To Turn or Not to Turn

To Turn or Not to Turn, That is the Question
By Dave Emanuel

You’re driving along Highway 78, running late (as usual) and as you approach the intersection you move into the left lane so you can turn left onto Oak Road. Just as you get to the intersection, the light turns from green to amber. Should you keep your foot on the gas pedal and try to make the turn, or hit the brakes and wait for the light to turn green again?

Obviously, your position in the road, and the elapsed time between the light turning amber and your car crossing the limit (stop) line, have to be considered. However, in most cases, hitting the brakes is the best move. If you were to be involved in an accident, whether it’s your fault or not, you’d be the unlucky recipient of a citation.

Georgia law requires any vehicle turning left to yield to oncoming traffic. If you were in the middle of the intersection, and a car coming toward you hit your car—you would be cited for failure to yield. That can even hold true if the on-coming vehicle runs a red light.

The increased possibility of having an accident is another consideration that should inspire caution when turning left across the lanes of on-coming traffic. Drivers approaching from the opposite direction may speed up unexpectedly in anticipation of a green light turning amber can create a hazard as can any number of things that can obstruct vision.

This isn’t to imply that you should be a Nervous Nellie or clamp on the brakes every time you attempt to turn left. You should, however, appraise the risks and act accordingly. Part of your preparation for making a left turn should be an immediate evaluation of conditions and vehicle positions, and a risk/reward analysis—is the minute or two you’ll save by turning immediately worth the increased of doing so?