Why does no one let oncoming cars turn right into side road?

[Kateg28]

This is starting to really get me angry.

On a regular journey I take I have to turn right into a minor road. Whilst sitting there indicating right I can watch maybe 20 + cars carry on past me and not let me cross their paths. All this time, traffic is backing up behind me. I accept there is no obligation but if they were stuck behind me they would be getting angry that no one let me through. It makes very little difference to the oncoming cars to let me across.

I always stop/slow down and let cars turn into side roads as then everyone can go about their business with minimal delays. How many of you routinely let cars across in front of you?

[littlebasher]

Sorry Kate, I don't.

[Impasse]

Hardly ever if it means interrupting traffic flow in my carriageway.

[Tyre Tread]

Unless the traffic flow ahead of me is impaired in some way I don't.

[Joe5y]

Kateg28 said:

I always stop/slow down and let cars turn into side roads as then everyone can go about their business with minimal delays. How many of you routinely let cars across in front of you?

If it is a flowing 30mph or more road then surely it's bad practice to brake or even stop for no reason.

[DeltaTango]

I certainly let people turn across in front of me unless I am being tailgated. It's just common sense surely.

[carreauchompeur]

In free/fast flowing traffic then I don't tend to.

What does annoy me is when I come to work on my bike and have to wait in the middle of the road to turn right. There's a flow of very slow moving traffic which can see me from miles off and could easily ease off slightly to let me through without any impediment, but they don't.

It's a very vulnerable position with trucks passing close etc so I tend to just go anyway and hope they brake.

[RowntreesCabana]

Because too many feckwits are on their mobile phones and you simply can't depend on the driver behind you being focused on driving. I've been rear ended twice so I won't ever stop the flow of traffic.

[johnS2000]

Giving way under these circumstances is "misplaced courtesy" as , if there is nothing behind then ,when the oncoming car has passed you can turn !!

If on the other hand there is 1 or more cars behind then the oncoming car is causing traffic to back up by slowing to let you cross therefore causing congestion .

The drivers behind you fully expect to be held up by a vehicle turning right .

The drivers behind a car slowing to give way to you do not expect to be held up in this way .

Edited by johnS2000 on Wednesday 7th January 17:36

[Mephistofleas]

Only if the direction I'm travelling is slow moving or there is half a gap in front of me that I can widen by slowing a little. Won't bring everyone to a standstill though - it's not overly dangerous but I have had to brake sharply in the past due to a knight of the road a few cars in front putting the anchors on to inexplicably give way.

One thing related I have done is to thank the person yielding if I've been the first car queueing behind the car turning right.

Lot of tunnel vision types on the road though. Every day I see right turning cars holding up their side because they don't position themselves selflessly.

[Prawo Jazdy]

There are too many people directing traffic as it is, usually screwing up traffic flow as a result. If one car is moving and one is stationary, stopping the moving car to allow the stopped one to move is madness in my view. Earlier in the week I was waiting to turn right at a T-junction. The person approaching from the left (signalling to turn into the junction) stopped just before the junction to let me out. If they'd carried on, they'd have been out of the way in about three seconds regardless. I'd like to think that this was generosity, but I think it was actually "I can't be arsed to twirl the steering all that way to make a 90-degree turn, I'd rather come to a complete stop and then splurge across both lanes with one hand draped over the wheel".

I'm not having a go at you, and if there was an opportunity to help without doubling the chaos, I hope I would. However, trusting another road-user to know what you're expecting them to do is fraught with potential misunderstandings and insurance claims.

[Riley Blue]

On an advanced driving course I was once told to remember 'CCC' - Courtesy Causes Confusion. This would seem to be one of those times not to be courteous.

[ging84]

i used to, when it works, it makes virtually no difference to my journey or those behind, a slight lift of the throttle and some flashing, they pull straight across you barely actually have to slow down. The problem is once you flash your lights you are kind of committed, you can't tell if the person is slow to respond or hasn't see you, so if they don't go you have to come to a complete stop.
I tried repeatedly flashing for a bit, this generally worked, but it's about tiresome so i gave up doing it

[zeduffman]

Boils my piss when people hit the brakes on a 50mph road just to let someone turn in. The risk of an accident is minimised if people are forced to wait until there's a suitable gap.

[johnS2000]

Riley Blue said:

On an advanced driving course I was once told to remember 'CCC' - Courtesy Causes Confusion. This would seem to be one of those times not to be courteous.

This And this again .

Must do a refresher!!!!

[johnS2000]

ging84 said:

i used to, when it works, it makes virtually no difference to my journey or those behind, a slight lift of the throttle and some flashing, they pull straight across you barely actually have to slow down. The problem is once you flash your lights you are kind of committed, you can't tell if the person is slow to respond or hasn't see you, so if they don't go you have to come to a complete stop.
I tried repeatedly flashing for a bit, this generally worked, but it's about tiresome so i gave up doing it

If somebody flashes their lights at me I'll sit there and look at them !!!!If they "repeatedly" flash their lights I may give them a wave just in case the think I'm "not aware of their "presence".

[OldSkoolRS]

The car flashing you to cross can't control any vehicle that might pass along the inside, ie a cyclist or perhaps a motorbike. So even when flashed to turn right myself I'm always very careful to check that there isn't some one coming the inside that I would be at fault for hitting.

Keeping going to allow them to cross in the gap behind me (or a couple cars behind) seems a quicker and safer response, so I tend not to flash people out myself unless it's in very slow moving traffic.

Edited by OldSkoolRS on Wednesday 7th January 18:06

[Baz Tench]

If it doesn't affect anyone behind me, I will throttle off and let a gap develop in front of me and flash the driver who is waiting to turn in.

There is so much selfishness on the roads, I like to make selfless gestures whenever possible.

[rossub]

What a bunch of selfish aholes. I always look to let people across like that, but karma never seems to work.

[Negative Creep]

My rule of thumb is I let people out/across if they can do so without me having to touch the brakes (unless it's a minicab, in which case hardly ever)