more drivers who’d become backed up in your lane — were now trapped at a red light, our journey impeded by your poor choices.
What you were doing, sir or madam, was perfectly legal. It was also utterly wrong. And it’s time to put an end to such treachery.
Why not ban left turns on busy streets in U.S. cities?
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Face Painter, Makeup Artist
1dGreat advice!
Research Analyst | Data-Driven Product Development | Rheologist | bio-Tribologist | Food Physicist | Educator | Writer
2wYes please. No lefts
Alpine-Elephant Jockey
2wAs a general rule--not just related to traffic issues--maybe we should ask why people are doing it. If they have a legitimate reason to do it (eg, Im trying to get from my house to the grocery store), make it eaiser, not tougher for them. In St Pete, FL, they recently did away with dedicated left turn lanes on a neighborhood artery that connects to the interstate. Now everybody has to make u-turns instead. In the fast lane. Needless to say, there are frequent road closures from accidents now. If we make left turns illegal, but people are still allowed to buy groceries and not be homeless, we increased the time they are on the road, thus increased traffic, AND increased the likelihood of traffic accidents by replacing a decades-tested safe practice (dedicated left turn lanes) that forces an unsafe practice (u-turns in a fast lane). Ive also seen a nationwide trend of cloverleafs being replaced with traffic patterns where people are forced to drive headfirst into oncoming traffic and slam on their brakes to avoid head-on collisions. These sorts of intersections are popping up all over the country with disastrous results. (I'm not sure why AAA isnt speaking out publicly about this issue.)
SB. Rahman Hollywoodmarine.com
3wFor the purpose of safety reason may can make,No left tern on busy streets. Thank You.
Retired
3wI'm just glad that texting and driving thing has been eradicated.