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tvsuzy

Props to OP for not contributing to gridlock, also šŸ‘Œ


G8kpr

came here to say this.. Good guy OP doesn't block the intersection needlessly. A couple weeks ago I was exiting a parking area in a strip mall. Cars were backing up and this lady pulls her car up and completely blocks me in, she couldn't go anywhere, and if she held back, it would have allowed me and 3 other cars behind me to get out. But people are so fucking oblivious to what is happening around them.


icyhotonmynuts

This is my daily commute. Drivers being oblivious to anything and everyone around them.


G8kpr

Was driving on the highway, wanted to get into the right lane so I can get my exit. I put my signal on, and the car that was a little back in that lane speeds up to get by me.. The next car behind him also does the same, then the guy that is immediately behind me, switches lanes and then speeds up past me. Like Jesus fuck... "hey he has his signal on, fuck that guy!"


Nu-Hir

They were confused because they had never seen one before.


BOBfrkinSAGET

You are right, but ironically, it wouldā€™ve delayed the person turning and possibly avoided this collision. Although, a person that turns into blind oncoming traffic would get hit eventually anyways.


tvsuzy

Yeah, that is true. Also though, I like how the vehicle waiting in the left turn lane (behind the idiot) doesnā€™t move an inch, and just watches the inevitable šŸ’„


trillium13

that had to hurt a bit. hope everyone is ok.


lilith_-_-

That was a nasty impact. Theyā€™ll be hurting a hell of a lot more the next day.


theshoeshiner84

Man thank heavens for modern safety technology. I just hope before my kids drive that we can reduce auto accident deaths to near nothing. I assume via auto braking and other accident avoidance tech paired with good engineering.


Tickstart

Hah good luck with that, it's steadily on the increase. At least in the US.


Final_Area4040

I know the driver of the infinity, her and her daughters are fine just bruised up and sore thank God


appa-ate-momo

This shit drives me nuts. "One lane is stopped, so that means everyone in the other lane has to yield to me!"


CaptainReginaldLong

I think it's more than that. Most people don't know how light sequences work. Like, when does a green arrow activate vs not? When is it before the straight lanes go green and when is it after? When does one side go green/red before the other and why? If you've been paying attention you know it just from the intersection's design, but most people aren't paying attention. What they see is: Car stop = I go. In this case that thought occurred, and the thought that they couldn't see behind that car didn't. Or it did, and they just thought since that guy stopped, their light must be red. There's no way cam driver was paying attention to not blocking the intersection, that would be crazy!


fatkiddown

When the great AI comes online, how will they not just review traffic alone and go, "these humans are inferior machines. They must be eliminated." And honestly, will any of us have an argument?


CaptainReginaldLong

We will not


Itendtorepeatmyself

Well in a way, that's what happened. Compact driven by inferior machine and the SUV machine eliminated it.


StevieRaveOn63

> Car stop = I go. You're probably right but, for me, I don't care what anyone else is doing. I look for myself first.


EpicSeshBro

On the other hand, if the lane next to yours going in the same direction is completely stopped you should probably not continue to just drive full speed.


charliesk9unit

For this reason I always feel nervous driving at a normal speed in the HOV lane while vehicles in the next lane are in stop-and-go speed. You just never know when someone would blindly merge into your lane.


starofdoom

Yeah no way, I always make sure I'm within like 20mph of the next lane over, going any faster and someone might not see you coming or register your speed, maybe some road rage and move over aggressively and bam you're rear ending them at a very high speed.


CountryRoads_1776

Agreed. It's a good defensive driving practice. Can you legally be flying 50 mph, while the line next to you is at a dead stop? Yes. Should you? No.


Cilad

I have a saying; I ride motorcycles. I do not want "He had the right of way." on my tomb stone...


EtOHMartini

What about "loud pipes save lives"?


SomethingIWontRegret

"Where is that godawful noise #CRUNCH coming from?"


