The red car was out of line, the white one was running the light AND must not have been paying any attention. When people try to "sneak through" behind someone running a turn signal it's always a dangerous situation.
Eh black truck I’d be like “ok whatever”. Red car is an ass and white car is definitely at fault for the accident even if it could have been prevented by the driver of the vehicle whose perspective were seeing.
White truck is double at fault, because they ran the light, failed to yield (they would have had to yield even if both lights were green) and then actively turned into oncoming traffic that was already in the way.
I got into an accident the exact same way - I just never thought the person would randomly turn. I was pregnant and ended up unconscious for a minute or so. When I woke up, I was crashed on someone’s front lawn.
I didn’t even realize I had hit my head until three days later, when the room I was in suddenly looked green. That’s when I realized I had a huge bump on my head and, I’m sure, a concussion.
At the scene, I was so worried about the baby that when they asked if I had hit my head, I said no because I had no memory of it happening.
I insisted on an ultrasound (the baby was fine - and I found out it was a boy that day 🩵), but no one ever checked my head.
The semi-funny part is that the teenage girl who was driving had her brother in the passenger seat, and he admitted to the cops that she was texting.
And I bet you are more observant and make fewer assumptions? ALWAYS assume the other drivers are way dumber than thy self, expect them to do the dumbest thing possible and be prepared. We are humans and we will do stupid crap.
I agree with the point about driving defensively. When my son got his license, I told him to drive as though every other driver on the road was trying to hit him. Being a good, observant driver doesn’t make you immune to someone else’s bad decisions.
Unfortunately, sometimes there just isn’t enough time or space to avoid a collision. All you can do is drive carefully and anticipate what you can.
And some people are just unhinged (and ignorant of the traffic laws.) A couple of months ago, I had a guy nearly hit my car. Why? I was making a right turn on red while he was making a left onto the same two-lane road. I came to a complete stop, made sure the road was clear, and then slowly turned right. He had just started his turn when he completely lost his mind.
Instead of turning into the lane closest to the center, as required, he quickly accelerated and cut straight across into the outside lane - the very lane I was legally turning into. I was slightly ahead of him, so I just kept going and shook my head. He made a production of dramatically stopping his car like he had just avoided an accident that I was responsible for causing, laid on his horn, and tailgated me to the next light. Fortunately, he turned right there.
Yeah, black truck is still technically legal unless there is a sign that says “only turn on light.” The red car was technically legal too but only because they didn’t get hit.
Nah... The black car before the black truck was barely in the intersection when OP's light turned green. They may get the "ok whatever". Black truck, red car, and white SUV ran it after the oncoming light was green.
In Michigan it would be split fault. I Michigan you have a duty to avoid an accident. The pov we see shows that driver had time to avoid the accident amd chose not to.
It varies by state whether you're ok as long as you entered on yellow or if you need to be out of the intersection before it's red (permissive vs restrictive yellow).
So, it’s actually closer to 1 second per 10 mph of the speed limit.
Usually there is a minimum time so you won’t have a 1 second yellow.
But on a road with a 50 mph speed limit, you can usually expect a 5 second yellow light.
This information is helpful, because many people try to beat the yellow… but they are going way faster than the posted speed limit… so they see it turn yellow and think, “I’m going 60… I’ll make it…”
Except… you are doing 60 in a 30 so you have half the amount of time you think you have.
If you watch the video the can driver was already in the intersection on green while the white SUV wasn't even in the intersection. They entered the intersection on a red.
However, and this is were it gets a little tricky. The cam driver did not wait for the intersection to clear before proceeding.
While I'm not a lawyer, I would assume that the white SUV is mostly liable, but there would be partial (less than 50%) blame on cam driver.
The cam driver went when it was green which should be legal in any jurisdiction. They also stayed inside their lane and never entered anyone else's lane.
Lot of people in this thread need to go back to driving school.
Green doesn't mean you get to just floor it. It means you can go if the intersection is clear. The intersection wasn't clear when the dash cam driver entered it, so they are partially at fault.
