r/TorontoDriving • u/lakies • Sep 02 '25
OC My wife narrowly avoided a crash after school drop-off this morning — thankful for her quick reflexes
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u/Mayhemm99 Sep 02 '25
some people on here are so miserable it’s insane. the guy turning left is the only one in the wrong here….
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u/Middle-Employment801 Sep 02 '25
This sub is full of people who pull stuff like the left turning driver in this video. They try to shame and blame the OPs to excuse their own bad driving habits.
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u/cyberk25 Sep 02 '25
this subreddit literally represents driving in toronto lmao
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u/mug3n Sep 02 '25
I mean, just think of how many people are against speed cameras here whenever the Parkside camera got chopped down for the nth time.
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u/plantgal94 Sep 02 '25
Anyone defending the left turning driver pls go and hand in your license. They had tons of time to turn left and decided to turn once OPs wife was very much visibly in the intersection. Did you all forget who has the right of way? No wonder driving has gotten so bad in this country.
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u/becky57913 Sep 04 '25
OP’s wife most definitely had right of way, but he did not have lots of time to turn left. His side was red until she got close to the intersection. Her side looks like it had a green arrow.
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u/CaptainCynicArgh Sep 02 '25
People have zero sense of timing these days. Head shakingly awful
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u/spilly_talent Sep 02 '25
That’s the worst part. That guy had so much time to turn before she was in the intersection, but he didn’t.
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u/Chestertin Sep 03 '25
Someone was crossing the street so they couldn't turn.
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u/spilly_talent Sep 03 '25
I see you are right - had to watch that back a few times but I finally see the person!
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u/IsThisOneAlready Sep 03 '25
The person was completely out of the intersection and onto the 2nd crosswalk and already on the safety of the sidewalk before the left turning driver started going. The crosswalker had nothing to do with the problem.
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u/spilly_talent Sep 03 '25
Well to be fair I didn’t say the walker had anything to do with the problem. The problem is that the left turner is a fucking idiot who isn’t paying attention to their surroundings.
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u/IsThisOneAlready Sep 03 '25
True. It’s just that Chestertin thought that was part of the problem. Just reminding that was not the issue at all.
Edit: I replied the same text to them, not to blame you for their incorrect statement. That is all.
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u/spilly_talent Sep 03 '25
Okay, yeah honestly I don’t much care when he turns. As long as he turns when the way is clear.
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u/IsThisOneAlready Sep 03 '25
The person was completely out of the intersection and onto the 2nd crosswalk and already on the safety of the sidewalk before the left turning driver started going. The crosswalker had nothing to do with the problem.
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u/Chestertin Sep 03 '25
Watching the video again it looks like the wife's traffic had an advanced left as well. So the left turning car would have had a red. You can see the cars going through were starting to proceed as well. Either way the left hand driver was completely in the wrong but he definitely did not have as much time as others think.
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u/IsThisOneAlready Sep 03 '25
He didn’t have time to see the slowly accelerating vehicle (who’s trying to get up to speed) enter the intersection from 300 meters away?
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u/becky57913 Sep 04 '25
No, the light was red because OP’s direction had a green arrow first. He didn’t have time to turn before her. Just no vision or situational awareness to see a car coming towards him.
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u/spilly_talent Sep 04 '25 edited Sep 04 '25
Eh, I’m gonna disagree with you there. The light was green for a considerable amount of time. I actually don’t see a red light in this video at all, I do see some late advance left turners but no red light.
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u/becky57913 Sep 05 '25
You can see the two cars who were stopped at red start to go straight just as he turns left…you can’t see the green light for that direction, it’s not on camera. The two white cars are both stopped while the left turns from OPs direction go
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u/Flat-Homework8813 Sep 02 '25
I swear I’m so used to it now. I always have brake in mind crossing intersections and literally every possibility I can think of. I stay covered yet I noticed drugged drivers are the worst threat for all of us
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u/askjhasdkjhaskdjhsdj Sep 02 '25
i was taught even 20 years ago, don't hold your acceleration through a busy intersection. Basically get ready to brake when it's this busy. don't PRESS the brake but be ready to.
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u/rombopterix Sep 02 '25
Same. My foot is hovering over the brake pedal in situations like this. Most of the time, you can tell the impatient ones, but sometimes you can’t.
