Foo - How weird is this?

SC roads have no shoulders, but instead have a center lane for left turns and break-downs. Hadn't seen this until I moved to the south. I've been in roughly half of the states but never encountered this. The edges of the center lane have the solid or broken yellow lines for no passing or passing like normal. Just seems to beg for the occasional head-on collision...especially with so many people on phones while trying to drive.

Is that weird or is it just me? This seems to be the norm in SC.

You aint in Kansas anymore Dorthy.
Everyone is a stock car driver there.

You're tellin' me. I think 2/3 of the population is from elsewhere and can't resist these curvy roads. It doesn't help that BMW employs 10,000+ here and they can lease any model they want, on the cheap.

We call them suicide lanes.
They are for left turns, not breakdowns. If possible you are supposed to move your vehicle off the road.

Center turn lanes are not that unusual. In NJ, one finds them typically in urbanish areas so that left turners can wait without holding up other traffic.

There should not be any real risk of head-on collisions because (if used properly) cars move into them and stop and then make their left turn (cars don't travel in them).

What is weird is that you think they are also breakdown lanes.

I'd better tell those I see stopped to catch a smoke to move along then.

I asked coworkers (locals) where I was supposed to go if an emergency vehicle was behind me. There simply isn't anywhere to go. Weirdo illogical infrastructure for sure.

Center turn lanes are not that unusual. In NJ, one finds them typically in urbanish areas so that left turners can wait without holding up other traffic.

There should not be any real risk of head-on collisions because (if used properly) cars move into them and stop and then make their left turn (cars don't travel in them).

What is weird is that you think they are also breakdown lanes.

I was told they were also breakdown lanes by locals.

I was told they were also breakdown lanes by locals.

They jest luvs messing wid Yankees...

They jest luvs messing wid Yankees...

It's working.

We have those in Michigan. We also have Michigan lefts which are the most asinine invention ever.

We have center turn lanes on some roads in Colorado. I thought they were commonplace. I've never heard of the center lane being used for breakdowns...

They were pretty common in TN, but a lot of roads still had shoulders, too. What most roads didn't have was bike lanes.

We have those in Michigan. We also have Michigan lefts which are the most asinine invention ever.

Are those like the lefts in New Jersey that are from the right lane?

We have those in Michigan. We also have Michigan lefts which are the most asinine invention ever.Are those like the lefts in New Jersey that are from the right lane?Oh my god, it's so bad (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Michigan_Left.svg/800px-Michigan_Left.svg.png

Instead of just turning left, you pass through the intersection, merge left into a turn lane in the median, flip a u-turn across oncoming traffic, maneuver yourself into the rightmost lane, and make a right turn.

That's just vile, and like UA said, completely asinine.

:lol:

Who thinks this **** up?

Center turn lanes are nothing compared to that cluster of despair.

Just put roundabout and be done with it.

You aint in Kansas anymore Dorthy.
Everyone is a stock car driver there.

Not sure where "there" is, but I spent some time in Alabama last summer. I've never seen drivers more polite, or more crazy, than anywhere else I've been.

Not sure where "there" is, but I spent some time in Alabama last summer. I've never seen drivers more polite, or more crazy, than anywhere else I've been.

Tried LA or Bay Area?

Oh my god, it's so bad (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Michigan_Left.svg/800px-Michigan_Left.svg.png

Instead of just turning left, you pass through the intersection, merge left into a turn lane in the median, flip a u-turn across oncoming traffic, maneuver yourself into the rightmost lane, and make a right turn.

That's just vile, and like UA said, completely asinine.

:lol:

Who thinks this **** up?
And... It's supposed to be safer. :rolleyes: A lot of them are uncontrolled, meaning the oncoming traffic you're supposed to make a u-turn through and navigate through 4 to 5 lanes never stops. Awesome.

My theory is that it is safer in certain circumstances but that Michigan DOT decided it was safer in all circumstances. The only time I've ever been hit by a car while on my bike, I was trying to navigate through one of these left turns.

