# Turn right into right lane only, but left, pick a lane - Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791 "2011-06-17T03:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/21 "2011-06-17T21:44:51Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > But if you have multiple left turning cars across from each other, you’d be asking them to interleave as they make the turn. GAH! It would be a thing of beauty. Well, until it wasn’t… ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/22 "2011-06-18T00:51:27Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > If you allow opposing left turners and right turners to go at the same time then you’ll have all kinds of sideswiping happen. I used to suffer this paranoid thought, too. And then I lived in the Toronto suburbs for a year and had to use daily an intersection without a protected left where there was very, very heavy left turn (in my sense) and right turn (in the oncoming sense) activity in the same intersection. Everyone kept into their lane, and what what have been an impossible intersection in Michigan worked _splendidly_ here. It was [this intersection here](http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=43.495242,-79.679536&spn=0.002623,0.005069&t=h&z=18). ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/23 "2011-06-18T03:55:17Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I suppose it would be simpler, not sure what rationale is applied when coming up with these laws. I can tell you from my observation that it is very difficult to mandate driver behavior. It is hard enough to get most people stop when the light is red. If you allow opposing left turners and right turners to go at the same time then you’ll have all kinds of sideswiping happen. > > The thing that I don’t understand about the law as described by the OP is what if I’m turning right but have to make a left turn at the next light? How long do I have to wait before I can move to the left lane? A rather sane post. Perhaps our highways and needs are too complex for the legislators to micro manage. When I a setting at an intersection waiting for traffic to open up for me to make a turn, I can clearly see which lanes are open and wait until i can safely turn into the lane I need to be in. There are many short blocks where their isn’t room to safely make a lane change. Go around the block? I am already going around the block because of one way streets. With stop signs on both one way streets, When it is my turn to go, what difference does it make whether I go straight through, turn into the right lane, or into the left lane? I have the right of way until I clear the intersection. We have a one way street connecting where a pair of one way streets begin and end. Nearly everybody using that street wants to jog over a block and turn back in the direction they were going. I make a right, I want to go a block and turn left. Change lanes? That means crossing a double white line. Most people including me turn into the lane they should be in. Enough don’t that the lines wear off quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/24 "2011-06-18T04:17:30Z")
The reason is because the left-turners already have to yield to the right-turners. So why would they have to have their lane choice restricted? If they turn into the far lane and it interferes with a right-turner, then they’re guilty of failing to yield. if there are no right-turners, then no harm is done. What need is there for a second law? The right-turners, however, don’t have to yield. So they need a separate law that curbs that prerogative. They need to have their abilities restricted. Thus, the “right turners must take the right lane” law. In other words, imagine that two cars are turning onto the same road. Imagine there is no rule about lane choice. Can the right-turners turn into the center lane? Yes, because they have right-of-way. Can the left-turners turn into the far lane? No, they must yield. Well, this scenario isn’t safe the way it is, as the traffic is now unpredictable and collisions are likely, so they make a new law. They say “Hey, right-turners…you’re not allowed to just choose your lane anymore. Left-turners, keep doing what you’re doing.” So that’s why. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/25 "2011-06-18T04:31:14Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > The reason is because the left-turners already have to yield to the right-turners. So why would they have to have their lane choice restricted? If they turn into the far lane and it interferes with a right-turner, then they’re guilty of failing to yield. if there are no right-turners, then no harm is done. What need is there for a second law? > > The right-turners, however, don’t have to yield. So they need a separate law that curbs that prerogative. They need to have their abilities restricted. Thus, the “right turners must take the right lane” law. > > In other words, imagine that two cars are turning onto the same road. Imagine there is no rule about lane choice. Can the right-turners turn into the center lane? Yes, because they have right-of-way. Can the left-turners turn into the far lane? No, they must yield. Well, this scenario isn’t safe the way it is, as the traffic is now unpredictable and collisions are likely, so they make a new law. They say “Hey, right-turners…you’re not allowed to just choose your lane anymore. Left-turners, keep doing what you’re doing.” > > So that’s why. That’s along the lines of what I was thinking, except that if the lefties must yield to righties, then in theory, all lanes will be available to the righties while the lefties sit in wait, yielding. Once the righties make all their rights into whatever lanes they please, then the lefties may proceed into whatever lanes they please. I guess I’m not seeing the conflict between rights of way. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/26 "2011-06-19T05:11:45Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > That’s along the lines of what I was thinking, except that if the lefties must yield to righties, then in theory, all lanes will be available to the righties while the lefties sit in wait, yielding. Once the righties make all their rights into whatever lanes they please, then the lefties may proceed into whatever lanes they please. > > I guess I’m not seeing the conflict between rights of way. Yes, I learned to drive in California, so the left turn rule seems natural to me, and when I think about it more deeply, it’s as you described: I don’t worry about a conflict with a car turning right because I have to yield to such a car anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/27 "2011-06-19T07:05:07Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > Well, it doesn’t make sense to me. It is one of the worst features of our usually rational traffic laws. Consider the person making a right on red (or even green), it creates a conflict with the opposing left hand turner and is dangerous. Many times I have been making a right on green almost to collide with a left hand turner who wants to grab the right lane. Never mind that the dumbass should be yielding the right of way to all opposing traffic. Of course, being close to Glendale, idiotic aggressive drivers are the norm around here. > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > The reason is because the left-turners already have to yield to the right-turners. So why would they have to have their lane choice restricted? If they turn into the far lane and it interferes with a right-turner, then they’re guilty of failing to yield. if there are no right-turners, then no harm is done. What need is there for a second law? > > The right-turners, however, don’t have to yield. There’s a point missing here. When the left turn has a green arrow and the right turn has a red light, the right turn is supposed to yield to the left turners. However, if the left turner has a green ball, and the right turner has a green light, then the left turner has to yield to the oncoming traffic, i.e. right turner. Now if the left turner has a green ball and the right turner has a red light, then technically left turner has right of way (he’s following the signal light). If the right turner turns right on red, he should only do so if the left turner is clearly in a different lane. Otherwise, he is at fault for the accident. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/28 "2011-06-19T12:11:57Z")
Good point. This is part of my post about it being too complex for our legislators to micromanage. If the right turner has the right of way, why should their choice of lane be restricted? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791/29 "2011-06-19T12:13:37Z")
I do find that allowance useful. When a country road crosses a high speed multi lane road and you will accelerate slowly due to uphill situation. Depending on traffic conditions it is helpful to chose a lane that will have the least effect on the flow of traffic. It’s sometimes good to get into the right lane (slow lane), but not always practical as other cars may be using it, so a choice of the left lane may be better till you can get up to speed or merge right. It’s also useful when making a turn shortly after making the left turn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turn-right-into-right-lane-only-but-left-pick-a-lane-why/585791.md?page=1)