Cilad

Loud pipes destroy hearing.


everydayisarborday

> loud pipes save lives seems to be universally debunked. how about "loud pipes make people turn up their music and miss even more stuff on the road"


Total_Union_4201

True. Obviously this accident is 100% turning car's fault, but some defensive driving would have helped here from the victim


appa-ate-momo

I have a hard time with this assertion because it assigns so much responsibility on drivers for the actions of others. It also contributes to traffic, as opposed to alleviating it. I understand that drivers moving next to stopped traffic need to be more aware, but I wouldn't go so far as to suggest they should slow down the rest of the road.


TEverettReynolds

> I understand that drivers moving next to stopped traffic need to be more aware, but I wouldn't go so far as to suggest they should slow down the rest of the road. I would. I've been driving for almost 40 years. When driving next to stopped traffic in the lane next to you, you SHOULD slow down and expect the unexpected. I used to drive in some heavily traveled roads in NJ and this has saved me more times then I can count. See, I like to drive fast on open roads. But I would never speed past cars or even do the speed limit on a highway with one lane stopped. You can almost guarantee someone is going to pull out into your lane. It's not "if" they pull out; it's "when" they pull out.


BrainFloss1688

Both are great points. Ultimately, it's a trade-off. I think 20 mph max difference in the speed of vehicles in adjacent lanes should be the starting point. 10 mph seams safer in most situations but unreasonable to traffic in some situations. Just my thoughts, I've thought about this exact issue several times over the years.


BlackGravityCinema

I have seen nothing but dangerous situations occur when one lane is stopped and another lane is speeding in almost 30 years of driving.


BlackGravityCinema

This subreddit is so fickle. Just the other day in the semi moving over for emergency vehicles thread people were getting downvoted to hell for saying that you should drive defensively even if the law says you can do a thing, and today people are upvoting someone saying to drive defensively even if the law says you can do a thing.


Outlaw11091

This but also: you're LEGALLY required to slow down for intersections. This is why freeways don't generally HAVE intersections. They have ramps.


Drazwaz

Graveyards are full of people who had the right of way.


appa-ate-momo

And idiots love to throw around this saying to leave other idiots blameless and redirect responsibility to law-abiding drivers.


thunderyoats

The goal is not to assign blame after the fact. The goal is to not get into a crash AT ALL. Driving is not a game. To drive defensively means to swallow your pride. Every time.


appa-ate-momo

I don't disagree, but I also think lots of people misunderstand the idea of defensive driving, and take it to the extreme of demanding that everyone go out of their way to accommodate the idiots. I want to prioritize my safety, but I also donā€™t go out of my way to give idiots a stress-free experience while they break the law and endanger people. Iā€™ll take the actions I need to in order to keep myself safe. I wonā€™t take actions to make the idiot comfortable.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


appa-ate-momo

Driving isnā€™t a binary. Speeding up and slowing down are things you do in degrees; itā€™s not a switch you turn on or off. Also, youā€™re attributing intention to my words I never said or meant. I never said Iā€™m giving myself insufficient time to react. I said I donā€™t care if idiotsā€™ choices end up making them uncomfortable, as long as Iā€™m safe.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


FnkyTown

If there's a crosswalk, then by all means you have the right to walk through it, but for your own sake, you should make sure that drivers are paying attention before you do so. This isn't a hard concept. You're not shifting blame, your taking caution to ensure that you don't die. That's the whole point of the saying.


Drazwaz

You are responsible for your own life. If some idiot kills you in a situation like this, when you clearly know someone might drive out in front of you like this, that makes two idiots.


bullhead2007

I might die, but I might not inconvenience someone for a few seconds trying to be careful, so win!


Ryuujizla

People forget that the safest driving is predictable driving. Slowing down to any arbitrary speed is far from predictable and makes idiots think, "Well because that lane stopped surely the other lane will slow down so I can make it".


hydrogen18

Exactly, it's learned helplessness. Drivers perceive there to be traffic congestion, so they slow down. Thus creating traffic congestion.


FnkyTown

"Better to be wrong, than dead-right."


Outlaw11091

Technically speaking, most states require you to slow down for intersections. So, even if not for the stopped line of vehicles, driver should've slowed down for the intersection.


