Turning Right at Intersection - Are you a "nose dipper?"

Skramit on 09/08/2018 - 12:53
Last edited 09/08/2018 - 12:53

This is a frequent problem that I find infuriating, as I pass through a few particular intersections daily where this is common.

See diagram: https://imgur.com/a/9xvG6Tq

I am often car C trying to go straight through. But Car B who is waiting to turn right, blocks the through path by "nose dipping" as I like to call it. They do this so they can see what's coming, I totally understand this. They also can't go because there's cars (purple) turning left so car B has to wait and wait. But some take it too far completely blocking the lane because they have Car A also waiting to turn right so there's this imagined permission to creep even further forward into the path of Car C.

Do you do this as car B? If so you should hand back your license in my humble opinion. It's a scourge on our roads!

There's varying degrees of this (like most motoring annoyances) but it's really common to see the full on blocking of a lane by the person turning right.

Automotive

Comments

  • HighAndDry on 09/08/2018 - 12:54
    +10

    Nope. You can "dip" a little, but never so that you're in the path of traffic or potential traffic going straight. A scourge on our roads indeed.

  • altomic on 09/08/2018 - 13:01
    +24

    your diagram is too tidy. go back and mess around with it in ms-paint. only use the paint brush option - not straight line tool

    • Skramit on 09/08/2018 - 13:02
      +11

      Harsh but fair.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/08/2018 - 14:04

      I thought it is too inorganic. Please go back and buy a Wacom drawing tablet. We want to see grain and brush strokes.

    • TheOneWhoKnocks on 09/08/2018 - 18:07
      +1

      Gotta love this OzBargain automotive forum lore.

  • bdl on 09/08/2018 - 13:09
    +12

    FTFY https://imgur.com/a/flyOZAv

    • Rhubarb Jones on 09/08/2018 - 13:19
      +2

      Could we have a drink sometime?

    • rambutann on 09/08/2018 - 14:40
      +1

      much better.

    • gres on 10/08/2018 - 09:06

      ahhh, now I get it,

      no

    • Filbert on 10/08/2018 - 14:46

      Hey! I know this intersection. It’s near my work.

  • Melb69 on 09/08/2018 - 13:14
    +2

    I'm sure Ive been B in my driving lifetime. Sometimes it's just been caught out. You are trying not to hold up ppl behind you so you creep to get a better look. Exasperated on occasion when the opposite driver is also doing a right. Ive started not to nose dip once I know that there are other cars behind the other one turning. Then I know that lane has others turning and holding up lane. Otherwise I do try to avoid nose dipping if I can. Is annoying if your in a hurry. Otherwise I just wait. Its city driving. Conjestion and its getting worse.

    • HighAndDry on 09/08/2018 - 13:26
      +5

      The way I see it, if it's a lane you can turn right from, anyone stuck behind you is really not your problem. Obviously do what you can, but it is what it is. If you're holding up incoming traffic because you're now on the wrong side of the road however, that is your problem.

      • Skramit on 09/08/2018 - 13:41
        -1

        Interesting. So you think it's okay to block the through traffic (car c)because they are coming after the right turner (car A)?

        I don't think that theory lines up with the road rules though.

        Hmmmm

        • HighAndDry on 09/08/2018 - 13:54
          +3

          No, it's okay to block cars that are behind you. So Car A can block Car C. Car B cannot.

        • Skramit on 09/08/2018 - 13:56
          +1

          @HighAndDry:

          Oh I get you. Anyone behind you has to wait. Absolutely agree.

          Sorry was confusing, I thought you meant it was okay for B to block C because C is behind A. Haha.

        • terrys on 10/08/2018 - 08:17

          @Skramit: I got it - car B is on the wrong side of the road

  • rompastompa on 09/08/2018 - 13:29
    +1

    I don't believe I've ever been 'B', B should be waiting until both lanes are clear. I've let a few 'B''s in though, usually followed by a shake of the head..

  • 87percent on 09/08/2018 - 13:39
    +2

    hate big cars (like SUV's, 4WD) that go right up to the line when turning right and cars turning left at the same intersection can't see

  • RyanMK on 09/08/2018 - 13:44

    I hate it, but I'm quite sure on occasions I have been Car B as well. There are roads where it is impossible the see incoming traffic unless you 'inch' that far out. Some of the roads are just badly designed (e.g. cars can parallel park close to the intersection, trees, signs etc that might block your view).

    • Skramit on 09/08/2018 - 13:53

      True it is usually unique to certain intersections that have no dedicated right turn lane or enough visibility due to external factors. But I still find even in those situations Car B should be more patient and wait for an appropriate time to nudge out. Some cars nudge out and block as soon as the lights go green.

  • Broke-Ken on 09/08/2018 - 13:56

    If the diagram is to be taken literally, then in B's defense, C still has enough room to proceed straight(although need to go around B), because the lane for car "purple"(D?) is a left turning only lane.

    However, if both lanes are allowed to go straight, then I would agree with you that car B should not have nose dipped that much.

    When I'm in car A & B's situation, I try to nose dip enough to allow the car behind to still go straight, but not so much that it will block oncoming traffic.

    • Skramit on 09/08/2018 - 13:58

      I try to nose dip enough to allow the car behind to still go straight, but not so much that it will block oncoming traffic.

      Very fine line. Most people (in my experience) get this badly wrong.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/08/2018 - 14:28

    If I have enough time on my hands (or if I'm in the straight lane that is closest to the opposing right turning lane and I have moving traffic to my left), what I'll do (if I'm car C but approaching car A from the other side) is I'll go right up against car C to the point where they can't turn right without hitting me. So I'm standing there with full right of way with an idiot who has committed an illegal action by blocking a lane of moving traffic. I'll patiently wait until they frantically rearrange their car straight (which is how it should've been in the first place!), I go straight and then they turn right.

    Especially rewarding to see idiots who 'nose-dip' right at their pedestrian crossing as opposed to moving as close as possible to the centre of the intersection before turning right. Have assisted the government many times where the idiot in question has a red light camera behind them and they get flashed as they're rearranging their car.

  • John Kimble on 09/08/2018 - 14:37
    +3

    I reckon car A is nose dipping, car B isn't nose dipping, they are completely on the wrong side of the road blocking potential "northbound" traffic…lets call it "car diving"???

    cbf looking it up, but pretty sure it's against road rules…

    Semi related…I remember learning/reading/being taught, when turning right like these scenarios, it's best practice (or potentially even a road rule) to keep your car pointing straight and not to even turn your wheels right at all, in case you somehow get rear ended, because it could push you into oncoming traffic?

    • Skramit on 09/08/2018 - 14:38

      Semi related…I remember learning/reading/being taught, when turning right like these scenarios, it's best practice to keep your car pointing straight and not to even turn your wheels right at all, in case you somehow get rear ended, because it could push you into oncoming traffic?

      Very related. Nose dipping is not only annoying but seriously dangerous. It puts both cars in danger of a mega T-Bone collision if car C is not paying enough attention.

    • HighAndDry on 09/08/2018 - 14:39

      it's best practice to keep your car pointing straight and not to even turn your wheels right at all, in case you somehow get rear ended, because it could push you into oncoming traffic?

      Now that you mention it, yes I remember being taught this too. It also makes perfect sense, though I'll admit I don't follow it at all.

      • bdl on 09/08/2018 - 14:51

        I was taught the same thing, also!

    • Strahany on 10/08/2018 - 14:47

      It was this very thing that was involved in Jenner's manslaughter case (just prior to winning Woman of the year, no less); rear-ended a car which was waiting to turn left (our equivalent of turning right) and this car had its wheel already turned, which meant that the rear-end pushed it into oncoming traffic and the driver died. How Jenner escaped charges is beyond me.

      • HighAndDry on 10/08/2018 - 16:02

        Money solves a lot of problems. Was that when Jenner was already a she or before? (Do driving skills respect gender identity?)

        • Strahany on 10/08/2018 - 17:09
          +1

          I believe this was post-op, such was the furore over how someone who caused the death of another person could possibly be “Woman of the Year” (plus, throw in the questionable situation of a Male/recent female winning, as well as the fact that women who ran charitable organisations and implement innovations lost out to someone who got paid millions of dollars and drummed up millions more in television show viewership revenue for what was ultimately a “me, me, me” story).

          If you watch the re-creation of the incident then it’s shocking how anyone could get off. Money really does talk.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/08/2018 - 16:45

    Earlier this week I saw a lady from the other direction (not traffic lights), turning nosedipped and blocked the entire right hand lane. Traffic in the right hand lane could not move, but the middle land and left lane kept flowing, so she couldn't move/cross to complete the turn, and many cars were being held up in the right hand lane. It became congested and built up because of her hahahaha

  • kahn on 09/08/2018 - 21:03
    +5

    Apologies for my tardiness, but I've made an Ozbargain version of the intersection. You have Scab turning left into (presumably) the nearest penalty box, Skramit being our frustrated Original Poster, PJC on his way to finding the location of an edit button, and JV doing what he does best.
    https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/36156/61126/oztraffic.…

  • DarkOz on 09/08/2018 - 22:32

    That’s not nose dipping, that’s actually body blocking.

  • flavable on 10/08/2018 - 09:23
    +1

    In my driving lessons way back when, I'd always been instructed at intersections to creep straight forward to a point, and never turn the wheels, or even 'nose dip'. Firstly because if someone accidentally rams you from behind your car would be pushed as per your wheel angle into oncoming traffic, and secondly, if visibility is a problem, it's better to be safe and sit there, even if there are impatient drivers behind you. So I always tense up nerbously a bit when I see people nose dipping.

  • HeWhoKnows on 10/08/2018 - 14:28

    The simple rule is that you cannot block or obstruct an intersection for any reason.
    Car B should not be there and if you ran into them they are clearly on the wrong side of the road and furthermore failed to properly give way to you - nose dipping or not. Its not allowed.

    The way for car B to approcah this (if a busy intersection) is to proceed into the middle of the interection and wait for a safe opportunity to turn
    If this intersection is controlled by traffic lights then in car B's case the rule also states that all vehilces must wait for vehicles to clear the intersection before proceeding - even if they have a green light!

  • esty on 14/08/2018 - 16:28

    If believe correctly, in this scenario, Car C is actually meant to wait until car A turns.

    Car C, passing through while A is still there, is negligent driving.

  • wolfazrael123 on 15/08/2018 - 15:37

    General rule: car going straight has priority. Of course there are exceptions like when you see give way or stop signs.

    Under the general rule one should not block the way of incoming vehicles when its turning.

    Car B should not turn right a bit and wait, it should only start to turn when the road is clear. In NSW I believe car b can go forward a bit when the light is green and turn right when the light turns red so Car C would stop at that time. In a unlucky situation, Car b might not be able to finish the turn and end at the position of purple car. Queuing at the intersection might get fined though.

  • Josho on 15/08/2018 - 15:39

    If its in the city its probably quite excusable with a friendly thank you wave,

    Outer suburbs this behaviour is not right as there are ample gaps in traffic.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join