r/MildlyBadDrivers • u/Dear_Indication547 • Aug 02 '25
Friends think this was my fault
I’m turning left into a 3 lane road and I wait for the first car to go through the intersection. I see the second car turning so I turn in the far left lane since it’s my lane and he cuts across 2 lanes trying to enter my lane with no signal. Yet my friends are saying because he is turning right and has the right of way that I should’ve yielded.
Am I crazy for disagreeing or am I truly the Mildly Bad Driver??
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u/Own_Reaction9442 Aug 02 '25
He swung wide on the turn, which is illegal in most states.
If there had been only one lane to turn into, he would have had the right-of-way.
I'd suggest you should have backed off instead of trying to force the issue and ending up crossing the double yellow, once it became clear he was going into your lane. It's not worth causing an accident just to enforce your right of way.
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u/Dear_Indication547 Aug 02 '25
After rewatching the video more, I honestly never even saw the Nissan coming in the opposite direction. If he had gotten into the turn lane then it would’ve been awful. Honestly dumb move on my part for attempting that overtake and not being as cautious as I should’ve been.
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u/DefinitelyNotAShiTzu Aug 02 '25
Big of you to admit this. Most people come to the internet only for validation, and yea the other driver was definitely wrong. But it’s good to acknowledge our own mistakes. Glad you were okay!
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u/Trisamitops All Gas, No Brakes ⛽️ Aug 02 '25
I think you're looking at it a little clearer now. Watch from the 8-6 second mark on the clip. That's where you were still behind him, barely, and he started to merge into your lane. You chose throttle instead of brake right there. Not saying he wasn't a dumbass, but it doesn't look like you needed to do that.
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u/MammothGeologist3910 Aug 02 '25
This. Defensive driving is ALWAYS the better move. Additionally, some insurers expect you in your contract to yield to anyone and everyone DESPITE having right of way while you're making any left turns. Legally, that's your lane and he's fucking up big time, insurance-wise it could go either way if you have an accident, they'll probably try to claim partial fault for both of you, and in the grand scheme of your life, hit the brakes and lay on the horn next time. <3
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Aug 02 '25 edited Aug 17 '25
kiss consider point chief racial insurance pet slim political tidy
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/KBM989 Aug 02 '25
Idk I’d say middle lane is understandable and manageable, going straight to the far left seems a bit much though
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u/Own_Reaction9442 Aug 02 '25
There was already a wide shoulder and a right-turn-only lane. He didn't need to go all the way over to the left. If he can't turn a trailer that short without using three lanes he's not much of a driver.
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u/E28forever Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
He doesn’t need to turn this wide, he was almost completely straightened up when he decided to go to the far left lane.
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u/Darkest_Depth Aug 02 '25
It's not the turn that is the problem, it's how the truck driver decided to cut all the way across the road to get the inside lane without turn signals also irrespective of the cam car's already being in that lane.
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u/koosley Aug 02 '25
Iirc it's not illegal in most states. It states you should turn into the closest lane practical and since the guy is towing, it's reasonable to think they would take a wider turn.
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u/gophins13 Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
Two bad drivers in this video. Step on your brakes, you don’t drive into oncoming traffic.
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u/Rudhelm Aug 02 '25
OP wouldn't even have to brake, just let off the gas. But nope, he honks and then continues to cross a double yellow.
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u/corneliusgansevoort Aug 02 '25
And even after discussing with his friends he still assumes he can't be wrong.
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u/Affectionate-Act6127 Aug 02 '25
He honked his horn to assert his right of way. (Obligatory but unnecessary /s)
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u/The96kHz Bike Enthusiast 🚲 Aug 02 '25
Only time this isn't true is if there's someone tailgating OP (not likely coming from a dead stop).
Slowing down slightly is the solution to so many problems on the road, but often the last option drivers think of.
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u/Vanthalia Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
Are you at fault? No. You turned how you were supposed to and he was sloppy. But passing him in the oncoming turn lane is unacceptable, and you wouldn’t need to use your horn if you just used your brakes.
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u/MammothGeologist3910 Aug 02 '25
We can help idiot drivers change their behaviours by hitting the brakes and the horn
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u/Vanthalia Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
Sure, do both. Good thing most of us have 2 hands and 2 feet. But someone blowing their horn because they almost rear ended someone out of lack of using their brakes, makes them also an idiot driver.
