In areas where there isn’t a dedicated U-turn lane, you have to use the left-turn lane if you want to make a U-turn. You just have to work with what’s available since not all roads are wide enough to have a separate U-turn lane.
I used to complain about drivers in front of me making U-turns and causing me to miss the light. In some cases, it can even lead to rear-end collisions. But then I found myself doing the exact same thing…
So what’s the proper etiquette here? What do you all do? Wave? Honk? (Probably not a great idea where I live since everyone honks anyway.)
Appreciate all the responses so far. I forgot to mention some background:
This isn’t a place with sensible driving. Yes, there are reckless drivers everywhere, but that’s another story.
Blinkers and right of way basically don’t exist here. Cars aren’t the only things on the road. It’s usually bumper to bumper all day long.
Traffic lights have a numeric countdown, which is fine. But the system somehow thinks 15 seconds is enough for 20+ cars, bumper to bumper, to complete a left turn and clear the intersection. So yeah, that’s why there’s a real risk of collisions.
Back to the OP, I’ve noticed some drivers do the following:
Zero fucks given, just make the U-turn like they own the road (99% of the time).
On rare occasions, some roll down their window, honk, and point left. Others just honk.