re: when making u turns or lefts at intersections, go to the outside!

There are usually dotted lines showing you to go to the inside lane.


And intersections with 2 turning lanes, you both can't go to the outside.

If there is no turning lane for the oncoming traffic, go to the outside.

If there is a turning lane for them, go to the inside. Otherwise you block them from turning if there is no oncoming traffic for them. Our medians usually aren’t wide enough.

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There are usually dotted lines showing you to go to the inside lane. And intersections with 2 turning lanes, you both can't go to the outside.

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This is what I thought the OP was talking about as well and I was going crazy at how many people thought going to the outside was the correct way.

The OP did such a poor job of explaining the situation is the root cause of everyone’s confusion. They didnt mention that there was a median involved in their scenario which is a key point.

So you want me to cross lanes to make you feel better even if the closest is the only one clear enough for me to turn in?

NM. I misunderstood what you were saying. You are correct. People are stupid. And if you have someone in the wrong position 1st they look at you like you are stupid because you are blocking their view when they are the ones who don't know what they are doing. But it's typical of society today where people only think of themselves and they are right and everyone else is wrong.

I was in Orange Beach last week, and went through the double u-turn lanes on the beach highway a couple times.

It is amazing how many drivers in the outside lane don’t know that they have to stay on the outside, and that there are markers on the road to show the lanes all the way around. It’s also amazing that I didn’t see a wreck caused by that ignorance.

While I agree with you on the proper way to approach this turn, I don't do it. The issue is that in order for this method to be effective, you must trust and rely on other drivers to also use this method. And other drivers are idiots. The moment one car trying to turn from the opposite direction doesn't utilize the correct method, you become gridlocked, and cause a much greater safety risk than simply using the 'wrong' method and turning early. I've driven in Baton Rouge enough to know that if 10 cars pass, at least 8 of them will have no idea how to drive. I'll play the odds.

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Wide Median: the median width is 30 ft or more on at least one of the approaches. Narrow Median: the median width is less than 30 ft. on both approaches.

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me getting out my tape is going to slow shite down.

There has to be some kind of correlation between taking drivers ed out of high schools and the complete lack of driving knowledge on the roads these days.

Drivers ed was a whole semester course back in my high school days. These kids do it in 4 days now.

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If there is a turning lane for them, go to the inside. Otherwise you block them from turning if there is no oncoming traffic for them. Our medians usually aren’t wide enough.

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Exactly. This is the situation on my commute home every day:



Back before they built the turning lanes in the early 1970s (see below photo) it was probably a mess: