Right of way question

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kb1jec@gmail.com - 10 Feb 2007 03:18 GMT

I live in Massachusetts, in a town with some confusing intersections.
The road opens up to 2 lanes, then comes to a signalized
intersection. The right lane has a right turn arrow on the pavement,
and the left a left turn arrow on the pavement. Immediately after
crossing the intersection there is only 1 travel lane. Some people
insist that the right lane is a 'right turn lane' and will race to
beat drivers going straight from that lane. Some insist thru traffic
must keep right, and the left lane is a left turning lane, and will
race to beat the drivers going straight in the left lane. Who has the
right of way to go straight in these intersections?

A picture of one:
http://www.douglasharrington.com/misc/rightofway.jpg

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websurf1@cox.net - 10 Feb 2007 03:50 GMT

On Feb 9, 8:18 pm, kb1...@gmail.com wrote:

> I live in Massachusetts, in a town with some confusing intersections.
> The road opens up to 2 lanes, then comes to a signalized
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> A picture of one:http://www.douglasharrington.com/misc/rightofway.jpg

I guess no one gets to go straight!
Bad road labeling. Tell the road department. Maybe they care, or
maybe they have an explanation.

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Scott en Aztlán - 10 Feb 2007 06:22 GMT

kb1jec@gmail.com said in rec.autos.driving:

>I live in Massachusetts, in a town with some confusing intersections.
>The road opens up to 2 lanes, then comes to a signalized
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>race to beat the drivers going straight in the left lane. Who has the
>right of way to go straight in these intersections?

Unless there are some other clues, such as additional pavement
markings or signage, I'd say that neither lane has the right of way
over the other, and that drivers should simply merge in whatever way
is most appropriate. SoCal has lots of freeway on-ramps that are like
this: two lanes for most of the way, but they then merge together into
a single acceleration lane which itself merges onto the freeway
proper. There is complete symmetry between the lanes; traffic in
neither one has the ROW over traffic in the other.

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I'm a wreckless driver and damn proud of it!

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Eeyore - 10 Feb 2007 15:46 GMT

> Who has the
> right of way to go straight in these intersections?

Equal right of way from either lane unless there's signage to say otherwise.
Poor road layout IMHO.

Graham

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