Entering a divided highway from a Stop sign...

[Morris Minor]

... to make an unprotected left turn, do you have to make it a single-step maneuver, i.e. wait for traffic to clear from both directions?
or can you make a two-step maneuver: wait for traffic to clear from the left, enter & pause in the protection of the median while traffic from the right clears, then go?


Asking because someone in the neighborhood allegedly got a ticket for making a two-step left fm a stop sign. Cop told her you have to wait for traffic to clear from both directions.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I've seen cops do it. It probably varies greatly by state.

[MrH]

... to make an unprotected left turn, do you have to make it a single-step maneuver, i.e. wait for traffic to clear from both directions?
or can you make a two-step maneuver: wait for traffic to clear from the left, enter & pause in the protection of the median while traffic from the right clears, then go?


Asking because someone in the neighborhood allegedly got a ticket for making a two-step left fm a stop sign. Cop told her you have to wait for traffic to clear from both directions.

Depends greatly on how the turn lane is structured to go from the divided two lane to the side road.  Know the exact intersection you can share on google maps or something?

[Rich]

Depends on the amount of traffic for me.  I tend toward waiting for both to be clear and avoiding the suicide lane if I can, but if traffic is heavy, I'll use the suicide lane to play frogger.

[Morris Minor]

Depends greatly on how the turn lane is structured to go from the divided two lane to the side road.  Know the exact intersection you can share on google maps or something?

Here you go - Turning left fm Worley Crossroads to go south on GA 515.
https://goo.gl/maps/AdxXyuhBVXi3tho88

[CaminoRacer]

2-step is safer half the time. Trying to do 1-step can be too much for most people's brains to process fast enough.

Obviously waiting for the all-clear is the best, but in heavy traffic I'd rather do 2-step if the suicide lane is suitable for it.

[CaminoRacer]

Here you go - Turning left fm Worley Crossroads to go south on GA 515.
https://goo.gl/maps/AdxXyuhBVXi3tho88

That should be a roundabout or a freeway style entrance/exit...

[Eye of the Tiger]

Here you go - Turning left fm Worley Crossroads to go south on GA 515.
https://goo.gl/maps/AdxXyuhBVXi3tho88

That looks like a terrible intersection. It should probably be a rotary.

[Eye of the Tiger]

That should be a roundabout or a freeway style entrance/exit...

Damn, I was too slow

[MrH]

Here you go - Turning left fm Worley Crossroads to go south on GA 515.
https://goo.gl/maps/AdxXyuhBVXi3tho88

Thanks.  I'd probably do that in 2 turns too.  Depends on how the traffic looked for each direction and how many were turning off the main road.

[r0tor]

That really doesn't look like a suicide lane to sit in to 2 step it since there is some strange u-turn lane you would be parking in

[dazzleman]

If there is a divided highway with 3 lanes in each direction, and no traffic light governing the intersection, it would be nearly impossible to execute a left turn in one step.  In that case, the only alternatives would be to either turn right and then later use a turnaround lane, or utilize a lane in the center divider between the two directions of roadway, assuming that lane is big enough that the car doesn't protrude onto the road in either direction.

[Eye of the Tiger]

If you do a good burnout, traffic will slow down so you can pull out.

[AutobahnSHO]

So "Gordon Highway" on my way to work has at least a half dozen intersections like that. Although "technically" the legal thing is probably do a one-step, traffic would never flow if people didn't do the two-step I see people doing very frequently. MANY of the ones here are not even cross-streets, but a "T" intersection from/into a housing development, so the danger of a car sitting in the middle goes way way down.