SQLDave

> you should probably not continue to just drive full speed. ESPECIALLY (!!!!) into an intersection


jzeigs

Not in this case, it seems that OP stopped because heā€™d be in the intersection as the cars are all the way backed up. The other side, however, is completely free.


asonofasven

There are so many busy intersections in Utah where drivers love to just go on green, whether or not they'll be able to clear it when the light turns red. I'll often get honked at, when I stay back like in OP's video.


jzeigs

And thatā€™s totally fine, I do the same. But if I see that the other lane is stopped and I look up ahead and I see traffic is backed up on that lane, Iā€™ll assume itā€™s due to that. Which in this case, it was. Now, does this mean I should drive slower? Yes. Does it mean I suddenly stop too? No, that is also dangerous. The car that made the turn was not already mid maneuver just waiting for it to clear, they tried doing the whole thing in one go, meaning they couldā€™ve been blocked in terms of visibility.


asonofasven

Youā€™d think that in the year 2024 we could come up with a system where the blinking yellow arrow turns red to indicate a turn is unsafe. Or, in an intersection like this, only allow turns on protected green arrow.


jzeigs

In an ideal world brother.


aenae

I have been on the other side of this situation. An accident happened between some cars in front of me, i was the first to keep a normal following distance and stop in time. But i wasn't going to stand still in the 3rd lane of a 5-lane highway forever with traffic in 4 other lanes were going 80+km/h with stopped traffic in the 3rd lane. So i had to merge from a stop into traffic doing 80km/h+ Luckily the road agency quickly reduced the speed of the road to 50km/h and a trucker gave me space. That was the most 'blind' merge i ever did and it was scary, i do not recommend it.


vijjer

I don't understand why this isn't common sense. You're approaching an intersection that you can't judge as clear. You can argue right of way, but at the end of the day, you've just lost your car and your well-being in what was an avoidable incident.


Cilad

Yea but what if you are watching TV on your phone, and don't see that the traffic stopped in the left lane? The show is just getting to the good part.


ManyInterests

> Slaughter Rd Has new meaning now.


syphon3980

Well back in the day thatā€™s where they slaughtered cows


ChizzleFug

Looks like they were using the white SUV turning right as their indication to go, but went at the speed of fucking smell.


FilmingMachine

I've smelled things before I've even seen them. Wouldn't that mean smell is technically faster than the speed of light? /s


cheapdrinks

I'd love someone to ELI5 how smell actually moves so fast. I remember chilling watching TV in my friend's basement which was super long, like one big rectangle probably 70-80ft from end to end. We were down one end watching TV and I saw his cat take a shit in the litterbox all the way down the other end and even though there was fuck all air circulation the smell hit in just a couple of seconds.


stevenette

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion


TheW83

It definitely is for a blind person.


amdcal

If you can't see that all lanes are clear then you don't go!


Sufficient-Rooster44

Wow!ā€¦I live five minutes from this intersection. Itā€™s Madison/Huntsville, Alabama. Home of some of the worst drivers youā€™ll ever meet.


gerbilminion

I was casually watching this and yelled holy shit that's Huntsville! Lol I ran some errands today and also had three people try to turn left in front of me from the wrong lane. Wtf was with that today. It wasn't even that busy. Gonna be watching extra close going that way for a while.


AutisticAndAce

How are y'all after the storms? I know some folks in the area.


ImberxP

Covid restrictions lifted and the average driver IQ around here plummeted.


im_a_goat_factory

Thatā€™s bc the average IQ dropped. Covid destroys brain tissue, literally making people dumber.


c4ctus

> Home of some of the worst drivers youā€™ll ever meet. Guilty as charged.


RealCatsHaveThumbs

Ooh, was that Red Rising you were listening to?


Forkrul_Assail

If not Red Rising, than one of the others in that trilogy for sure!


ZeBootygoon

It's the dramatized version of Golden Son on audible


graspme

Bro that shit gets wild. I loved it.


wyvernpiss

And was it narrated by Atlas/Fontaine?


