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bajajudy
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Mexican highway sign lesson
VUELTA IZQUIERDA POR LATERAL
This is very important information for anyone who drives between San Jose Del Cabo and San Lucas
It means to make a left turn from the 4 lane you have to be in the side road, frontage road, whatever you call it in english.
I didn't get a ticket but I did get a lecture.
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jrbaja
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Although I haven't seen the signs
I guess this is referring to pulling over to the right, off the main highway to let the following vehicles pass before making a left turn.
It keeps the traffic from backing up behind you while you are waiting for the oncoming traffic to pass before turning, it cuts down on the number of
rear end collisions for those not paying attention to the dumbass stopped in the highway, and it's being considerate. 
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bajalou
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I believe it's also the law that you will not delay/stop traffic to make a left turn anywhere.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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bajajudy
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Actually there are 8 lanes, the four lane highway, and there is, what I called, a frontage road which runs along either side of these 4 lanes. There
are exits to change from the 4 lane to the frontage roads and what the sign means is that if you want to turn left you must exit the 4 lane and be in
the frontage road to make your left turn. This frontage road has traffic lights and...left turn arrows. So you wind up crossing the 4 lane which has
stopped at a red light(well hopefull has stopped) I am having a hard time explaining it because it is so confusing which is why I made the post. I
have never seen these signs any other place in Baja and I was just trying to give everyone a heads up.
[Edited on 12-5-2004 by bajajudy]
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jrbaja
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A good example is
the main entrance to Loreto. You exit to the right to make the left turn and vice versa.
Same idea as what I was trying to splain but a little more effort and design put into it. Loreto only has stop signs rather than signals for the
crossings.
Another area is Ciudad Constitucion where the whole town is designed like that. And, you might be ticketed for illegal left turns although, the
police are pretty cool and understanding about we gringos inability to drive and obey laws
It does cut down on a lot of rear end collisions though, especially considering the number of cars without brake and tail lights
Maybe there is a method to their madness!
[Edited on 12/5/2004 by jrbaja]
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bajajudy
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Vuelta Izquierda por Lateral
I was not in traffic. There is room for one car to make the turn without being in any lanes.
anyway now you know how to say all of the above in Spanish.
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jrbaja
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Now I'm even more confused
was the lane you were in a left turn lane or something?
I am only referring to the places where you may hold up traffic by turning left or where they already have it planned out for that by pulling to
the right first.
I get confused easily.
And this being a warning, I would like to understand.
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vgabndo
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Yea, I get you JR only...
the through traffic in Loreto doesn't stop. On the mainland, we called it a "Mexican left" the left turner pulls off the road to the right, even on a
two lane, then crosses both lanes to his destination. It can get pretty exciting if he doesn't see how fast you're approaching, and you think he's
making a right turn!!! My learning curve was pretty fast, along with my heart-rate.
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Mike Humfreville
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On TWO-lane roads
both in rural paved Baja and here in Southern California, many Mexicans, turning left, first check that there is no oncoming traffic, pull into the
left lane (the opposing lane with no vehicles in the vicinity), allowing the folks behind them to continue at full speed and the turning vehicle to
slow and subsequently turn left. It a difficult concept to document, but with practice and no opposing traffic it works fine. Of course it's used
only in places with very limited traffic.
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daveB
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Going left as you have seen others do, Mike, seems sensible enough, but is a very dangerous tactic in the long term. We often accomplished that
ourselves in rural British Columbia in the 60's, but its folly came home to roost later when another local driver pulled into the oncoming lane to
turn left, so as to not impete following traffic, but directly into space meant to be occupied by my young nephew riding a motorcycle. He died at the
scene, the car's driver was impaired by a few beers. But the real culprit that day was his bad driving habit.
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Cameron
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Now I'm Confused Too!...
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajajudy
Actually there are 8 lanes, the four lane highway, and there is, what I called, a frontage road which runs along either side of these 4 lanes. There
are exits to change from the 4 lane to the frontage roads and what the sign means is that if you want to turn left you must exit the 4 lane and be in
the frontage road to make your left turn. This frontage road has traffic lights and...left turn arrows. So you wind up crossing the 4 lane which has
stopped at a red light(well hopefull has stopped) I am having a hard time explaining it because it is so confusing which is why I made the post. I
have never seen these signs any other place in Baja and I was just trying to give everyone a heads up.
[Edited on 12-5-2004 by bajajudy] |
Hi Judy!
Were you turning left using one of the "left turn" lanes with a signal when you were pulled over, or just turning left (across traffic) onto a side
street or into a parking lot?
I know you're supposed to use a left turn lane with a stop light/signal to make a left/get to the left-hand side of the road, even if you've got to go
a couple of km past your destination and make a u-turn.
I didn't know you had to exit the "main" lanes and cross the flow of traffic using the frontage road as a "crosswalk" of sorts...
Are you 100% sure you weren't a test case for a brand-new "official policy" the Officer came up with on that particular day???
Cameron
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FrankO
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In my limited exposure to mainland Mex these are pretty common.
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David K
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For FrankO
Frank, how's the family? Will you all be in Bahia for New Year's?
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Mike Humfreville
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daveB,
Sad story about your nephew. The beers were the bad guy.
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bajajudy
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Bote de gusanos
What have I done?
Ok I am leaving San Lucas headed toward San Jose. I get into the lateral(frontage road)immediately. I am driving along and I see Costco on my left.
I come to a stop light at the Pemex. I am in the left lane of the lateral. A green arrow comes on and I turn left crossing the 4 lanes of the highway
and wind up going the opposite direction on the other lateral headed back to Costco. The reason I get into the lateral immediately when it starts, is
that these exits and entrances from it are pretty dangerous as far as I can tell. If there are cars coming down the lateral when they want to get
into it, people stop in the 4 lane to wait for them to pass. I like the concept of not being in the 4 lane to make a left turn but getting off to
utilize the lateral can be a heart stopper. The lateral headed toward San Lucas starts just past El Tule bridges and I get in that one immediately
also to avoid the exit scene described above.
I also have seen these on the mainland but not the signs.
I am guessing that many of you have not seen the new road between San Jose and San Lucas that was constructed before APEC two years ago. There are
many more accidents because everyone drives so fast.
Be careful out there
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jrbaja
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Menos gusanos
we are just dense
Now I get the picture. But what was the lecture for?
Isn't that what you were supposed to do. And actually, I have been on that very stretch. Nasty.
Same principal as C. Constitucion but they don't go as fast there.
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bajajudy
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Where is that burro?
I need a ride!
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El Jefe
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I think Judy's point was that it is against the law to make a left from the center through road, even though it looks like you can. The same holds
true in Constitucion where the through road allows only right turns onto the side road.
As to Mike's comments about pulling into the oncoming lane on a two lane road before turning left off the road, I think that practice is also a little
body english to show that you are turning instead of giving the left blinker "go around me" sign.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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Mexray
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Quite common on the mainland...
You see these 'left turn' lanes on the shoulder side of the road in many mainland cities....
First, remember that most highways in Mexico don't have median strips, or other like spaces between oncoming lanes where they can install a USA type
"left turn lane"....SO...
They make a 'turn' lane on the RH shoulder side of the of the roadway that is used exclusively for a 'LH' turn onto the crossing street - controlled
by a 'turning signal arrow'.
May sound confusing to some, but it's not...instead of a LH turn lane in the middle of the road - it's on the RH, shoulder side of the road - plain
and simple, make sense to me!
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
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bajalou
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I've seen them several places in Baja
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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