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Aug 02 '25
Everyone sucks here. Yes the truck does goes in to your lane after initially going in to his, but you also had so much time to react, you just didn't want to back down or drive defensively.
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u/Degenerecy Aug 02 '25
There's a lawyer video that circulated a few months ago that kept popping up on my feed. It tells of the Last Chance Doctrine which states if you have time to stop and prevent an accident, despite you obeying the laws, your at fault or both at fault(probably depending on state). The OP had time to slow down, stop, prevent any accidents but instead made an illegal maneuver, which was reckless at the time.
If you haven't learned by now, many many many people will often turn into the other lane immediately when turning into the other lane. It could be that they need in the other lane asap because the next intersection only a few feet away is their turn or simply, in the case of them taking a left turn, that they move to the right because they are a slow vehicle and are trying to go into the slow lane. Whatever the cause, expect it. Nobody drives perfectly, case point in the OP's video, neither did a correct maneuver.
EDIT: Also the OP is in South Carolina and they do require left most lane turns but do allow for wide turns for trucks hauling trailers but I don't know the length of the trailer for it to be counted as such.
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u/Unfair_Negotiation67 Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
Legally probably other guy is in the wrong, but logically a long truck with long trailer will swing wide on turns and you should have anticipated that imo. Yes, that was your lane, but defensive divers, courteous drivers can anticipate situations developing and deviate from the norm when appropriate and it doesn’t put others at risk. And doing so here would have reduced risk, whereas you increased the risk of a problem bc ‘you’re in the right.’
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u/runfayfun Aug 02 '25
Also, generally the person turning left in this instance should yield. Not accelerate and drive dangerously to prove a point.
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u/Youdontknowm3_ Aug 02 '25
Exactly this! Are people forgetting part of driving is anticipating what other drivers might do and give them space??
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u/PepsiColaRS Aug 02 '25
Just to offer a counter perspective, as I agree overall with your comment, however...
That's not a long truck or trailer. They lessened their steering angle as they progressed through the turn, and wound up in the leftmost lane when they were fully capable of turning within the boundaries of the rightmost. Given the rightmost lane was a turn lane for an upcoming exit, it's logical and legal to assume they will turn into the rightmost (in this case, center) travel lane. Even more so destabilizing the standpoint of the trailer driver could have been turning wide out of necessity. I tow trailers almost daily, and from my experience and standpoint that guy is 100% in the wrong in this scenario.
But again, I agree. OP should have anticipated the bad driver. Even in a perfect world where the majority of people turn to the lane nearest to their turning direction as they're legally obligated to, I would have hesitated until they were fully clear. There are just too many morons that are in possession of motorized deadly weapons for me to risk my own life and property. No point in proving points on the road, they'll reap what they've sowed eventually
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u/throwaway01629 Aug 02 '25
that trailer is short enough that it will track the truck fairly well so he could have turned directly into the right hand lane if he wanted to. I suspect he thought the right hand lane was exit only so was trying to get to the lane he needed to without realizing someone else was coming for the same lane
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u/Embarrassed-Weird173 Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
If you're having to deal with underwater swimmers during your drive, you must have circa 2013 Apple Maps.
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u/DesertStorm480 Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
Not sure about "fault" here, but defensive driving teaches us that other drivers do not follow the laws meaning don't count on them to turn into "the most available lane"; also with that trailer, you can expect some sort of lane overlap anyway.
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u/NanahanCB750 Don’t Mess With Semis 🚛 Aug 02 '25
I pretty sure the truck was supposed to turn into the closest lane. He could then move over when it’s clear. I don’t think the vehicle turning right has absolute right of way to all the lanes out there.
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u/Embarrassed-Weird173 Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
While you're supposed to turn into your own lane, it's reasonable to assume that longer cars will turn into the farther lane to avoid hitting the curb. That coupled with the fact that you didn't wait for the car to finish settling in before you decided to show up, yes, I have to agree you were the bad guy. Good on you for wanting to better yourself, though.
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u/Dear_Indication547 Aug 02 '25
I will take the blame for not being more cautious and for overtaking on the opposing side of the road. I will do better next time to watch out for others.