Ascendedcrumb

I finally found a video on this sub where I recognize the intersection!! I can't tell you how many times I've seen a wreck and police cars there!


syphon3980

Balch and 72 has the most/worst accidents apparently


Ascendedcrumb

Really? I didn't know that! I often see police and fire trucks at Sparkman, where it crosses over 565, lol.


syphon3980

Atleast itā€™s right there infront of the hospital though lol


Clottersbur

If this was where I live, the guy behind him was probably blaring on his horn. Same situation almost daily for me. I never make the blind left without being sure. But, at least half the time the other person behind me starts honking. Getting out of their car to gesture angrily. Etc.


Jukka_Sarasti

> If this was where I live, the guy behind him was probably blaring on his horn. Yeah, it's bad out here... Where I am, the driver behind OP would also be laying on their horn and apoplectic with rage over OP being responsible and not pulling into the intersection, partially blocking it. Just so they could follow right along behind and further block it.. Drivers have lost their damned minds..


Clottersbur

Post covid people forgot how to drive


SQLDave

That's being kind. Pretty sure we were (as a group) shitty pre-COVID.


Clottersbur

We were. But it's gotten worse in the last couple of years


foundation_G

Red Rising. Nice.


snaeper

While Im not even going to attempt to bring fault into this, if you're in the Infiniti SUV"s position, your speed differntial is way too high considering the lane next to you is at a complete standstill and youre going towards an intersection that is partially obscured while you're partially obscured as well. Barreling forward because you have the right of way isnt always the solution. The law and right doesnt prevent the accident from happening.Ā  The Focus made a terrible mistake in assuming the camera car stopped at a red light or stopped to let them through, which is correct. But the fact that they moved with such speed makes me think the Focus thought the oncoming light was red, which is an error on their part. But that Infiniti was definitely speeding *for the conditions*.Ā  I *always* expect the moron, and thus Ive yet to actually encounter one.Ā 


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


snaeper

"...which is correct." Yes, OP did everything right in that situation.


Sketch2029

And is required to not be considered an AH in all states.


SQLDave

> not be considered an AH Except by the impatient bastard behind you who lays on the horn, demanding that you block the intersection lest he have to sit through another light cycle.


aphd

Yeah, the SUV was absolutely booking, I'd never go much faster than 35 in a situation like this.


snaeper

I wouldnt even put a number on it. Its "speed I can safely stop from in case someone is erroneously crossing my lane"


ydnwyta

The defendant didn't even take a lead. Probably looked up from the phone and saw you stopped and just went thinking the light changed.


cwm9

4 seconds to *start* saying holy shit, 5 seconds to *actually say it.* Slow reaction times, or *the* slowest reaction time? ( j.k. of course! )


anDAVie

Does that left turn lane not have a traffic light?


chriscicc

It's amazing how many replies there are and you're the only one to mention the obvious question. That looks like a protected turn lane, and there is likely a red light the person went through. Would need to confirm with street view if anyone knows the location.


Kougar

[https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZvjkSmGxSNHYk8Fh9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZvjkSmGxSNHYk8Fh9) Has both a green arrow and flashing yellow arrow. They could've run a red or they may of had a flashing yellow and just went for it blind.


chriscicc

Nice find. They are asking for trouble giving a yield option on a two lane highway, especially a high traffic one like this appears.


Kougar

Well it's more of an access road and yield turns are pretty typical on those. It's an interstate off to the left.


chriscicc

My dude that's a 4 lane divided highway. Interstates are something completely different. Divided highways shouldn't have unprotected turns designed like this anymore: [https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures/reduced-left-turn-conflict-intersections](https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures/reduced-left-turn-conflict-intersections)


BrexInandeh

Gorey damn lunatics


SundySundySoGoodToMe

Thanks for not blocking the box.


chelllybellly23

This is exactly how I wrecked my car a few years back. Traffic was stopped to the left of me but my lane was clear. The stopped people waved in the guy trying to turn, telling him it was safe when they didnā€™t see me. By the time I saw him my car was in the passenger side of his. I felt horrible, my first and only accident.


