I live on a semi narrow street that comes off a very busy main road. For the 3rd time this week I have followed a car turning into my street which has then proceeded to do a U turn in front of me, obviously without looking (I even drive with my head lights on during the day) and not realising I have had time to turn the corner behind them also. Needless to say they have a very stunned look on their face when they finally notice you after a prompt with the horn. The people that live on the corner say this is an everyday occurrence, especially after school as our street is the closest convenient street to the school to do this, as the school mums do a U turn there to be on the same side of the street as the school. So far there has only been a couple of minor dings, but many close calls, as no one is really going fast enough to do too much damage or are able to stop in time. How do these obviously completely oblivious people survive on the road, when they cant do something as basic as checking behind them before commencing a turn.
smac,
May 3, 11:25am
How does a car doing a U turn in front of you effect you?
tweake,
May 3, 11:36am
seriously, you have to ask ?
how about driving through their drivers door killing them and writing off your car, or you dodge them and you go head on into another vehicle. a work college had one very badly damaged work vehicle after someone did a u turn into him. i've stopped on their door handles a few times.
tamarillo,
May 3, 8:14pm
It's a perfectly good question. If they indicate it, and I believe you are behind them, it is you at fault for being too close.
differentthings,
May 3, 8:30pm
Unless there is a road sign saying no U turn then they can legally do it. It will be the following cars fault for following to closely if they hit them.
justinian1,
May 3, 8:41pm
The road code says "Make sure you have enough room to complete the turn and don't create a hazard for oncoming vehicles." So it's not really legal the way they are doing it - it doesn't sound like they have enough room and they are creating a hazard for oncoming vehicles.
tintop,
May 3, 9:15pm
It is a product of of the roading, traffic, origin, destination thing and where you chose to live.
Similar to having a bus stop n front of your house - You just have to be aware and get used to it.
tweake,
May 3, 9:41pm
obviously you guys do not drive.
the time it takes for the car in front to slow down, pull left into a parking space, then pull back out, you have caught up to them and thats at legal or better following distance. if you where tailgating them you would have past them.
the standard maneuver is to pull over, check for traffic, wait till the car as gone past and the road is clear and then do the u turn.
but if your a stuck up jaffa who can't drive, you just dive in and blindly do a u turn expecting the world to stop for you, and when you get hit blame the other car for following to close, driving to fast or whatever BS excuse you can dream up. none of the excuses works with the cops or the insurance and you will be paying for it. thats assuming its not a big heavy vehicle in which case you won't need to worry about cause your dead!
countrypete,
May 3, 9:52pm
Tweake, I sympathise with what you are saying here, and the drivers who perform the u-turns as you describe are inconsiderate at best, and dangerous at worst. And it p's me off when it happens to me, especially when I'm on my motorcycle. However, defensive driving will tell you to expect anything from other drivers, and the first thing you need to think when a driver pulls over and slows, is "what will s/he do next?". Personally, I have come to expect that driver to swing right, and I slow down and never try to overtake until I'm sure I know what's going to happen. Ball's in your court.
tintop,
May 3, 10:04pm
^^^^ This.
tweake,
May 3, 10:51pm
exactly and thats why i've stopped on the door handles instead of killing them.
nzmax,
May 4, 3:34am
Just to clarify, these U turners turn into the street then drive down the street a couple of hundred metres or so, or to the nearest clear area on the left they can pull into, then do it.
Was out walking earlier and saw exact same thing happen to my neighbour. Lady in a silver Honda Accord turns into our street drives past 5 parked cars and slows right down and then pulls over to the left like she was parking up, neighbour is behind getting slower and slower wondering what she is doing, neighbour is still in driving lane, then all of a sudden she just pulls out to do a U turn. Luckily he has kept a good distance and has stopped before hitting her. When he tooted the horn at her, I could see her nearly leap out of the seat in surprise that someone was there. Heres the weirdest bit, was the same lady who did it to me a couple of days ago. Some people just never learn. Neighbour has a dash cam, and to see her expression when he toots at her and she realises someone is there is priceless. Exact same expression I saw when she did it to me.
daryl14,
May 4, 7:49am
As others have said - You just need to come to expect the worst from other drivers, and only get near or overtake then when you are sure you are safe.
I take the position on the road that I never get in anybody elses way. I drive fairly fast and get pissed off if someebody gets in my way. But I still have to expect it and deal with it in the safest way possible for me.
Never underestimate the propensity for people to F##k around. And never think for one minute that you can teach another driver in another car what to do.
smac,
May 4, 8:49am
Geez guys take a pill.
I asked the question simply because if somebody does a U turn in front of you, from your lane, there is no extra danger or inconvenience to you than if they had been turning right into a driveway. If they are in your way in that situation, harden TFU, open your eyes, no problem.
SO what I THINK you mean is they are actually pulling LEFT, then doing the U turn so exposing the side of their vehicle to you in your lane, that it?
Was simply looking for a little clarification, sorry it was such a threat/problem.
nzmax,
May 4, 9:05am
I see where you were coming from. I didnt have any issue with it :) Yes, they pull over to the left side like they are about to park, usually with no indicator, then, again with no indication, pull out in front of you. As I know this is a regular occurrence in our street I am always wary of others doing this.
ignition328,
May 4, 10:54am
I see both sides. If you follow too close then your own fault. But it was also someone doing something similar that took out my motorbike, indicated left into side road then as I was about to come by they came back across SH1 to U turn across the lanes and I landed up under a 5 series wondering what was wrong with them.
In the end the easiest solution is not to trust anyone, stupid people everywhere. Would drink beers with daryl14.
mrfxit,
Feb 13, 10:50pm
Yep agreed. Sometimes ppl do really unexpected things at an unexpected speed & unexpected location.
We have a classic situation just down the road at the traffic lights. Of course, as soon as the lights change to green everybody moves off . yes BUT, once in a while some twit will move off at a reasonable pace to suddenly slow down a few meters later & lurch around doing a right hand U turn which often gets screwed up by not having enough turning room & resulting in them having to back up slightly . MID traffic flow
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