Vitt

I've noticed in the past couple of years that this is starting to be a big problem in and around LA area. People are not in the intersection while waiting to turn left, and as the light turns yellow and consequently red, they will come from behind the pedestrian crossing lines and finish their left turn anyway--very late and usually on the red, because my side of the light won't turn green until theirs have turned red (I am talking about 3 to 4 cars turning, so the last 2 are not in the intersection and turn on red)

In instances like these I wish more cops were paying attention and started to give tickets to those turning left on red because they don't want to wait for another red light. It's as if you're expected to pay attention to how many cars want to turn left and not to the color of the traffic light these days.

pIERCE

Correct me if I'm wrong here folks, but that is the actual precedent currently in place.

VapeurRacing

Unfortunately... This same situation happened to me about 3 months ago and I was found at fault. Your best case scenario is to have a witness. Witness's regardless who's at fault can easily explain to the insurance companies who they believe to be at fault and why. 9/10 they side with the witness. We work with insurance companies on a daily basis.

I hope everyone is okay, and the s2k can be saved.

By the way very important:
You as an owner can decide where ever you want to take your car too. The worst thing you can ever do is take your car to an insurance company recommended shop. I was part of the network and it was horrible. The shop will sacrifice quality and time to get your car in and out.

ateens4

My dad was in something similar, the other party admitted fault at the scene but later the insurance turned it on my dad. Court ensued with lawyers on both sides and no one was at fault and paid their own damage, both cars totaled. My dad had a witness but at the time of court, he was nowhere to be found. Witnesses are hit and miss and since then I am more than willing to be a witness under the condition that I actually witness everything from beginning to end.

jyeung528

This has already been explained, but here it is again. The traffic signal light does not determine who is at fault.

Just because you had a green light, does not mean you are not at fault. And just because the other party's light turned red, doesn't mean they are at fault.

When your light turns green, it doesn't mean "go no matter what". It means you can go if it is safe to do so, meaning that the intersection is clear.

You could be at fault for not determining that the intersection was clear before proceeding. If the intersection were clear, and the other car entered the intersection on a red light, then you would not be at fault.

With the information that is given here, assuming that the other party entered the intersection on a yellow light, I would opine that you are at fault in this situation.

rworne

This is what I remember from my Driver's Ed class back in the 1980's. If there is a line of cars waiting to make a left with no left turn signal, the first car pulls out into the intersection - not all the way, but about halfway.
If there are no openings to make a safe left turn, wait until the light turns yellow and oncoming traffic stops, then that car and the one immediately behind it completes the turn.

Problem is nowadays people commonly run stale yellow and fresh red lights. Still, everyone I have seen over the years in the SFV observe the "two car rule" with the occasional 3rd car being a jerk ad turning as well.

There's also problems with some left turn lights being crazy short. I've seen some as short as 2-3 seconds before they go yellow. And in OP's situation - left turn arrows in one direction followed by left turn arrows on cross traffic. The cross traffic group usually gets screwed as the intersection is blocked for most of their green light..

Chuck S

My understanding is Red means Do Not Enter the Intersection. Which, of course, means stop at the stop line. A car -- or cars -- already in the intersection, such as turning left may leave the intersection. Drivers on the cross street must allow this. Yellow just means the light is gonna change soon -- a warning. It does not mean you can't enter the intersection. Perfectly legal (and common) to accelerate to get into the intersection before the light turns red afterwhich you have the right to exit it in the direction of travel.

Folks wanting to turn left should pull as far into the intersection as far possible so they can complete the turn when safe -- even when the light turns red. Again red means don't enter. Does not mean don't exit.

Just 'cuz the light is green doesn't mean you can proceed with impunity. And even if you're right your car is still smashed. Watch for guys running the red.

-- Chuck

vtecaddict

This!

Vitt

My understanding is yellow means the light is going to change soon and you stop if you can do it safely, not speed up. You speed up if you are already in motion and do not believe you can safely stop. If the 3rd car turning left has not yet crossed the pedestrian line and is stopped, and the light turns yellow, it does not mean the driver should get moving again once the light turns yellow (as there are already two cars at the intersection waiting to turn left), speed up and try to make the yellow from a stop, or even a fresh red as mentioned above. I also live in the SFV and have observed about 50/50 in terms of cars starting from a stop before the pedestrian lines and run a late yellow or fresh red. When the other side has a left turn arrow, that decreases the amount of time the cars have to make that green arrow because they are waiting for those cars to finish running the red.

Vitt

This is what I see a lot of in the LA area (starts at about 25 sec.):
Often times there will be a 3rd or even 4th car also trying to make the light and turning on red. If I'm in the cross traffic I wouldn't risk an accident, and always let the idiots through, but just wait for your bleeping turn!