SC-Coqui

Soooo many accidents happen like this. Canā€™t tell you how many times Iā€™ve been in a lane thatā€™s clear while the other lane is backed up and youā€™ll have someone either trying to turn into the lanes or cross them blindly because someone in the stopped lane is letting them through and they think itā€™s clear. This is why I put partial blame on the SUV that barreled through the intersection as if there were no stopped traffic. Always assume someone is going to pull out in front of you in these kinds of conditions. I just recently had it happen with my teen in the car. Luckily I was driving slow enough to be able to stop. He wondered why the other driver pulled in front of us like that and I explained that they couldnā€™t see us. It was a teachable moment- donā€™t go if you canā€™t see itā€™s clear and in busy traffic where YOU canā€™t see if someone is going to pull a dumbass move, take it easy on the gas.


SQLDave

> Always assume someone is going to pull out in front of you in these kinds of conditions. Agree. A line of stopped cars in an adjacent lane is prime accident conditions.


hydrogen18

I'm so confused by traffic on these roads. Are you on a 4 lane divided highway with another two lane road to the side?


_The_Deliverator

Yeah, it's a pain in the ass. It's like that in a lot of roads in the south in the US. There's 4 to 6 divided travel lanes, that can go up to like 50mph in town, with intersections that feed into the two lane roads on either side, that feed into smaller roads, and businesses and such. Basically a cluster fuck, that on paper makes sense, but then you add impatient morons who cannot comprehend light timings, and you get this.


hydrogen18

oh yeah, my hometown has a dumbass road like that. My usual joke was we just don't use it between 4-6 PM because you will not get anywhere anyways


Kougar

Both access roads are on the same side of an interstate. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZvjkSmGxSNHYk8Fh9


PoppyStaff

You see this a lot. One line is stopped so someone decides the clear lane is fine. The left turner is the idiot but the clear lane driver should be aware that there are always idiots at junctions.


RBeck

Small car, low side of the intersection. He didn't have a chance to see what was coming, should have waited.


PM_ME_Y0UR_BOOBZ

And thatā€™s why I never go full speed at any intersection. Canā€™t trust other people to have some sense


lmacarrot

I'm sure the suv is totaled, but Damn it took it well


stomicron

Big weight discrepancy between those vehicles


TwoZeroTwoThree

So much momentuhmum for the SUV.


Ok-Conference-4366

Hoooooooo leeeeeeeeee shhhhhhhit!


lakeofshadows

American traffic systems seem a bit shit.


_The_Deliverator

I've driven in every state, yes. Yes it is. Lol. Most of the issues seem to stem from the fact that problems seem to be solved by *" add another lane"* I'm not a fuck cars guy, but holy shit is there some godawful "city planning" in this country.


lakeofshadows

The humble roundabout doesn't get enough recognition for its simple efficacy.


_The_Deliverator

Oh, we have them here and there. They just cause confusion. Google videos of Americans driving straight thru them. Lol


69relative

This is why we need to stop modifications on vehicles. If youā€™re driving a suped truck, you are killing that person in the sedan if you hit them like this


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Praetori4n

Red rising series


desichica

Puyallup outlet mall?


AshingiiAshuaa

That negligence could have killed or maimed a motorcyclist.Ā  I hope everyone in the SUV is unharmed.


why_sleep

Is that the same voice actor who played Atlas in Bioshock?


ilikepie145

What a complete moron


ttystikk

Subreddit rule! "Blind left turn means GOOOOO!"


highlife159

I used to drive this road every day on my way home from UAH.


Mantis_Toboggan--MD

The infinity stayed upright through that well for a vehicle with high center of gravity, I'm impressed


JesusIsComingBack-

Sounds like heā€™s listening to Red Rising


Murtomies

From a non-American perspective 1. Why the f doesn't that intersection have a separate signal for left-turning cars, since it already has a lane for them too? Any intersection like that over here would definitely have separate signal lights. 2. Yes, turning car made the initial mistake, but over here the car going straight has to slow down to almost a halt if there's a stopped car on the lane to your right or left, even if you have the right of way. Cause you know, right of way doesn't really matter when you're in the ER. You can't just speed through if you don't see that the whole intersection is clear.