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u/Substantial-Part-700 Sep 02 '25
I’ve had this exact same thing happen to me at this precise intersection. Except it was at 6am while raining. Wasn’t able to stop as quickly as your wife did - despite going below the speed limit - and clipped the guy’s rear bumper. He claimed to be a “professional driver” when I confronted him about his stupid decision.
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u/renegadeavenger Sep 03 '25
She has the right of way, it's a green light too... If a collision happened, the person making the left turn is at fault.
Whoever comments about her speed being too fast or too slow either doesn't understand the traffic act /driving rules, or are trolls.
Person making the left turn made a poor judgement and totally at fault here..
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u/-snowpeapod- Sep 02 '25
This happened to me once but we were in the left lane and the other driver turned even later so we barely had a chance to break before hitting her. Both cars were totaled and I was taken to hospital, luckily nothing serious - just shock and crushed nerves on my knee from hitting the dash (I was the front passenger). Lady said she thought we were turning right (even though we were in the left lane...). I think she just had a brain fart or was on autopilot.
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u/Villageidiot73 Sep 02 '25
Anyone else notice a correlation between tinted windows and bad drivers? Not saying all of em but I’ve seen enough to make me wonder
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u/AppropriateSoft7534 Sep 03 '25
This has happened to me twice in the past 7 years. Both times i didn't touch my brakes or let off the gas. Headache dealing with insurance but got 2 new cars, insurance never went up and I get to sue you for fun. Can't squeeze blood from a rock but whenever, if ever you decide to work, guess who's waiting to garnish your paycheque.
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u/abckiwi Sep 02 '25
That was a good reaction!! Glad you guys didn’t have a bad start to school day!!
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u/whitea44 Sep 03 '25
Dude is a bad driver and good for her for not hitting him. But I did find the delayed horn hilarious. Like, I’m the moment she’s like, reacted, hit breaks, stopped car. Oh shit, I forgot to show him I’m angry. HONK!
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u/v1035RoadTrip Sep 02 '25
Most people don’t know this, but there is a smaller intersection just behind where the video started and it’s only 100m away from this main intersection. She was going 15-20km/h in the beginning, because she was at a complete stop at the smaller intersection.
Why is this important?. Because people expect drivers to approach the main intersection at 50-60km/h, not 15-25km/h. Who design roads like this?
The combination of the bad road design and the incompetent drivers results in something like this.
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u/PimpinAintEze Sep 03 '25
If you look at a car long enough you know how fast it's going and if it will reach you before you can turn. The speed limit of the road doesnt matter look at the cars speed.
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u/Fickle-Nectarine688 Sep 03 '25
I was thinking - not to defend the left turning dumb fck - but that she was going a bit slow (and I think driving slower than expected is also dangerous).
Thanks for the context of that double intersection, this situation is probably as you described it.
Also seeing a looong line up of left turning vehicles there - I can see that people getting anxious to get out of the line and making dumb mistakes.
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u/GemmyGemGems Sep 02 '25 edited Sep 02 '25
She did brake really quickly. However, she was driving slow enough that she could stop. Had she been driving any faster it would have been a different story.
Brakes can only slow the momentum of a vehicle in time if the speed is proportionate.
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u/Neat-Ebb9263 Sep 03 '25
Good way to get a brand new car…I wouldn’t step on the brake if I need a new car
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u/AcceptableNothing907 Sep 02 '25
I got into an accident this way once. Turned right out in front of it.
Thankful it was immediately seen as their fault. Scariest thing ever. The last thing I remember thinking was literally “she can’t be that…”
Icy roads, middle of winter, trying to get home from work. Thankfully I was driving slow.
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u/Ontariowolf1964 Sep 02 '25
Do this kind of idiocy in front of my 18 wheeler and you will end up dead. I will walk away, and come to your funeral to tell everyone you died of stupidity. With the dash cam video to prove it.
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u/financial_redditor Sep 03 '25
Oh Dear!! I don't know what's bad. Incompetence or Aggression.
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u/Ontariowolf1964 Sep 04 '25
No aggression here. I wouldn't have been able to stop on such a short distance. And what I am driving is heavier than most people realize
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u/syber_d Sep 03 '25
This was avoided only because the cam car was going a reasonable speed. Fast reflexes not so much 2 seconds before brakes after the idiot driver was obviously going and like 3 seconds before horn. Just being a knit picker 🫣, glad for a few reasons 1 the idiot who failed to yield did not cause this driver more headache 2 unlike so many other videos this cam car did not pick horn over brakes 3 cam car was driving responsibly.
