CRUNCH

[cjsmith]

I'm fine, I think, except for a broken fingernail. So's the other guy.

I was northbound on Mary, heading to work, and a guy on the other side of the street just... made a U-turn. Too bad for both of us that I was there! I pulled to the right and slowed as much as I could, but we hit anyway. I couldn't open my door afterward; got out the passenger side. Both cars could still drive, so we went to his house a couple blocks away and exchanged all the appropriate info. He was very polite about it. We were both pretty shaky and we commiserated on how this wasn't a terrific start to the day.

My guess is they're probably going to total mine. A 1989 Toyota Corolla isn't worth much by the book. At least I can drive it while I look for another.

I *suspect* it's technically his fault -- double yellow line, plus U-turns don't have right-of-way anyway -- but I'm not sure that truly matters to either of us at this point. We're healthy, we're not dead or in critical condition somewhere or injured in a way that won't heal; we'll have fully functional cars again at some point; neither of us is making this any harder for the other than it needs to be. All of that seems pretty darn positive to me right now.

Comments

I *may* be mistaken about the double-yellow...

[shoutingboy.livejournal.com]

One is certainly allowed to make a left turn across a double-yellow. I thought one could also make a U, but I might be mistaken. And it may be there are other baroque rules about when one can U.

And, no, I didn't actually think you were drunk. Just saying that that's the one way I could think of that the guy might be able to escape fault.

The Internets are a wonderful thing!

[shoutingboy.livejournal.com]

The California Driver Handbook (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/driver_handbook_toc.htm) is online. Quotey quotey (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs25thru29.htm#legalu):

You may make a U-turn:

• Across a double yellow line when it is safe and legal.
  
• In a residential district:
  
  • if no vehicle approaching you is closer than 200 feet.
    
  • whenever a traffic sign or signal protects you from approaching vehicles. ...

Illegal U-Turns

Never make a U-turn:

• On a divided highway by crossing a dividing section, curb, strip of land, or two sets of double lines. ...
  
• In business districts. Areas with churches, apartments, multiple dwelling houses, clubs, and public buildings (except schools) are also considered to be business districts. Turn only at an intersection or where openings are provided for turns.

So if the cop was just saying "that's a double-yellow line, you can't make a U over that", he was wrong. But if it was two sets of double-yellow lines (which is, essentially, a virtual concrete barrier--not allowed to cross), or if you were in a business district (and the cop was saying, or meant to say, "You can't cross those lines here--you need to turn at the intersection", it was a righteous bust.

Re: The Internets are a wonderful thing!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Awesome! That is indeed what the cop SAID, but it was probably a business district. (It was one of those streets where the double yellow goes part way down the block and turns into a single dashed yellow. I didn't go far enough down the block.) Righteous bust. Hey, at least now I know what the rule *IS*.

Re: I *may* be mistaken about the double-yellow...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes, I too am sure about a left being permitted. It isn't outside the realm of possibility that that policeman was wrong. We're all human..

Right, I didn't feel accused :-). That might have been a ticket out for him if it had been true. Or if I'd just turned onto the street a second or two before, perhaps after he had begun his turn, that too might improve his case.