My mom only had to say it once, and it became a family legend. “I don’t make left turns.”
I’m not sure she ever meant it literally. It was more of, “I’m not comfortable making left turns and avoid them.” Still, that one line has taken on a life of its own over the last few years.
That’s why I thought of my mom this morning when I saw an article about UPS.
the parcel carrier has technology in its systems that help map this out routes that minimize the number of left turns the driver has to make. According to spokesperson Steve Holmes, avoiding left turns at intersections reduces idling which in turn lowers fuel consumption. “It seems small, but when you multiply it across 88,0000 vehicles making nearly 15 million deliveries every day during the course of a year, it adds up.”
It’s to save fuel primarily. Avoiding conflict with oncoming traffic is the secondary benefit.
If UPS made this software available, there are a lot of retirees in South Florida who’d gladly use it.