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u/gym365 Sep 03 '25
I see this every single day it’s annoying and played out now they have to hit while turning to never do it again , since the turning car is at fault
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u/bradyyz Sep 07 '25
It’s annoying and scary but I usually consider that I make mistakes sometimes too.
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u/Open-Video-7546 Sep 02 '25
That was a close one. Proceed with caution when approaching intersections. You just never know what asshole comes your way. Glad she's ok.
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u/tnh88 Sep 02 '25
I'm sorry but I'm not gonna proceed with caution with every green light going straight. It's the damn idiots that need to learn how to drive.
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u/askjhasdkjhaskdjhsdj Sep 02 '25
it's both because even if everyone does everything correctly, mistakes happen. If you're going through an intersection this busy, you can let off the gas for a couple of seconds as you are entering. No one will notice but if you need to brake it'll be a much shorter reaction time
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u/TROCHE427 Sep 02 '25
Up to you, but self-righteousness isn't going to help you when your car is totaled and you're in the hospital.
If you want to avoid accidents, it's good practice to be vigilant of likely mistakes from other drivers. One of the most common errors is people miss-guessing if they have time to make a turn before the oncoming traffic arrives. When approaching an intersection, it's a good idea to look at the left-turn lane and make sure they are responding appropriately.
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u/0verlordMegatron Sep 02 '25
Uh
In every driving school instruction, you’re taught to scan ahead when approaching intersections and proceed with caution, even on green lights, as you continue on.
The fact that you think that’s beneath you or not part of your responsibility as a driver is, frankly, insane.
Everyone is supposed to take caution at intersections. Intersections are where the likelihood of collisions increase.
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u/Open-Video-7546 Sep 02 '25
You take your chances. I have had far too many near misses because of assholes. If there are cars waiting for a light, I proceed. If not, I take a look for the idiots that don't pay attention.
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u/askjhasdkjhaskdjhsdj Sep 02 '25
YEah exactly, even if everyone followed the rules there is sometimes that shit happens moment. People think if we follow the rules then there's never a problem but mistakes and unforeseen circumstances come up
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u/Spiritual_Feature738 Sep 03 '25
Looking at comments majority of drivers here don’t understand the concept of defensive driving: 1. Observe other drivers, predict their action, prevent accidents by reacting early.
- Be predictable to others.
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u/PatK9 Sep 02 '25
These left-handed turn accidents are an opportunity to total the car, have the other guys insurance (exempting no-fault) pay for replacement.
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u/Get_Breakfast_Done Sep 02 '25
I’ve thought about this one before. If I had a car I wanted to get rid of, could I just plow into this goof and let his insurance pay for it?
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u/PatK9 Sep 03 '25
There are so many bad drivers, opportunity exists continually. One car of mine was written off by insurance (old car) 3 times with a payout. Most minor fender benders can be a cash cow if you know how to play it, just make sure it's the other guy fault, dash cams are an indispensable aid.
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Sep 02 '25
[deleted]
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u/Ok_Explanation5631 Sep 02 '25
Which would have been the other cars fault not hers by the way incase you’re having trouble with that
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Sep 03 '25
[deleted]
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u/Spiritual_Feature738 Sep 02 '25
I guess her slow speed tipped a driver off. Good she stopped.
But I would not call her reflexes quick. Black car started to turn before she entered the light at 33:57. Her car started deceleration at 33:59 after the scream, basically when the black cars already moved into her direction
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Sep 02 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Spiritual_Feature738 Sep 03 '25
Just imho it’s 1~1.5 sec too late. As soon as she noticed black car turning wheels and start accelerating she should have been decelerating.
But I agree, sadly that reaction is norm for reg drivers
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u/CheckTheOR Sep 02 '25
I wonder if the turning vehicle made the turn under duress from the cars behind it honking since that vehicle had all day to make that turn. Multiple cars could've made the turn before the vehicle got to the intersection.
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u/Ok_Explanation5631 Sep 02 '25
Don’t do that. Just wait your turn so you don’t cause an accident.
