Left Turns

[Stephen Tashiro]

I'm curious how state laws vary governing left turns into multi-lane roads. If there is only one left turn lane, I try to left turn from it into the nearest available lane Some people swing over into the far lane(s) when they make a left turn.

I admit that there some situations where thiat makes sense - for example, if you need to make a right turn just after your left turn. However, given that approaching traffic at an intersection may have the right-turn-on-red-after-stop option, it seems safer not to turn into the farthest lane. Some rather interesting situations arise when a line of cars in a left turn lane each decides to swing out into one of middle lanes on a turn and then change lanes again after turning.

[Curt Fuller]

:eek::eek::eek: You mean there are laws regarding making a left turn?

The way I've always understood it, if you're turning left at an intersection where both directions have a green light, the vehicle turning left yields to the vehicles coming from the other direction and to any vehicles coming from that direction that may be turning right. If there is a left turn arrow basically anyone turning left has the right of way because everyone else has a red light. Regardless if you're allowed to turn right on a red light, you still yield to the vehicle that has a green light. When multiple lanes are involved I've always understood you can turn into the inside, center, or outside lanes as long as they are clear, which means if a car is turning right from the other direction, that lane isn't clear. I'm a professional driver (meaning I drive for a living, not necessarily that I drive professionally all the time) and the one thing I can say for 40 years of doing it is that you can never assume that it's safe to exercise your right of way. As a truck driver I will say that when I turn left I usually try to turn into the lane I intend to continue driving in when possible. The reason is that I'm almost always moving slower than the rest of the traffic and I'll quickly be surrounded by other vehicles and that makes it difficult to make a couple lane changes to get where I need to be. It's much easier (and safer) to do it while I have the red light holding off the onslaught of cars.

[Ole Anderson]

My son told me that when he took drivers ed (20 years ago), they told him that on a left turn into a multi-lane road, you should turn into the left lane in case oncoming traffic decides to turn right even if you are turning on a green arrow and they are stopped. Personally, I turn into the right lane (on a green arrow after making sure no one is trying to turn into the same lane) just because I dislike drivers that drive in the left lane for no reason. But that is just me protesting after observing the preponderance of folks that just like to hang in the passing lane at any speed. (Hijack). Of course, if 2 lanes are turning left, I stay in my proper turn lane.

[Mike Henderson]

Here in CA, if I recall the law correctly, when turning left onto a multi-lane highway from a single turn lane at a light with a left arrow, you can turn into any lane you want. Because of the light, there will not be any oncoming traffic.

When turning left onto a multi-lane highway from a multi-lane left turn lane at a light with a left arrow, the cars in the left hand turn lane are required to turn onto the left hand lane of the multi-lane highway. So if the turn lane has two lanes and the multi-lane highway has three lanes, the person in the left hand turn lane is limited to turning onto the left lane of the mulit-lane highway. The person in the right lane of the turn lane can turn onto the middle lane or the right hand lane of the mulit-lane highway.

If someone was making a right turn on red that would conflict with the cars turning left, that car is required to not make the turn. Right turn on red is a yield turn and the people making the left turn on an arrow have the right-of-way.

Mike

[Myk Rian]

You turn into the left lane. But people are going to drive like idiots anyway, and do what they want.

[Brian Cosgrove]

New York State law is that when turning left from a single left turn onto a multi lane road, you turn into the lane closest to the center of roadway (in this case left lane)

[Steve Meliza]

Oregon law is that you must turn into the nearest lane. Few people follow the law so it gets forgotten and even made the local news recently when they told a story about a police officer that will ticket you for not turning into the near lane. I follow the law as best I can and if I need over I signal and move over the moment I've reached the left lane, but with one eye on my rear view mirror for people that may be swinging wide into the right lane. Should I ever clip a car while moving right I'll be sure to get the PD on the scene so the other driver can explain to the officer just how it is that they got into the right lane ahead of me, though I always try to avoid an accident even if I do have the right of way.

The latest left turn traffic innovation around here is that some left turn signals may flash yellow which means you can make your left turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, but people enter the intersection as if they have a green light then don't do a very good job of yielding when they do make their left turn.

[Jim Rimmer]

Regardless of the law, I turn into the left lane when I'm turning left. When I'm turning right on red, I wait for the left turners to clear. They may be required to turn into the left lane but I'm not going to bet my fender that they will.

[David Helm]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned in this thread, and would make those who turn into the outside lanes wrong, is that it is generally illegal to change lanes in an intersection.

[glenn bradley]

Here in CA, if I recall the law correctly, when turning left onto a multi-lane highway from a single turn lane at a light with a left arrow, you can turn into any lane you want.

Having just completed traffic school awhile back :o I can verify that for California, this is correct.

[Ole Anderson]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned in this thread, and would make those who turn into the outside lanes wrong, is that it is generally illegal to change lanes in an intersection.

Agreed, if multiple lanes are turning, but if one lane turns onto a multi lane road, who is to say which is "your" lane. In MI, only multiple lanes turning are generally striped through the turn, and then, yes, you need to stay in your lane.