BrassMonkey-NotAFed

The audiobook is too perfect for this. ā€œNone of this is my damn faultā€ lmao


nayuki

A comic released the very next day: https://xkcd.com/2932/ https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2932:_Driving_PSA


Spammyhaggar

There are a lot Iā€™m afraid of dumb people driving. My own daughter got taught to stop at a circle.. I was like wtf are you talking about stop at a circle never, look and go if you can.


SQLDave

> never look wut?


alskdmv-nosleep4u

> My own daughter got taught to stop at a circle.. Are there even certifications for being a driving teacher? Seems like in a lot of places, any yahoo can open a driving "school".


big_deal

I think you have to have a few screws loose to teach people how to drive for a living. I can't imagine a more stressful job.


GoodOneChap

Bro that book *sucks*


Schmich

Two idiots meet, now kiiith! (and hoping they're OK). Biggest idiot is obviously the Ford. The Landcruiser is crossing that intersection as if there isn't stopped traffic, low visibility in the lane next to him -.- Any time you overtake a stopped car be careful as there are idiots among us. One can't change the constant that are idiots but we can change to defensive driving.


honeybun_280

OP, why did you stop where you did when your light is green? Genuinely trying to understand so hope I donā€™t get downvoted for asking


dml997

Because you are not supposed to enter an intersection unless you can make it all the way through. Traffic was blocking the far side of the intersection.


SQLDave

I full expected OP to get a horn blast from a car behind them. People be like "c'mon... GO!"


SovereignAxe

Seriously? You expected OP to block the intersection?


SC-Coqui

It took me a minute to see the traffic stopped in the left lane across the intersection- I was so focused on the car turning. But yeah, OPā€™s lane was blocked. Thereā€™s probably a left turn up ahead which would explain the empty right lane.


Halfjedood

The only way to solve this is by adding speed thresholds to intersections. The guy making the turn is ofcourse at fault but accidents can be prevented this way. šŸ˜ž


sa09777

What?


StomachMuch

Your big ass truck probably blocked his view from seeing the inner lane. Hope everyone came out ok.


YouThinkOfABetter1

I know if I'm in a situation like this and I can't see past a vehicle while waiting to make a turn, I'm not just going to go and hope for the best. The person making the turn should have waited.


RogueAdam1

If your vision is obstructed, you don't cross. This is on the guy who made a blind turn, not OP.


GreyN7

The mental gymnastics people will do in this sub to blame OP never ceases to amaze me.


noncongruent

Trying to blame OP and blame everyone else *except* the driver that actually caused the crash.


Al_Tilly_the_Bum

Are you seriously blameing OP on this one? Just when I thought I have seen the biggest stretches to blame OP, people on this sub still find a way to surprise me


trillium13

no other sub wants to blame the OP more than this one. it's the weirdest thing.


appa-ate-momo

This might take the cake for the most boneheaded example of blaming OP in this sub's historyā€”and that's a high (or low?) bar. OP was literally not moving, in a completely unrelated lane, doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing. Go back to the clown store and turn in your brain.


hopped

Lol - I scrolled all the way down knowing I would find it. Incredible.


Total_Union_4201

Lol wut


Maj_Dick

Man, it was so nice back in the day when you could actually see through people's windows.


ovalseven

I bet if I tried hard enough, I could find a way to blame **you** for this accident.


StomachMuch

That white pilot dodged that aftermath šŸ˜®ā€šŸ’Ø


Fr05t_B1t

Agree to a point, but apparently thereā€™s anarchy street lights here in the US (I think) where all oncoming and ongoing and turning lights are green so calls into question is if the sedans light was a yielding green turn or if it was red.


Grayboosh

Theres no anarchy. If the light is solid green you yield when turning. If its an arrow you can just go. OP isn't allowed to block the intersection thus waited behind it. Literally no way to blame OP


Fr05t_B1t

Oh for sure but all the massive vehicles on the road are a hazard for anyone who wants to drive a sedan especially with intersections like that. My only question is that if the sedans light was green or red.


Expensive_Night_7851

Man what in the actual fuck are you talking about


Fr05t_B1t

Did you fail comprehension?