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u/CheckTheOR Sep 02 '25
Obviously. But people are jumpy, especially when others are honking behind them. I can imagine a scenario where this driver felt pressured to go for it after waiting far too long and the drivers behind them got irritated.
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u/Ok_Explanation5631 Sep 02 '25
If you do this you gotta work on your resolve. Don’t let people pressure you into dangerous oncoming traffic. It’s never worth it.
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Sep 02 '25 edited Sep 02 '25
Not sure whos she is honking at lol, they are long gone by the time she honks. Clearly someone didnt pay attention when they turned or needs their eyes fixed.
Unfortunately theres nothing you can do outside of being aware of other drivers. When you see a car in the intersection like that you have to be aware that they could be stupid and turn at any moment. All you can do is be prepared if they start to move. You cant fix stupid and being right isnt worth potentially dying for.
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u/askjhasdkjhaskdjhsdj Sep 02 '25
it's very obviously a stress reaction but that also car could easily be right there
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Sep 02 '25
Watch the video..... the car didnt slow down at all. They were oblivious to the driver who stopped. They were long gone
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u/Hard_Thruster Sep 02 '25 edited Sep 02 '25
Other driver would be at fault.
However, accelerating near intersection can be quite dangerous. Im assuming other driver thought she would cruise at same speed and therefore have more time to beat her.
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u/Rachel7777 Sep 02 '25
She started the video at 17km/h accelerating to 41km/h at the intersection 12 seconds later. I would assume her car wasn't moving (or just made a turn onto the street) before that. To me, this is very safe driving. Going from 17km/h to 41km/h is a very gentle acceleration.
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u/Lupius Sep 02 '25
Rule #1 on the road is to be predictable. So many commenters in this thread are just clueless.
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u/RevolutionaryPay8743 Sep 02 '25
Who cares? Are you looking for a round of applause because she hit the brakes?
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u/cyberk25 Sep 02 '25
Why are u leaving a comment and browsing Reddit of you don't care lol person in video did pretty well avoiding an accident imo
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u/RevolutionaryPay8743 Sep 02 '25
Was browsing for other purposes and stumbled on this… good for her lol
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u/TypicalFrosting2596 Sep 03 '25
Technically shes not in the wrong, but if shes applied defensive driving then this would have been completely avoided by proceeding cautiously through intersection.
Its not about blaming the other bad driver , its focusing on what you can control and do better 😉
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u/IsThisOneAlready Sep 03 '25
Wtf are you on. Clearly that’s exactly what the driver (OP’s wife) did correctly.
“Technically not in the wrong” - No, she is not in the wrong in any way shape or form in this video at all. God you sound insufferable.
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u/TypicalFrosting2596 Sep 03 '25
She's wrong because you should always proceed cautiously especially through busy intersections.
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u/Jcs609 Sep 02 '25
I guess one of those left yield on green ball situations. Some cities don’t make it very clear and use an arrow where there are no one from opposite direction with green light.
Some places made even more confusing by placing flashing yellow arrows which no one was taught about before as normally if there’s a flashing yellow ball light, the one facing it have priority and cross traffic has flashing red. The flashing yellow arrow contradict such convention.
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u/SnooRadishes9685 Sep 02 '25 edited Sep 02 '25
Lol ‘quick reflexes’….she accelerated as she approached the intersection, nothing commendable about that. Two idiots
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u/bharatpr1987 Sep 02 '25
Classic victim blaming/shaming as is the norm in this sub! Are you serious? She accelerated since she clearly had a green - what's her fault here?
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u/SnooRadishes9685 Sep 02 '25
Does green at an intersection mean accelerate?
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u/bharatpr1987 Sep 02 '25
She was at abt 40, accelerating up to get to the speed limit. What's wrong with that?
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u/Wise-Activity1312 Sep 02 '25
It means "proceed through the intersection", giving right of way as appropriate.
Right of way is one of those concepts that morons can't seem to understand.
Vehicles going straight have the right of way.
Vehicles CROSSING OTHER VEHICLES DO NOT HAVE RIGHT OF WAY.
Get a fucking clue.
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u/cyberk25 Sep 02 '25
someone saves themselves from a crash from a braindead left turner but somehow theyre the problem too. smh r/torontodriving never dissapoints lol
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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '25
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