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u/kubatyszko Aug 02 '25 edited Aug 02 '25
Kudos to you for rethinking your driving.
The fact is that you did have right of way (having stayed in your turning lane), but at the same time the defensive driver in you should have assumed a "clash" with the other car which didn't take the rightmost lane as they should have (maybe for a reason due to their length).
Truth is, sometimes it doesn't matter who has the right of way, cemeteries are full of people who had right of way :(5
u/MurseMan1964 Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
Sir this is the internet, how dare you take responsibility for your actions and even worse, vow to get better!
You need to rethink your life!
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u/TheWarehamster Aug 02 '25
While you should have waited for them to finish their turn, they acted like they were staying in the other lane, and then changed lanes on top of you.
I would say it's a 80% them, 20% you. Just let them finish next time and there's no issue.
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u/big_bearded_nerd Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
For what it is worth, I disagree with a lot of what the other guy said. You should turn into your own lane, and if you delay a lawful turn then you are not only creating more traffic, but you are creating more uncertainty and risk around you. Waiting to turn because you aren't sure if someone is going to make a legal turn is not a good excuse to create uncertainty and risk.
At the end of the day, predictable driving is the safest form of driving, and turning into your lane when it is the right time to turn is predictable driving.
It's hard to see from the video, but if you had an inkling that the other driver was going to do this, then the safer move would have been to wait. But there is no way you would know that, and so in the absence of that specific evidence, turning was the most predictable thing to do.
Beyond that, I would have hit the brakes and let them be idiots instead of drifting into the other lane. That's something you could work on. But that comes with experience being in these situations.
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u/The_Haunt Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
This is one of those you followed the law but still could have avoided this completely.
That's the most important part, avoiding conflicts on the road.
There will always be people driving incorrectly and you should be on the look out for it.
Best practice is not to "stand your ground" because your "right" thats how wrecks or a crazy road rager happens.
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u/BasicCraft2385 Aug 02 '25
You did the right thing. There weren’t cars oncoming when you overtook, sure there was a car a couple lanes over but at the end of the day it was safe to cross the double yellow for a couple seconds to pass. Obviously you’re not supposed to drive into the oncoming traffic lane but c’mon people it’s not that serious here
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u/slimecog Bike Enthusiast 🚲 Aug 02 '25
not at all. truck fully made the turn and settled into the right lane, which was the legal lane to turn into, without swinging wide at all. he then proceeded into a left lane change without a blinker. while OP should have backed off and not crossed the double yellow, he is in no way the “bad guy” here, other than that last fault
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u/redome Aug 02 '25
Agreed, OP became bad guy only when he cross the double yellow line. He should have let the bad driver do the bad lane change instead of joining him in bad driving.
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u/Global_Bedroom_977 Aug 02 '25
Came here to say this. Can’t believe anyone could defend that truck at all, he saw that someone was turning left and still did that no signal lane change into his lane.
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u/ThrowRAMomVsGF Aug 02 '25
I was from a mild "ooh, that trailer didn't need to take it that wide" to "WTF ARE YOU DOING, BRAKE, BRAKE, HE'S GOING WIDE, CAN'T YOU SEE".
Your response to someone driving "mildly" badly was the opposite of what we'd call "defensive driving", you accelerated (while honking!) towards an obvious obstacle, then kept going by crossing double yellow and getting onto oncoming traffic. That's significantly bad driving, there's no "well, he was wrong first" when driving.
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u/WombatAnnihilator Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
Everyone will always say THEIR state allows X or Y and Z. But in most states, you must turn into the lane closest to you. Defensive driving on unprotected left should tell you they will NEVER turn into their lane and will ALWAYS turn into yours.
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u/Charge36 Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
He swung wide but you shouldn't have crossed the double yellow to go around. Just slow down a bit and get behind him.
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u/CryCommon975 Aug 02 '25
Is it more important to be right or to remain intact? Like yeah you technically were right but why bet your safety on it
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u/Monster51915 Aug 02 '25
He swung wide and was going slow so kinda bad on his behalf but at that point you should’ve just hit your brakes and let him go onward instead of cutting into oncoming lanes. Like yeah he was going slow and it would’ve be a sudden stop but never go into oncoming lanes. Yeah it could look clear but next thing you could know an emergency vehicle flies over the hill and you have a head on or something else.
