Driving & Driving Test Tips: Car accadent.., northbound direction, pavement markings

Question
My wife was in a fender bender yesterday where she turned right to go northbound on a green light, and an idiot from across in the left turn lane turned on a blinking red and smashed into her. He agrees he turned on a blinking red when she had green, but claims he thought since there were 2 northbound lanes (though the right one ended shortly) that it was her fault for turning wide to the inside lane, rather than turning into the ending lane and letting him turn into the inside one. There are no pavement markings or signs which designate this, and again, he had blinking red, and she had green.


Answer
If there are no markings designating that there are two lanes in the northbound direction, then the left turning vehicle was at fault for failing to yield the right of way to your wife's vehicle.

If there are markings designating two lanes in the northbound direction, even if they end shortly after the intersection, then by CA law a right turning vehicle must turn from the lane closest to the right edge of the roadway into the lane also closest to the right edge of the roaddway upon completion of her turn.  Therefore, if the collision took place in the lane closest to the middle of the road, your wife would be at fault.