Just put roundabout and be done with it.

Those are a pain too. But that's where a nice 4x4 truck comes in handy.

We have a lot of center turn lanes...and there's a plan to put a bunch of Michigan lefts on some of our highways. We've also instituted the "back-in diagonal parking" on some of our busier streets.

I'm so glad Colorado has no Michigan lefts.

Oh my god, it's so bad (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Michigan_Left.svg/800px-Michigan_Left.svg.png

Instead of just turning left, you pass through the intersection, merge left into a turn lane in the median, flip a u-turn across oncoming traffic, maneuver yourself into the rightmost lane, and make a right turn.

That's just vile, and like UA said, completely asinine.

:lol:

Who thinks this **** up?

I grew up in Michigan. These exist, but they're not super common (except maybe in Detroit). The idea is that left-turning traffic isn't backed up before the intersection. There are variations of it too.

Fun fact: I almost got killed as a new driver at the intersection of US-131 and M-60 (http://maps.google.com/?ll=41.928144,-85.652525&spn=0.005212,0.009484&t=m&z=17) near Three Rivers due to a confusing intersection design. It wasn't a "Michigan Left", but it was screwy anyway.

I grew up in Michigan. These exist, but they're not super common (except maybe in Detroit). The idea is that left-turning traffic isn't backed up before the intersection. There are variations of it too.

Fun fact: I almost got killed as a new driver at the intersection of US-131 and M-60 (http://maps.google.com/?ll=41.928144,-85.652525&spn=0.005212,0.009484&t=m&z=17) near Three Rivers due to a confusing intersection design. It wasn't a "Michigan Left", but it was screwy anyway.

As a Californian, I can not conceive of how that interchange does not have a single flyover.

I would just turn left.

I would just turn left.

This is why Texans aren't allowed in Michigan. Well, that and the Ohio thing.

I grew up in Michigan. These exist, but they're not super common (except maybe in Detroit). The idea is that left-turning traffic isn't backed up before the intersection. There are variations of it too.

Fun fact: I almost got killed as a new driver at the intersection of US-131 and M-60 (http://maps.google.com/?ll=41.928144,-85.652525&spn=0.005212,0.009484&t=m&z=17) near Three Rivers due to a confusing intersection design. It wasn't a "Michigan Left", but it was screwy anyway.

Native of MI myself. I detest the stupid U-turns and will avoid all roads that have them when possible. And you are correct, they are mostly in the Detroit area. I never encountered one until I moved down here. We are finally starting to get more roundabouts in the area. With the exception of the learning curve for some of the old-timers, they are so much nicer than the stupid U-turns.

We just drove through the intersection you linked to this winter. Wasn't too bad, but Matt was driving and I was navigating. We're a rock-star team. Can't imagine having had to figure that mess out alone.

Those Michigan lefts were fairly big around the MSU campus during my time there. If memory serves they were pulling a number of the sensible roundabouts to put in 4 way intersections with lights as I was leaving. I much prefer roundabouts (properly designed with two lanes in and two out at each corner for the person going only a single road to the right to take the right lane without slowing and those going further to move to the center lane, but apparently those are too much work for people to figure out.

Oh and there are and were a number of dumb intersections in Three Rivers (grew up nearby in Sturgis). Basically Michigan road design (and maintenance) sucks.

...Basically Michigan road design (and maintenance) sucks.

I guess I was just used to the design because I grew up there. As far as maintenance, you're right. That point was hammered home a couple of years ago, when I took a bike up there for a ride, and the roads were so rough that my teeth were clattering.

The hook turns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_turn) in the centre of Melbourne (AUS, not FL) cause lots of headaches for visitors.

The hook turns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_turn) in the centre of Melbourne (AUS, not FL) cause lots of headaches for visitors.

It looks like you're supposed to turn left from the tight lane