who's at fault during an unprotected left turn?

(Texas)
Last night I approached an intersection in the turning lane while the adjacent signals were green, and my direction and the oncoming traffic light was red. After 2 minutes the light turned "GREEN" (no arrow) and I proceeded to turn left, when I collided head-on with a driver coming from the opposite direction. I was issued a citation for not yielding the right-of-way, but after reviewing the scene, there were no signs indicating the yield on green, or unprotected left turn signs.

I would like to know if the city was at fault for not having these signs at this intersection, which I have seen in every unprotected green light elsewhere in the city.

Also, would the other driver be responsible -- as the head on collision threw my vehicle back after I proceeded from a stop where the lights changed green simultaneously, indicating the other driver was speeding excessively?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Not sure I've got the layout of the intersection, and your use of the term 'adjacent signal'. So you approach an intersection in the left turn lane, and you have a red light or red arrow in your left turn lane. The traffic in the lanes to your immediate right, as well as the oncoming traffic in the 180 degree direction have a green light to proceed straight through the intersection.

You wait there, until your left turn arrow/light turns green, and you turn left. While you do that, that same oncoming traffic still has a green light (which you don't know), and you and they collide because you turned into their path.

Is that correct?

If so, I would have thought that either:
- the oncoming traffic would have had a red light, and the other guy ran through the red light (or you ran your red arrow/light), or
- you should have had a sign, to yield to oncoming traffic.


Or are you saying that your direction (both left turn lane, and go straight lane) were red, the opposing 180 degree traffic was stopped and also red, and the cross traffic was green. That cross traffic stopped, and both you and your same direction traffic, as well as the opposing 180 degree traffic all get a green light. You immediately go, and turn left in front of the oncoming traffic.

There doesn't need to be a special sign, left turners must ALWAYS yield to traffic going straight, unless there is a left turn arrow. This is BASIC drivers ed 101 and everyone with a license should know it. You are 100% at fault.

ecmst12 said:

There doesn't need to be a special sign, left turners must ALWAYS yield to traffic going straight, unless there is a left turn arrow. This is BASIC drivers ed 101 and everyone with a license should know it. You are 100% at fault.

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absolutely agree.


I will agree there is a better system of lighting that would help to prevent any confusion but as it is, the person turning left must yield to oncoming traffic. If they do not know if the oncoming traffic has a green light or not, the person turning must act as if they do.