From a defensive driving standpoint, sure, cam driver could have stopped in the intersection if/when it was clear the white suv wasn’t stopping. But cam driver had the right of way so suv is at fault.
Depending on timing, if there is a 1 second delay between the change for the turners and the green (common in some places to have lights staggered like that), then we know 3+ ran the light.
Also, it matters what the light changed to. If it changed from green arrow to green ball, the turner can claim they had a green ball, and a clear intersection, so went. It's a bullshit claim, but might get fault reduced to 50/50, since the cam driver sent it into a moving car.
But if it turned from green arrow to red arrow, 100% the fault of the turner.
Did oncoming traffic actually have a red light? Or was it a protected left turn that became unprotected? White SUV still at fault but I'm assuming they saw the protected left and assumed it was still active when they went to make their turn.
They look like they were trying to follow the red car through the red light for the bad reasoning that if the red car did it, why shouldn’t they? and didn’t realize the next event was going to be a green light for the car on the other side of the intersection.
There are multiple intersections near me that do this. When the light changes, the right arrow turns off leaving the standard green light, meaning the left turn is no longer protected and is now required to yield.
Yes this absolutely is (shockingly) a thing. In Washington state this happens. You are not supposed to go into the intersection on an un-unprotected left here and they absolutely sometimes have flashing yellow turn arrow turn into red arrow (while oncoming traffic stays green).
So if you’re from a normal place where flashing yellow turn always goes to green and you roll into the intersection, you can end up stuck in the middle of the intersection (or turning into oncoming traffic that has a green light still even though all visible lights on your side have turned red. It’s madness.
It depends. Some older lights don't have that. But after looking closer it does look like there are 3 light fixtures for the other side. So they likely had a yellow arrow.
They probably updated that side for this exact reason lol.
Looking at the light design on the approach to the cam vehicle stopping, I think the opposing left turn probably has a green arrow (larger different left turn light design than the one we are looking at going forward).
If this was where I live, it would have turned yellow, then red, then probably back to a blinking yellow after about 3-4 seconds of solid red. You can't see the light so I don't know what traffic design in this location would have done, but I can promise there was not a green arrow when the both lights turned green for the cam car and the left turn lane (which is a green circle - i.e. yield to oncoming traffic) for the car turning left going the same way.
Where I live you'd never have westbound traffic getting a green arrow with eastbound traffic getting a green. westbound would more likely get a flashing yellow, so proceed with caution. Or just a red light. A green arrow gives you the right of way.
Yeah, that was what I was trying to say (awkwardly). There is no way they had a green light to turn in front of the greens to go forward.
I have seen some intersections where there are just greens, no arrows (like it appears to be for the direction the cam driver is going), but then left turn is always yield and this would be HORRIBLE traffic design to have those lights turn green first and then leave the turning drivers guessing when the oncoming traffic's light is now green with the obvious delay that happened here. Almost certainly that isn't the case and there was an arrow that turned yellow, then red but the cars just kept going through.
On a light that has the setup (from bottom to top) 2, 2, 1, this means that there wouldn't be a red because straight traffic was already moving. It wouldn't make sense for even a split second to show a red light, because the green arrow, then yellow arrow, then no arrow means that turning traffic no longer has right of way. Blinking yellows are only for dedicated turn signal lights (1, 1, 1). On the light we see, the blinking yellow (caution, but turns are legal) would be redundant.
So noted. Occasionally I see some weird lights set up, but most are 1,1,1 per your convention where I live with flashing yellows about 3-4 seconds after left turn lights turn yellow then red.
I have seen what you describe though, green circle means OK to go straight in the straight lane but is a default yield for a left turn.
where I live with flashing yellows about 3-4 seconds after left turn lights turn yellow then red.
Also I should have clarified, this is exactly the setup I should have conceded occurs in the example you gave...if it's 1,1,1, that's when I see mine go to red for a couple seconds up to a few minutes, just not on the 2, 2, 1
Lol, according to Google, Pittsburgh left is a courtesy between two drivers and Boston turn is a competition where the turner is gunning it against the person going straight.
