(upbeat music)
- Hi there, smart drivers, Rick with Smart Drive Test
talking to you today about left hand turns,
and social pressure to go when the light turns yellow.
Another video in the Crash Analysis Smart Series,
stick around, we'll be right back with that information.
(upbeat music)
Hi there, smart drivers, welcome back.
Rick with Smart Drive Test, talking to you about
left hand turns and the pressure from social driving.
And, I've talked about social driving before
because driving is a social activity,
and there are rules that govern how we drive
and the actions that we take on the road way.
And, one of the pressures that new drivers feel is
the pressure to hurry up and get going,
and not impede other traffic.
And, that pressure is real,
especially on left hand turns,
and that's what we're gonna talk about today.
Now, just before we get started here,
if you're new to Smart Drive Test,
Smart Drive Test helps new drivers get a license,
remain crash-free,
and CDL drivers to get a commercial license,
so be sure to hit that subscribe button as well,
hit that bell, that way you get instant notification
when I get the videos up for you.
So, you can see here in the crash,
there's a left hand turn at a T intersection,
and the person turning right
on the far side of the section,
stops and waves the person turning left to go before them.
Unfortunately, the person turning left didn't ensure that
oncoming traffic was coming to a stop,
pulled out in front of another vehicle,
and ensued in a crash.
Now, I've had the same thing happen to me
where other people turning right have
waved me on to go first at a left hand turn.
It is imperative that you make sure that
oncoming traffic is coming to a stop,
or the gap is sufficient.
I had a comment from kooldudes597,
and he was telling me that he nearly got cleaned up
in an intersection, or involved in a crash
because the person didn't stop.
The person ran a yellow light.
And, you can see on the dash cam footage here
that I have caught other people
making left hand turns at intersections,
and the vehicle has charge through the yellow light
and charged through red light.
And, this is the reason we have red light cameras,
that lots of people run red lights.
So, make sure that when you're making a left hand turn,
you commit to that,
that the oncoming traffic has absolutely stopped.
Do not get pressured by other vehicles to go.
Know that you own the intersection.
An analogy of this is when you turn out into
the path of oncoming traffic,
it's kinda like soldiers in war.
When they step out from that shelter,
they are now in the line of fire,
and you, as well, are in the line of fire.
And, I cannot stress enough that T-bone crashes,
if you have passengers in the vehicle,
this maneuver is really, really dangerous
for passengers in your vehicle
because if you get T-boned,
there's not protection in that vehicle.
There's only about six or eight inches,
20 centimeters of metal.
And, most of that metal is hollow on that door panel
that's not going to save you.
So, know that it's a very dangerous type of crash.
And, I talked more about that, T-bone crashes and what not
in the Defensive Driving Course,
over at Smart Drive Test channel.
So again, in the crash, the right hand turning vehicle
waved on the left hand turning vehicle.
And for whatever reason,
the person turning left in this crash got distracted,
didn't make sure that oncoming traffic was coming to a stop,
and simply proceeded across into oncoming traffic,
and was involved in a crash.
So again, do not, for those of you who are new,
or have some fear and trepidation around driving,
know that you own the intersection and make sure,
and double make sure, and triple make sure that
that oncoming traffic is coming to a stop
before you proceed with your left hand turn.
Question for my smart drivers,
have you been pressured by other drivers on the road way
to hurry up and clear the intersection,
and have made an error in judgment
when making a left hand turn?
Leave a comment down in the comments section there.
All that helps out the new drivers
and the veteran drivers who are working to be crash-free.
If you like what you see here, share, subscribe,
leave a comment down in the comments section as well,
get that thumbs up on,
head over to the Smart Drive Test website this week
and I'm going to get up Defensive Driving Smart.
It's a course for new and veteran drivers
who wanna improve his or her skills,
and remain crash-free, as well.
Not to come to the pressures of social driving,
and potentially be involved in a crash.
So, it will give you all the most prevalent dangers
on the road way, and show you how to drive defensively
and not risk being involved in a crash,
and being injured or being killed in a crash.
So, that's what that is.
And, I'm gonna sell it for about $50 dollars.
And, look for that, I'll send out an email,
so head over to the Smart Drive Test website
and sign up for our newsletter,
and I'll be sure to send that out
because the first hundred people who sign up for
the Defensive Driving Course are going to get it for free.
I'm Rick, with Smart Drive Test.
Thanks very much for watching, good luck on your road test,
and remember, pick the best answer,
not necessarily the right answer.
Have a great day, bye now.
(upbeat music)
sotial, soshal, sho, sho!
I cannot say social driving, social driving.
(upbeat music)