LEFT TURN at an intersection?

[sampson]

I was recently at an intersection to turn left. The light was green when I approached the light. I slowly moved into the intersection to prepare to turn. While in the intersection the light turned yellow. The two lanes of traffic the right came to a complete stop and the second was further back. By this time the light turned red. I proceeded to complete the turn to get out of the way of the cross traffic. This light does not stay green for the cross traffic more that 3 seconds.
As I proceeded to turn the girl in the left lane of oncoming traffic decided to speed up to beat the light. I was more than 75% into the turn when she struck the rear-end of my vehicle.
After I got out of the vehicle two witnesses instructed the officer it was not my fault, but some how I was the one who ended up with the traffic ticket for failure to yeild. The young girl who hit me that admitted she was speeding, and ran the red light received nothing.
I wanted to find out if any one know the laws for Tennessee for making left turns.

[dallen47]

Why the girl who hit you was not ticketed, I can not explain. However, the law regarding left turns in TN is that you are to stay back in the turn lane (behind the white line) until the traffic is clear for you to make the turn. You are not suppose to pull into the intersection to wait for it to clear.

EDIT -- Same rule applies whether there is a turn signal, plain green signal, or no light at all. You are to stay out of the intersection until it is clear to make the turn. Sorry.