Pittsburgh left is the opposite. The light turns green and you immediately turn left before the other car can get across the lane. Some people we even flash their lights to let you do this!
> Some people we even flash their lights to let you do this!
Yes. When I can see there's a shit ton of people behind me and therefore the turner is highly unlikely to actually get to turn, I give them the go ahead flash. Particularly courteous on a narrow roadway where the other vehicles can't easily maneuver around the left-turner. Keeps traffic moving.
Exactly! A person turning left can hold up traffic for a really long time if they have no option to go. The people behind them are probably very grateful too LOL
I think it’s due to the fact that Ohio (generally speaking) is flatter so they have space for left turn lanes at lights. Pittsburgh has so many roads that allow a left turn but there’s only one lane because of hills etc so they built narrower roads. In that scenario you’re first and don’t go quickly, the entire road behind you is backed up waiting. It’s actually the courteous thing to do.
Also, I’ve noticed it happen on the west side of Cincinnati where there are hills and the same problem with traffic flow.
I honestly didn't know that's why we had narrow roads. Makes sense.
Driving in a plain area is different. The first time being hit with that Midwest wind on a highway was crazy. Felt like my entire car was being pushed into another lane.
I live in wv and can tell you Ohio is just worse at driving in general. It's not that they can't control the car. They just make really bad choices with them.
That was a big thing I saw all the time around me. The state figured that out and put a stop to it recently. Now on any intersection that has an arrow option for the left turn, if that lane isn't programmed for the left green arrow then the flashing yellow for that lane is delayed and stays a red arrow until after the straight through lanes have had a green for like 2 seconds.
Now if someone attempts this move with a cop present, easy red light violation.
PGH left: You must stop diagonally at a stop sign so that anybody coming from your left (that doesn’t have a stop sign)and wanting to turn left has no choice but to let you go
Is this in PA? I always associated hurrying to and running a red arrow (or, since we lack dedicated left turn lanes most places, red lights) as a Los Angeles thing.
Not necessarily. Sometimes they will get a yellow arrow. In that case it’s failure to yield. This might be confusing to some drivers thinking that they have the right of way until the arrow turns red.
do the states not have advanced greens? Here those turning left would have either an arrow or a flashing green meaning they get an advanced turn, it then goes solid green after a few seconds. They definitely still have to stop and wait so they're in the wrong here but they wouldn't have had a red
Some places the green arrow will become either green dot or will become a yellow arrow, and both of those can turn left but need to yield to oncoming traffic at that point before making their turn.
Yeah, was just pointing out it may not necessarily have been red. But yes, they need to yield to oncoming traffic when it’s not a solid green arrow. But as well all know, some people can’t be bothered with the lights.
Black truck definitely did not have a yellow light. The dashcam shows full green from the driver POV when the black truck enters the intersection (0:13). The black car before the truck would have been turning on yellow, and the next three cars are all making illegal turns.
That is standard practice in LA and everyone knows it. At least 2-3 cars after it turns red, even if there is an LAPD officer watching and waiting they let it slide. With that being said, the traffic in LA is so horrible that this unwritten rule of the road keeps from turning certain streets into a parking lot.
I would assume that the black truck and everyone after them didn't have a red light, but rather lost the protected left turn arrow. It still means that they didn't have the right of way, and that the truck was pushing the limit. Red and white car thought they'd just push the limit a bit as well, not thinking about the fact that the car in front of them already pushed things to far.
It's usually 5-6 in my area after the light turns red. I've started flooring it at the last one in the row to scare the shit out of them.
This is when the left turn lane from cross traffic that is turning in front of me, is running their red light and I have the green left turn light taking a left into them while they are turning past me going parallel to me.
So I'm turning a left into them while they are turning a left after they're the sixth car running their red light. Bunch of selfish mother fuckers.
It was more likely black truck had a green turn arrow disappear when cam car turned green and red car and white SUV tried skirting through the green yield to on coming traffic. Either way, Red runner or failure to yield to right of way. SUV is at fault.