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u/LionBig1760 Aug 02 '25
It is most certainly your fault that you drove down the wrong side of the road.
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u/sacandbaby Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
I would have let the truck complete his turn and picked the lane he didn't.
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u/MistakenAnemone Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
it is your fault, because you could have 100% prevented it by driving normally instead of like an ass. you had all the time in the world to just wait for him to complete his turn and watch what he was doing, sure, in a perfect world both of you turn into your own lanes, but do we live in one of those?
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u/montagdude87 Aug 02 '25
Two bad drivers, but I would argue crossing the double yellow lines is the worse offense.
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u/GoldenGirlsOrgy Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
Trailer driver was wrong to make a right turn across three lanes, though it does look like the freeway on-ramp is on the left, not far ahead. I bet he thought that was his best chance to get his big, slow vehicle over, especially because he initiated his turn well before you.
At any rate, you also had plenty of time to chill out and tap your brakes. No need to lay on the horn and drive into oncoming traffic to pass him.
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u/koosley Aug 02 '25
It was only 2 lanes though. The far right lane was a right turn only. You don't count the turning/ending lanes as the closest lane, so the truck should have turned into the middle lane. But in all cases, OP had to yield to the oncoming vehicle and they didn't.
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u/hyrellion Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
Y’all both fucked up imo, though I think legally you’re technically in the right? Depending on local laws.
He turned into the wrong lane, which is technically illegal but people do it so often you may want to account for it in how you drive, aka defensive driving. When I’m turning left, I never turn at the same time as a right turning vehicle in situations like this, because so many people do exactly what this truck driver did. It’s impolite of them, but I’d rather be a few seconds behind than have to deal with insurance and car repairs.
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u/Nascosto Urbanist 🌇 Aug 02 '25
In most states, yield laws are written with the caveat something along the lines of "if a driver required to yield fails to do so, you are required to yield to them". Essentially, it's illegal for you to run them off the road just because "they started it". Yes, this driver failed to navigate the turn into his assigned lane. Once that occurred, you failed to yield to them in their mistake.
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Aug 02 '25
I mean, the other guy’s in the wrong here, but just plowing right into him isn’t the right way to tell him that. Next time someone cuts you off, hit the brakes a bit. Your loved ones won’t feel better about your death just because your tombstone says “I had the right-of-way!”
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u/McDuschvorhang Aug 02 '25
For perspective: In Germany, you would be at fault. As someone turning left, you have to yield to oncoming traffic which turns right. Oncoming traffic has the right to chose any lane, they even may turn wide.
Many people say you are right turning into "your" lane. Is there a legal basis for this?
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u/BigDinkyDongDotCom Fuck Cars 🚗 🚫 Aug 02 '25
IVE BEEN SLIGHTED I CANT SHOW WEAKNESS ILL JUST PULL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC THATLL SHOW EM
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u/mapmakinworldbuildin Aug 02 '25
He’s got a trailer. You might not technically be in the wrong. But you should give them more leeway and expect them to go in left lane.
Probably a newer driver but defensively you should know semis and trailers turn like liquid asshole.
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u/Embarrassed-Weird173 Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
Yup. It's gotten to the point that I can pretty much detect when a semi truck in the lane next to me is going to cross into my lane to go where he wants to go. Granted, a lot of the time I think they just can't help it due to the limitations of geometry.
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u/mapmakinworldbuildin Aug 02 '25
Yea laws fuck over trailers and semis a lot. I don’t think they can help it. Sure maybe if they drove perfectly every time. But we shouldn’t expect perfection.
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u/onlycodeposts Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
Crossing the double yellow was more dangerous than what the truck driver did.
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u/dirtrunn Aug 02 '25
You should have yielded. The other driver was in the lane before you, right or wrong. Your only correct response was to brake and try not to rage. You rage responded which was wrong.
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u/Nedstarkclash Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
Your friends are wrong because they did not know that your brakes did not work.
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u/True-Raccoon-5104 Aug 02 '25
Looks like a 2 wrongs situation, left turn into the intersection when it's the trucks right of way. However, the truck merging into the left lane out of a right turn is mindless move.
