Let’s say I’m turning right from a one lane road onto a two lane road. There is an opposition across the two lane from me, where a one lane is turning left onto a two lane from a one lane road. The green light comes on for either side. Am I not entitled to turn into either of the two lanes, as I am turning right? Do the cars turning left have right of way to turn into the left lane, without yielding, and without the arrow?
I don’t know whether there are different rules in different places, but where I live, the person turning right must use the right lane on the two-lane road, the person turning left must use the left lane, and both can therefore go immediately. (Either or both may change lanes afterwards, when it’s safe to do so.)
When I learned to drive (in California), the person turning right was required to turn into the right lane. The person turning left could use either lane, but had to yield to the car turning right unless the person turning left turned into the left lane. In West Seattle there is an intersection that goes from two left-turn lanes to a three-lane street. The person in the leftmost lane must remain in the leftmost lane, while the person in the right left-turn lane may choose either the middle or rightmost lane.
I could have sworn we had a thread about this sort of thing not too long ago, but I haven’t been able to find it.
I agree with DavidwithanR. This is going to be determined by state laws, so it may vary from place to place, but at least in Illinois (my state), the Rules of the Road state (p. 30):
“When making a right turn, a driver should … Turn into the right-hand lane of the roadway the driver is entering.”
This has been a question here before. I’m surprised it’s not clear. You should stay in your own lane when you can (I’ll give trucks and people towing trailers a pass), and then signal to change into another lane when clear. This is just common sense and predictable driving.
Here in Connecticut, the law is that right-turners use the rightmost lane on both roads, but left-turners can technically take any the lane they want (so long as they come from the lane closest to the center):
There’s also a proviso that state & local authorities can place signs overriding these restrictions; so a posted sign indicating that there are (say) two right turn lanes could override this law. But the default is as I stated up top.
Ah, here’s the thread I was remembering: When turning, which lane are you supposed to turn into?
Same for Ontario: you must always hold the lane you start the turn in through the entire turn, if not you’re committing an illegal lane change.
Right turn from curb lane goes to curb lane. Right turn from second lane (usually in big intersections only) goes into second lane. Left lane goes to furthest left lane and if two left turning lanes, same thing, you hold your lane.
In Toronto, many of the intersections now have the lanes marked right through the intersection because driver are such idiots and don’t get this basic concept. They drift across multiple lanes when they turn. It’s a very dangerous practice
NH has the same wording. So…does “as practical” really mean only the right-most lane? If you’re going to turn left shortly, it’s not really more practical to turn right into the right-most lane and then switch lanes if you yield to both lanes before making the turn. I know I’ve never seen anyone busted for turning right into the left-most lane, and I see people do it nearly daily on the way to work. I mean, I don’t do it because my next turn is the immediate right after that, but it seems like rapidly switching lanes is more dangerous…
VA law:
§ 46.2-846. Required position and method of turning at intersections; local regulations.
A. Except where turning is prohibited, a driver intending to turn at an intersection or other location on any highway shall execute the turn as provided in this section.
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Right turns: Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway.
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Left turns on two-way roadways: At any intersection where traffic is permitted to move in both directions on each roadway entering the intersection, an approach for a left turn shall be made from the right half of the roadway and as close as possible to the roadway’s center line, passing to the right of the center line where it enters the intersection. After entering the intersection, the left turn shall be made so as to leave the intersection to the right of the center line of the roadway being entered. Whenever practicable, the left turn shall be made to the left of the center of the intersection.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-846
So if you are driving a truck with a terrible turning radius, “as close to practical” might mean you use both lanes.
The law in Washington State from my recollection is that you turn into the closest lane. If you’re turning right, you must turn into the right-most lane. If you’re turning left, you must turn into the left-most lane.
That’s most efficient because it lets right turners (Washington has free rights) and left turners to simultaneously turn onto the same road.
Nobody seems to follow that law, and I’ve never seen a cop enforce it. But there you go.
It still happens but you’ld be crazy to try it without eye contact and even then most people seem to still try and leave a few feet of room in case one of the drivers is an idiot.
I see it the most with unprotected left turns against a single lane that’s a mix of people going straight and turning right.
While cops rarely, if ever, will pull somebody over simply for turning into the wrong lane, they often use it as a basis to pull somebody over if they also suspect that the person is doing other illegal things (such as possessing drugs).
For example, a police arrest might occur after cops watch the driver engage another person in a parking lot under suspicious circumstances. Once the driver leaves, an unmarked car might follow them until they make the mundane error of turning into the wrong lane, then they pull them over and begin their criminal investigation, having been justified in stopping them due to the mundane traffic infraction cops “never” enforce.
As I learned in NY, Right turn right lane, left turn any lane. Left turner could turn into the left lane at the same time as a right turner into the right lane, or yield for the right lane if they desired that lane.