Okay, so I should have turned from the inside lane this particular day and time since traffic was light. But, during the summer when it's 95*F, 75% humidity, you're geared up with a full-face helmet and traffic is heavy, wouldn't you take the turn lane that has the least traffic? I've taken this route hundreds of times and it's been a habit of mine to move to the right lane after I exit off of the I-45 because, from experience, I know there will be a lot fewer vehicles in the right lane. Like I said earlier, there used to be painted markings on the pavement and signage on the horizontal signal light pole. After the road was repaved recently, the contractor didn't paint the lines on the pavement for some reason. I've contacted TxDOT about this oversight. Hopefully, they get back with me and let me know why the contractor didn't properly complete the job. Here's what it used to look like:

 

Thats just a very badly marked turn, they need a HUGE left arrow painted in that lane and another huge Left turn arrow sign posted above it and solid white lanes painted. That said i would never make a left turn in the right hand lane again at that junction. Man thats just asking for a horrible accident.

 

100% with Tom on this one. You just can't risk your life on the other guy's awareness. Every single guy ever killed by some idiot turning left in front of him had the "right of way". Right of way means next to nothing.

 

I have two similar intersections like this that I go through several times per week. I gave up trying to be “right” and just expect everyone not to do what they are supposed to do. I don’t even get mad anymore. I wasn’t put here to educate the motoring public. My mission is to survive.

Glad your okay. Will they get things better when TX peels off to form it’s own country?😏

 

The multiple assessments above are all correct, IMHO. The blue car is a jerk; he broke the law. Having said that, good defensive driving would put me in the left hand lane for my own safety.

However, my beef is with the Dept. of Trans. Why the hell does the left hand lane have a lane dedicated on the other side of the intersection? If the left lane is turn only, there should be nowhere to go straight ahead. They should also put up permanent pylons that force a left turn from the left lane. Had you been hit, you would stand a fair chance at a lawsuit over the design of that intersection (provided you lived through it).

 

i guess roads in our neck of the woods are very different than in other parts of the country. I live next door in la, and we have lots of roads like this. left lane is for left turns only, and the right lane is for left turns and straight. sometimes they even throw in a third lane on the far right for straight and right turns. it isn't hard to figure out, and in a lot of cases, you have to be in the right hand lane to make your left turn or you'll never be able to change lanes to the right lane to make that right turn that is coming up.

the op did absolutely nothing wrong, and everything right. he was paying attention and anticipated the douche in the left turn only lane not making a turn.

its a lot like those peckerheads who swing wide when making a left turn effectively changing lanes in the middle of an intersection, or those who enter a traffic circle (aka roundabout) from the right and go into the left lane, cutting off everyone who was already in the left lane.

people just don't know how to drive, and don't pay attention while doing so.

 

Same here. Why invite the possibility.

 

Op. You did everything as right as could be done. On a side note I don't think my radio could play that music without blowing a fuse😀

 

Yeah but one wouldn't turn left from the right lane, one would have to figure if in the right lane that a car would pass on the left as the video demonstrates. I don't know why you are all saying the OP was right, he was in the wrong lane for a left turn.

 

NO he was in the right. If you look at the signage when the video pauses, you can see that the left lane is left turn ONLY. Thus allowing the right lane to turn left or go straight. He would have been dead right though if he wasn't watching for the idiot in the car. There are a lot of intersections in Texas that way.

The part that gets me are the idiots that will turn left from the center or right lane when they are straight only..... That happens a lot too.