ANTICIPATION U-TURNS... one of the most annoying driving infractions. posted 10/20/2009 10:03:47 PM | 1 kudo what's this?     report abuse tagged: idiots, driving, cars

chatillion

If I had to vote on the single most annoying (and dangerous) driving infraction, it would have to be the anticipation u-turn. I coined that phrase because I really don't know if there is a proper name for it.

Basically, it's when another driver is too impatient to allow you to pass so they can (legally) make a turn or (in this example) a u-turn.

Let's say, you are driving on a 6 lane road with curbed medians and dedicated turn lanes. Traffic is really light... hardly any cars, especially no cars in your rear-view mirror. You're driving along the outside lane, going the speed limit... 45 miles per hour and someone from oncoming traffic decides they want to make a u-turn.

Simple... right? except, they cannot wait for you to pass before they begin their turn.

I haven't read the Florida Highway Patrol Driver's Safety Manual in a while, but I recall something about not encroaching other lanes until you have a clear path across the roadway. Sure, the booklet was written in the 1950's when the population was about half what we have now, but the laws are much the same.

Ahead, the car begins their turn... "Holy shit, is this asshole blind?" you shout as you lay on the horn. I'm the ONLY car around and they are already in motion, covering two lanes of oncoming trying to synchronize their u-turn exactly 1/10 of a second after you pass their fooking car.

That's when you wish you had a handful of "James Bond" road spikes to toss out the window and show them never to do that again.

It's not like traffic was heavy and they felt there wasn't another chance to make this turn. This is happening on a regular basis. Everywhere I go, someone is forcing another driver to take action just to avoid getting hit.

Last week, it happened to me in busy traffic. I was approaching the train tracks. The lights went on and the arms went down, so a car in front of me hit the brakes. I hesitated to slow because driver making the turn was in-motion and didn't realize I was forced to brake. Sorry, it's him or me. Naturally, he blew his horn and shouted obscenities... like it was my fault.

No one I know wants to be in an accident. If I had to make a choice, I would have stopped and made the 'turning driver' hit me rather than hold my speed and rear -end the car in front of me just to avoid the driver making a turn illegally. I would have received the ticket for the accident.

It's not getting any better on the roadways. Not in the least bit.

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