Do you yield at green lights?

[VenezianBlau 87]

Assume a 4-way, lighted intersection with right turn lanes and yield signs at the end of those turn lanes. Consider that you are progressing down such a turn lane facing both a green light and oncoming vehicles queued to turn left...

Is it correct to yield to allow oncoming vehicles to turn left in front of you?

(I read recently that no one "has" the right of way; the right of way can only be yielded to another. Not sure I grasp that nuanced concept either.)

[Big Ed]

It makes no sense to me...but my assumption is if there is a yield sign then you should yield to the cars turning left.

Of course, if I was making the left turn I wouldn't understand why the hell you are yielding...unless I was familiar with the intersection.

[legion]

This sounds like an exceedingly screwey intersection setup.

[Jeff Higgins]

Left turning traffic always yields. The yield sign is probably intended to apply when the light is red, and you yield to cross traffic. Since that should also go without saying, it sounds like some bone-head over-zealous traffic engineer.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

DOWN WITH TRAFFIC SIGNS!

[wludavid]

The dude with the yield signs yields. Essentially, the guy turning right and has already made that right turn (which is allowed to do). The yield sign is set up so that he yields when merging left into his new road.

[VenezianBlau 87]

My conclusion has been the same as that of Big Ed and David. Although, I never considered changing lanes to be equivalent to a turn since I'm still going in the same direction. Some drivers yield and some don't. I think a yield sign means "yield" under all conditions since signs don't "turn off" so to speak. I've only encountered this in Gwinnett Co. (GA). However, their application of the yield sign in these situations appears arbitrary.

[RallyJon]

One important concept that is often lost in the discussion of "right of way" is the obligation to avoid an accident. So if someone who should technically yield to you, doesn't, you don't have any justification for running into him. If it can be shown that you could have done more to avoid the accident, but didn't, you're at least partially at fault.

So think twice before you aggressively assert your right of way. Good thing to remember when you're cock-blocking a guy trying to merge.

[tobster1911]

IMO Yield and Merge are two separate things. I agree with Jeff that the yield is for cross traffic. On a two lane road with one direction turning right and the other direction turning left, (both into the same road) it is (un)common knowledge round here that the right turn has right-of-way.

I do have a problem with people that try to block others from Merging (like on the interstate). Merge is different than Yield. The person coming up the on ramp has a right to get on the freeway. The person on the freeway MUST let them merge. Of course, the person coming up the ramp should have the courtesy to be traveling close to the freeway speed as well.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally posted by tobster1911
...Of course, the person coming up the ramp should have the courtesy to be traveling close to the freeway speed as well.

Around here the entrance ramps to parkways are shorter than most peoples driveways and end in a bridge abutment.

Yet we still get idiots that pull all the way up to the top and think that they will be able to accelerate their *****box to 65 mph in 2-3 car lengths.

Then at the last second they realize they won't make it and get stuck at the end of the ramp and screw it up for those behind them.

On those ramps I always stop half way up the ramp to see oncoming traffic and find a hole that I can merge with at speed.

Amazing how many idiots sit behind me and honk, they don't get the concept of accident avoidence.

Scott

[artplumber]

Originally posted by tobster1911
....

I do have a problem with people that try to block others from Merging (like on the interstate). Merge is different than Yield. The person coming up the on ramp has a right to get on the freeway. The person on the freeway MUST let them merge. Of course, the person coming up the ramp should have the courtesy to be traveling close to the freeway speed as well.

Err what?! Time to go back to the handbook buddy (no offence)

"Space To Merge

Enter the freeway at or near the speed of traffic. (Remember that the maximum speed allowed is 65 mph on most freeways.) Do not stop before merging with freeway traffic unless absolutely necessary. Freeway traffic has the right of way."

from here:
http://www.cal-driver-ed.com/dmv-handbook/28.htm

[RallyJon]

Well, that's a confusing way to word the law. And what exactly happens at 65 mph at the end of the on-ramp?

Sorry, but if they want you to merge at the speed of traffic, the implication is there that traffic should let you in.

[tobster1911]

Originally posted by artplumber
Err what?! Time to go back to the handbook buddy (no offence)

"Space To Merge

Enter the freeway at or near the speed of traffic. (Remember that the maximum speed allowed is 65 mph on most freeways.) Do not stop before merging with freeway traffic unless absolutely necessary. Freeway traffic has the right of way."

from here:
http://www.cal-driver-ed.com/dmv-handbook/28.htm

I looked up the CO handbook and it appear I was incorrect. I seem to remember it differently but you are correct in what it says now. I guess I misspoke earlier.

[artplumber]

Originally posted by RallyJon
Well, that's a confusing way to word the law. And what exactly happens at 65 mph at the end of the on-ramp?

Sorry, but if they want you to merge at the speed of traffic, the implication is there that traffic should let you in.

They encourage you to merge at freeway speeds, hence the recommendation to get up to speed.

The freeway traffic has no obligation to "let you in". You are merging into traffic flow, therefore it is the responsibility of the merging vehicle to assess where it can merge safely - just like you can't make a right turn from a stop into continuously moving crosstraffic unless you can make the turn and merge safely.

This "law" does not mean the people on the freeway can't be nice, but it does mean that should an accident occur because of an unsafe merge, it will be judged to be the merging car's fault.

[artplumber]

Originally posted by tobster1911
I looked up the CO handbook and it appear I was incorrect. I seem to remember it differently but you are correct in what it says now. I guess I misspoke earlier.

I went to a lot of traffic school in my youth

[Noah930]

Interesting question. I just found an intersection like that near where I live. Not really sure who has "right-of-way" (regardless of whether "right-of-way" is truly a right, or if it's something that's yielded to you by the other vehicle).

Normally, the right-turning vehicle should go first, to be followed (when safe) by the left-turning vehicle. But if the right-turning vehicle has a yield sign, should they allow the left-turning vehicle to go first? How does that left-turning vehicle know that there's a yield sign for the right-turning vehicle? There are 30 million signs (slight exaggeration) up at that intersection.

The left-turning lane of traffic has a dedicated left-turn arrow, too (though no red-arrow to stop them from turning when the through-intersection traffic has a green). So I understand the intent of the yield sign (to avoid having right-on-red turners run into left-on-green-arrow turners. And I can understand not putting up a no-right-on-red limitation to hold up traffic needlessly.

But I think the nimrod traffic engineer (aren't they all, here in Massachusetts?) who put up the yield sign is confusing the situation. If there were to be an accident, not sure who exactly would be at fault. There's no clear-cut answer.

[VenezianBlau 87]

I received a response within one hour this morning on this matter. The official was being kind in saying that I was right; as I didn't offer an opinion either way in my question to him:

Bob:

You are correct that traffic turning right on New Hope Road from Simonton Road eastbound must yield to left turns on green. This approach is channelized which makes the yield sign the controlling device. Thanks for your inquiry on this.

(name witheld)
Gwinnett County DOT

I continue to be impressed with Gwinnett Co. government operations and their officials in other recent dealings involving such things as obtaining a new firearms permit, tag and transfers, jury duty, and the handling of a recent code enforcement complaint I made. Now, if I can get the state to reflect my residence in the correct U.S. Congressional district!

[pmajka]

Green light, go
red stop,
yellow , go very very fast.

seriously
if there is a green light and a right turn with a yeild..you yeild

obey the last sign in your path directed at you.

we have one just down the street.