How to calculate turning direction

Question

I have a three lat-lon coordinates that make up two line segment A to B to C. I also found a function that can return north-bearing of a line segment A-B or B-C in -180 to 180 manner. However, I'm having trouble to determine when a car reaches from A to B, should it turn right or left to continue to C.

Answer 1

Edited to fix the over 180 issue, also now supports U-Turns.

const int THRESHOLD = 0;
Direction TurnLeftOrRight(Point A, Point B, Point C)
{
    int angle = ToAngle(B,C) - ToAngle(A,B);
    if((angle > THRESHOLD && angle < 180 - THREASHOLD) || angle < -180 - THREASHOLD)
        return Direction.Right;
    else if ((angle < 0 - THREASHOLD && angle > -180 + THREASHOLD) || angle > 180 + THREASHOLD)
        return Direction.Left;
    else if (angle >= 0 - THREASHOLD && angle <= THREASHOLD)
        return Direction.Straight
    else
        return Direction.UTurn;
}

You could also do tolerances between left right and strait just change the first angle > 0 to angle > 45 and the second one to angle < -45

Answer 2

EDIT: Previous answer was wrong. now this is the correct

public Direction GetDirection(Point a, Point b, Point c)
{
    double theta1 = GetAngle(a, b); 
    double theta2 = GetAngle(b, c);
    double delta = NormalizeAngle(theta2 - theta1);

    if ( delta == 0 )
        return Direction.Straight;
    else if ( delta == Math.PI )
        return Direction.Backwards;
    else if ( delta < Math.PI )
        return Direction.Left;
    else return Direction.Right;
}

private Double GetAngle(Point p1, Point p2)
{
    Double angleFromXAxis = Math.Atan ((p2.Y - p1.Y ) / (p2.X - p1.X ) ); // where y = m * x + K
    return  p2.X - p1.X < 0 ? m + Math.PI : m ); // The will go to the correct Quadrant
}

private Double NormalizeAngle(Double angle)
{
    return angle < 0 ? angle + 2 * Math.PI : angle; //This will make sure angle is [0..2PI]
}

Answer 3

If AB is the bearing of B from A, and BC that of C from B, the turn angle is remainder( BC-AB, 360.0); (assuming degrees). If this is positive the turn is to the right. In your example remainder( BC-AB, 360.0) is remainder(271,360) = -89.