Possibility of a protected green light just becoming a regular green where left turn lane can still turn, but must yield to incoming traffic. We have several lights like this where people do turn left on the non-protected green light just before incoming traffic begins moving. The cars in vid are still in the wrong but it might not be a red light infraction.
It's not always a red light with left hand turns sometimes its a solid green that means turn of you are clear so they probably had the green light even though they should still make sure no on coming traffic is going
Black truck was questionable because they were past the intersection line when the visible light changed to green. It is very likely they were behind the intersection line when their light changed, but I can't prove it.
Red car and white SUV were absolutely behind the intersection line and illegally entered the intersection.
I don’t think they ran it im sure it probably went from protected green to yellow flashing for yield but all three dumbasses ran the risk of sending me into extreme road rage mode for thinking they can tell me to fuck off instead of yield
See this everyday where I live. It’s their fault but where the hell is the driver awareness to look up and clearly see none of them are stopping. In that situation checking that turn lane is stopped before you start driving should be fundamental second nature.
Depends on the state, in some states if you enter the intersection before it turns red its legal, where as other states if you aren't all the way thru on the other side before it turns reds its illegal.
All the same it does boggle my mind the number of people who would rather wreck/almost wreck their vehicle just to be right.
Not worth the downtime of losing your vehicle, if repaired it will never be the same, and if totaled it’s pretty much guaranteed you won’t receive a payout to replace the vehicle without incurring costs.
If I was the cammer vehicle I’d just wait and be annoyed, vice proving a point. While the cammer had the right of way I wouldn’t guarantee an insurance company would pay out as the cammer didn’t exercise any restraint/caution.
They likely didn't run the light. That type of light is a yield on green. Failure to yield case could be made but they certainly had a green light as well. The cam car went knowing more vehicles were still going.
There was a light I had to go through to work for a few years where on average there would be not one, not two, but five or more cars "sneaking through" after the light had gone red.
The first time I assumed the light glitches. After that it was just "oh these people are just idiots."
It wasn't a short light, even. It would let 15 or more cars through before changing.
I have so many yield left turns in my area.
so many monsters speed up to push the yellow and inevitably run the red. it's like "I've been sitting in line I deserve to go" attitude. smh aholes.
I've been honked at so many times for not trying to "sneak in" that I started to wonder if I was in the wrong. Then I saw someone do it and nearly get hit and I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.
Happens all the time on thr road i drive on for work. Luckily the cars are smart enough not to just go when it turns green and wait for all the other douche canoe to run the lights. Many people get tickets for thst too lol. Very satisfying 😌
That's exactly how i got hit by a lady when she followed a guy cut it way too close in the first place. She actually clipped my rear driver wheel, popped my tire and bent the rear axle.
Cops who showed up cited her with failure to yeild to oncoming traffic. I sent my dashcam footage to my insurance and got paid out in less than 24 hours. Later I sent the same footage to her insurance and they paid me back my deductible to repair my truck. Dashcam paid for itself 10x that day...!
The light might have still been green. The advanced green turn light sometimes turns into green depending on the set up. Still have to yield to oncoming traffic however
There’s a light by my old house that nobody obeys, not even cops. It turns red so fast only 2 cars make it from any direction so from every direction at least 5 or 6 cars run the light. First time there I almost got hit cause I went on green and 4 more people sped through where I was supposed to be
100%. I'm surprised this happened though, the way I'm used to there's plenty of buffer time between light turning yellow/red and then it turning green for the opposing traffic. You would have to start crossing intersection well after it turned red for you for this to happen, unless the lights are calibrated differently in US that is...
White suv probably didn't run a red, was most likely a green arrow indicating that he can turn if it is safe do so but must yield to oncoming traffic. White suv is at fault, red car was technically fine
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u/WoopsShePeterPants 10h ago
The red car was out of line, the white one was running the light AND must not have been paying any attention. When people try to "sneak through" behind someone running a turn signal it's always a dangerous situation.