Left Turn

Ever wonder what is wrong with the world? I do.

One fairly normal day, I'm coasting to an intersection. Coasting, because what is the point of accelerating? The light's about to turn switch to amber.... How do I know? Only 'cause I've driven this road before. You can't make it from the end of the previous light to this one. It's impossible. Unless of course you have no reservations about whizzing through a blind intersection ( buildings on both sides ) at double the speed limit. So I'm coasting.

Just like every other day, the light turns yellow and 4 seconds later, bright red. If no one is behind me, I can actually get to this light without hitting either the accelerator or grinding of a layer of my brake pads and rotor by riding the brake. Today there is someone behind me. Before taking the pressure of the gas pedal I try to match the speed of the person coming up behind me. He/she doesn't seem to be aware of the upcoming light change, or isn't aware that you don't actually HAVE to attain the maximum allowable speed limit in between red lights.

So we stop. Traffic isn't congested, but it is steady and moving. A driver directly in front of me sits waiting patiently, maybe too patiently not wanting to slip between the vehicles passing in the other direction even though there is more than enough room to allow the 2 seconds that the left turning vehicle would occupy their lane, even with plenty of margin. Oh well, their green is almost over, he will soon get his awaited, alloted window to safely clear the intersection. The flashing “Do Not Walk” warning broadcasting the countdown of the final few seconds.

When the lights to me left and right switch to amber in orchestrated syncronization, there are cars going in each direction obviously passing through without choice, but with an average safe stopping distance of 15 meters by current cars, the second car to go through after the yellow has chosen to enter on the yellow instead of stopping safely as required. Today, as most days 3 cars go through each way on the yellow despite seeing the car waiting with the “right of way”. Oh well, making others wait so they can wait at the next light seems like a fair trade.

Green light! Snapping out of the red light day dream, I'm aware of Mr. Maximum speed limit behind me I let my foot off the brake right away, but there is still the matter of the car attempting to make their left turn in front of us. Their assigned role in the intersection ballet at least temporarily postponed and now having to be played during the next act as the new group of drivers enter the stage.

Some of this act's players even happen to be pedestrians who have wandered up during my daydream. One of them, a kid probably heading over to a friend's house, eager to get there, steps off first as I start to roll as well. Another car! Hurtling at twice the speed limit, obviously preparing for this untimely streak several blocks earlier dodges right as a car trying to turn left enters his lane. His lunge to the right coincides precisely with the forward movement of the kid off the curb. Statistics show that hitting a person with a car going between 45 and 50km gives you a 73% liklihood of killing that person. A little bit faster and the chances quickly approach 100%.