While driving, I often end up scratching my head and thinking, “That’s not right, is it? Can they do that? Should they do that?”

Many times, I have witnessed a driver pulling up beyond the light at a traffic light to make a left turn. Do they not realize there are sensors either on the wires for the traffic lights over the roadway or buried in the pavement at the traffic light behind the line?

When they pull ahead of the line, and can’t make the left turn due to oncoming traffic, now it is quite possible this driver will be stuck without getting their desired left turn arrow until another car pulls up behind them AT THE LINE signaling the sensor in the road. On a truly busy road, this driver may get stuck through a couple of light cycles before he can finally execute the turn.

A classic example of a location is turning left onto Pennsylvania Avenue from Main Street in Niantic. The stop light is well back from the light, the sensors are clearly visible in the road, yet drivers pull in front of the stop line and now will not get their advance left turn green light.

Solution: Stay behind the stop lines at traffic lights.

Another left turn conundrum that puzzles me is drivers coming around on the right to pass a driver waiting to turn left into an intersection. On a single lane road, the turning driver tends to pull into the intersection, opening up the ability for following vehicles to swerve around on the right side to continue straight through the intersection.

Is this proper behavior? Should these drivers be driving around the turning driver? The law says this is an illegal move and can lead to accidents within the intersection because an oncoming car may be wanting to turn left into this flow of illegal drivers.

How do we prevent this from happening? The left turning driver should stay behind the white stop line until it is clear to make the left turn. This will infuriate the drivers behind him, but is the proper method taught in driver education courses for executing a left turn.

This will also allow an oncoming car signaling to turn left to make the turn at the same time as our driver.

Again, the solution: Stay behind the stop line at a traffic light when you are making a left turn, even when the light is green, and wait for the traffic to clear. In fact, drivers passing on the right as someone is turning left should not be happening anywhere. The turning driver only feeds into permitting this action by being courteous and pulling as close to the double yellow line as possible, providing space for the continuing traffic to go around. Solution: Don’t pull over and enable the drivers behind you to go past on the right. Again, they will be inconvenienced but are breaking the law to pass you.

The next issue I have with drivers is NOT knowing which lanes are left turn lanes in a multi-turning lane situation. Examples are turning left off exit 2 from I-395 south onto Route 85, the left turn onto Rope Ferry Road from Route 1 in Waterford and the left onto Howard Street from Bank Street in New London.

Coming off I-395, there will sometimes be a driver using the left lane making the turn and ending up in the right lane on Route 85, effectively cutting off the driver in the right-most left turn lane. At Bank Street, again two lanes can turn left onto Howard Street, but there is usually someone in the center lane on Bank who wants to go straight, thus tying up the drivers behind them.

Finally there are two issues turning onto Rope Ferry Road: First, drivers in the center lane on Route 1 often want to go straight, disrupting the flow in the right lane. Second, the two lanes turning left have to merge back into a single lane within 500 feet, and it surprises me more drivers don’t end up getting hit by the cars in the left lane shooting ahead to gain a car length distance in their race to get somewhere.

The lanes are well marked in all these locations. Signage shows which lanes are turning, yet there will occasionally be someone out of place disturbing the smooth flow of traffic. Solution: read the signs and know the route. Get in and stay in the proper lane, especially after making the turn.

Speaking of reading signs, why don’t people read the speed limit signs on I-95 and I-395 in the East Lyme and Waterford areas and adhere to them? The same goes for Route 32 entering New London after the exits for the Coast Guard and I-95 to Groton.

This is a serious issue, yet I have rarely seen a state trooper or New London officer stopping speeders traveling these routes. I-95 travelers are supposed to slow down to 50 mph entering East Lyme in either direction, but this never occurs. Southbound traffic on I-395 after exit 2 are also supposed to reduce speed to 55 mph for approximately one- and three-quarter miles then reduce to 50 mph as the two lanes merge into one.

Every day, I have witnessed drivers of SUVs, sedans, trucks and especially tractor-trailers completely ignore these signs and speed through still doing 65 mph. It gets really interesting at the merge, where on more than one occasion, a driver in the left lane refuses to yield into the right lane, and ends up racing ahead to cut off another vehicle.

Route 32 is another situation primed for accidents. Speeders in the left lane want to get to I-95, and cut into the traffic in the right lane.

Also, the speed limit going into New London south of the Coast Guard Academy is 40 mph. Every day, I witness drivers entering New London doing anywhere from 50 to 60 mph, and not slowing down to 30 mph after the light at Crystal Avenue and the pedestrian bridge.

Many also try to take advantage of the right lane by passing as they approach Tilley Street to get ahead of those turning left at the light. Every day I have witnessed drivers being cut off by those speeding ahead in the right lane and wanting to turn left.

Many of these issues call for stricter law enforcement, but I have heard from one trooper that it is unsafe to stop a vehicle in the 50 mph zone of I-95 because there isn’t much of a breakdown lane through this area. Troopers could, however, set up radar on I-395 after exit 2, and still have room to pull someone over before getting to I-95.

As for Route 32, perhaps the right lane could be used as a ticketing lane. Write to me and tell me your thoughts on aggressive driving. I am always open to your comments and concerns.

Lee Edwards of Niantic has more than two decades of experience in the transportation industry. He can be reached at leeaedwards@atlanticbb.net.