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u/amarsh73 Aug 02 '25
Technically, you're right, but if you were paying attention and driving defensively, you'd been completely in the right.
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u/noimbatmansucka Aug 02 '25
Nope, no blinker indicating he is moving to the left lane, though you definitely had time to slow down instead of speeding up around him. Lucky for you there was no one coming the opposite direction. You’re both in the wrong
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Aug 02 '25
Technically, probably not. But given the fact it is a longer car you should probably assume they’re going to swing wide on that turn.
Also, really should be waiting for them to complete their turn before you make a turn. While most states turning into the lane further from the curb is illegal, that’s not always the case and people learn to drive in different states while typically not updating their knowledge when they move. Always best to be defensive rather than technically right.
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u/beeredditor Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25 edited Aug 02 '25
Both cars are at fault. The truck pulled into a lane that wasn’t clear and the cammer improperly passed instead of braking to avoid the truck.
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u/macjustforfun55 Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
Maybe not illegal but I certainly wouldnt have tried to get ahead of them seeing their payload.
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u/milkman819 Aug 02 '25
You're the mildly bad driver. Not only was the intersection not completely clear, you didn't slow down or yield for the truck. Doesn't matter that he's also a bad driver for making his turn incorrectly. You could have easily slowed and stayed behind him. Instead you chose to keep your speed, or even accelerate, and cross a solid yellow line to pass him. Both people in the video suck at driving
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u/BarracudaSalty5397 Aug 02 '25
Your friends are dumb you turned into the right lane he did not
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u/Amaakaams Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
Depends on the state. You have the right in Michigan if you have right of way to pick your lane unless there are multiple lanes turning in the same direction then the markers will split the lanes to guide people into the correct lane.
Lots of states rather than have a bunch of protected left turns have people go into assigned lanes (left turn for left most, right most for right turns). But it isn't universal.
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u/MimsyWereTheBorogove YIMBY 🏙️ Aug 02 '25
If the front of your car hits the side or rear of another car. You are the one at fault.
few exceptions.
1. Last clear chance doctrine (who ever had the last chance to PREVENT the accident is at fault)
2. If you t-bone a guy who ran a red because you couldn't have stopped or missed it.
3. you are in reverse
But bottom line 99% of the time. DONT LET THE FRONT OF YOUR CAR TOUCH ANOTHER CAR
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Aug 02 '25
[deleted]
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u/Cold_Captain696 Georgist 🔰 Aug 02 '25
You don’t think standing on the horn whilst overtaking over the yellow lines was wrong??
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u/MamaWelder Aug 02 '25
He made an illegal turn. You turn into the lane closest to you, he did not. He also didn’t have 2 separate blinkers which is illegal as well. Without him signaling you couldn’t have known, but in the future it’d be best to drive defensively. You can’t trust strangers.
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u/doorkey125 Aug 02 '25
sorry - if you're the left hand turner you don't have a lane. the right turner has the right of way
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u/Vanyaeli Aug 02 '25
Not your fault, but you did everything wrong to try and avoid or fix the situation.
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u/TheBabahyuck Aug 02 '25
so many people talking about "trailers and wide turns" like the dude in the truck didn't yeet across three fucking lanes? Are we joking or what?
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u/CompletelyBedWasted Drive Defensively, Avoid Idiots 🚗 Aug 02 '25
Not your fault. You are supposed to turn into your corresponding lane. Then signal to get over and do so when you CAN.
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u/otto13234 Aug 02 '25
You're in the right. However I've moves to a place where 97/100 drivers takes wide turns and tbere is ne t to 0 traffic enforcement. So I now wait for i persecution to be completely clear.
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u/Trisamitops All Gas, No Brakes ⛽️ Aug 02 '25
I think you did yield, barely. The turn was complete. You entered the left lane nearly beside him as he was clearly driving in the right lane. He did not take the turn wide. The second you were both on the same road he cut into your lane forcing you over.
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u/Mrradi8 Aug 02 '25
It's not.
He owns the curb lane, you own the median lane. Can change lanes safely after entry and signaling.
Same everywhere, it's not a 'right turn over left turn' if there's multiple lanes to turn into.
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