At a traffic light, why does the left turn lane go before those going straight?

Question

This waistes so much time and gas...I sit and watch 30 cars wait for one oncoming person turning left...what if those trying to get across town had to yield to everyone turning left...that would be stupid...this is a huge problem...the goal should be to keep as many cars moving as possible...

Answer 1

Safety.  When the left turn interval comes at the end of the phase (called a lag-left) and the opposing through traffic is to stop, accidents tend to increase,  This is because drivers, seeing the left turns continue, are fooled into thinking they still have a green light.  Also pedestrians may not have finished crossing.

Answer 2

It is not always that way, although a lot of them are left-turn first. Keep in mind, you'd be waiting for them to turn no matter when the light would send them, it all depends on when you show up at the light.

Answer 3

You could use the old Boston technique of "Jug Handles" for making Left turns.. You exit your road to the right after the intersection and make a sharp right radius turn

WA-LA,.. you have effectively mad a left turn by making three rights.  A little like Interstates do it.

Takes more land though.

Answer 4

Because if the straight-ahead lanes went first, cars would load up in the turn pockets and eventually block the straight ahead lanes.

There are a few lights in our town that work backwards . . . the straight lanes go first.  

During rush hour in our berg the time left turn cars have to wait is increased to a long, long time.  Through traffic just keeps whizzing through.  I don't like waiting to turn into work, but I realize that I got to that turn lane quicker because I didn't have to wait at every signal.

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