Standard light at a standard intersection turns green for me, I have my signal on and am turning left.

I get midway through the intersection and damn near hit a pedestrian, who points at the crosswalk sign(the star) I apologize and am was shocked to see a person and feel pretty bad about it.

About ten minutes later I begin to wonder if that person really would have had the "It's okay to cross now" light? Kinda wondering if they pointed to the sign instinctively or something.

This intersection light has no arrows of any sort, or turn lanes.

Are you asking if pedestrians walking N-S normally get the sign to cross at the same time as cars driving N-S?

People not used to 50+ days a year of snowy and icy roads, driving on snowy and icy roads.

Rdh, yes.

I'll admit that I used to not clean snow off the roof.

Yes, the exception being when there's a turn arrow on the light. It would be problematic if pedestrians were told to cross perpendicular to the lanes of traffic that got a green.

I just figured when a pedestrian hit the button all lights were red. I've definitely seen that happen before and assumed that it happened 100% of the time.

where do you live? that is the most ridiculous thing Ive read all year

I've seen some intersections where it's red for all traffic and walk signals for all pedestrians. But they're pretty rare.

KP,

Have you seen the pedestrian signals that have a countdown? The signal starts with the walk sign, and then turns to a flashing stop sign with a numerical countdown, after which the stop signal is steady and the countdown disappears.

If you've seen that, it's been as you're driving by parallel to the pedestrian walkway, so it should be pretty obvious what the situation is.

Actually, I've seen this both ways: in some places, the crosswalks only turn to "walk" when the traffic signals in all directions are red. This, however, is a minority view: in most places, the crosswalks turn to "walk" when the traffic signal parallel to the direction of walking is green -- creating exactly the left-turn-ped-hit problem you articulated.

if there is a left turn arrow then there is never a "walk" signal at the same time

if there is no left turn arrow then the driver should look for pedestrians just like they do for cars

FYP

I might need to invest in the megaphone, this happened to me tonight. Unfortunately it's not an infrequent occurrence. There's a bridge I go over to get home, and the bridge abutment is just a car length before the stop line where the sensor is. Occasionally some numbnuts stops at the abutment instead of the line.

The second two paragraphs are why the first happen. Pass or be passed.

I'm betting that yes, they get to their destination much quicker.

False. Never in my life of merging onto highways has slowing down been superior to speeding up.

I'm looking forward to this too. I drive fast and aggressively because I hate inefficiencies in traffic. With human drivers they're inevitable. So much inefficiency is created when two drivers who have different opinions on the way driving should be meet. It will be great to watch a swarm of cars zipper merge seamlessly. And lanes of traffic separate perfectly based on travel speeds. I'll have no problem sitting back and letting my car drive the same speed as everyone else when that happens.

Slow drivers in the left lane:
http://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/5804590...-the-left-lane

And drivers that don't merge onto the highway at or near the speed of traffic. If you don't merge at or near the speed of traffic you're going to get passed by me and you're gonna have a bad time.

New Zealand has allowed people to drive from the age of 15. Combine that with high powered cheap secondhand imported Japanese cars, you have badly trained, very fast and impatient drivers in powerful turbocharged cars. The government has introduced "boy racer" legislation where a car can be confiscated and destroyed if you are caught racing or doing burnouts etc.

Kiwis however consider themselves to be amongst the best drivers in the world! Have a look at this recent article about a spate of Kiwi drivers snatching keys out of tourists hire car ignitions! http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2015/03/ar...ic-vigilantes/

When people pull out in front me me, causing me to have to use my brakes, when there is nothing but open road behind me. Like do people even ****ing think in these very basic terms?

Saw this thread and was coming to post this. Think a lot of it is to do with the whole Michigan left thing.. god damn that tilts me

**** yes, was just waiting for d10 and delivers as expected.

Which app do you recommend?

That video was awesome and i learned a lot. Thanks.

"All Jews must be reported to the gestapo without exception"

....and then drive below the speed limit for a couple miles.

like, you were in such a big hurry, WHERE'S THE HURRY NOW??

just about the only thing that riles me up. pull out in front all you want but be going faster than I was. otherwise, wait until I pass and drive 28 in a 35mph all you want.

A lot of these are very good, and I look forward to reading this thread for a long time.

I would say that if your reaction to a dangerous driver increases the danger for that driver, yourself, or anyone else, then you are not as good a driver as you think you are. Examples ITT include not letting someone in who is pulling a dick move, passing a dangerous, slower driver on an onramp, and hitting the brakes to "punish" the driver behind you.

johnny_on_the_spot, can you please do an AMA? I have a lot of pent-up questions about what the road engineers were thinking.

<csb>
I was about 3rd in line in the right lane at a red light. The front car in the left turn lane had her right turn signal on, so I'm thinking, "Fine, she got in the wrong lane, and is now signaling. Better than just gunning it with no signal." The light turns green (with a left arrow as well), and she makes a left. She was yakking on the phone, needless to say.

if there is some other interest, i'd go for it.

(btw, i only look at this page every other week or so and usually just the latest entries, i'm kind of amazed i looked at it today)

An entire article devoted to a question that could be answered with "because it makes you an *******". That undertaking is just a fact of life in WA drives me insane! 3 empty lanes and some tool is always out there in the left lane doing 60. Even the tried and true custom from my previous homeland of "drive right up behind said ******* until they get the message and change lane" doesnt seem to work here, people just refuse to budge unless you go around them.