When making a left turn from a turn lane, drivers should wait at the stop line until there is an opening in traffic; then pull forward and complete the turn. Many drivers perform this maneuver incorrectly by pulling into the middle of the intersection. It is unsafe to wait in the middle of the intersection with the front wheels turned towards the left, as many do. This is the number one cause of vehicle fatalities.
There are several reasons why this is dangerous. First, accidents involving left turns usually happen when drivers limit their visibility of oncoming traffic. When a driver pulls forward, visibility of oncoming traffic is partially blocked by vehicles on the opposite side of the intersection. Second, when a vehicle is caught in the middle of the intersection and the traffic light changes, the driver must assume that oncoming traffic will stop. If the assumption is incorrect, a collision occurs. Third, it is unwise to wait at an intersection with the front wheels turned towards the left. If the vehicle is rear-ended, it will be propelled into oncoming traffic. With the wheels facing straight ahead, there may be time to turn away from oncoming traffic or maybe even to pull out of the lane towards the right, before being rear-ended. Regardless, drivers must never turn the front wheels towards the left while waiting to turn.
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