# When turning, which lane are you supposed to turn into? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900 "2018-02-15T22:10:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/41 "2018-02-16T17:14:49Z")
OP, on a standard left turn, I was trained to turn into the leftmost lane going in my direction. On a right turn, I should turn onto the rightmost lane going in my direction. Then, if it’s safe to do after I’ve gotten into my lane, I can change lanes. This is not actually required in my state and I am permitted to turn into any lane that is available to me. It’s still a good idea because it reduces potential lane conflicts to a minimum. > [@begbert2](#): > > I freely concede that I won’t turn right while people coming from the other direction are turning left, specifically because I don’t trust them to turn into their nearest lane (or stay there for any length of time). If you are both at a green light, the person turning left should wait for you because you while turning right have the right of way. If they aren’t yielding to you, assume they are a terrible driver and drive accordingly. > [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Turn in to the nearest lane. This allows a person to be turning left, and another approaching the opposite direction to turn right, on to the same road with two lanes in the same direction. > > Unfortunately, stupid assholes look at me like I’M the idiot if I get in their way while they turn in to the wrong lane. I’m not sure what you’re doing here but you shouldn’t assume that a person making a right turn across from you while you make a left turn is going to stay in their lane. You should be yielding to them. In fact, it’s a bad idea to assume that a person signaling or in a right turn only lane is turning at all. Also, as I noted above, in my state, I can turn into any lane I want heading in the direction I’m going. If you are turning left in front of me and assuming I will stay in the rightmost lane, in my state, you are the asshole and you could be liable for the collision that results. > [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Does this apply in every situation? Texas has a bunch of sprawling car-centric cities, so I’m sure there are intersections with multiple turn lanes. If there are two left turn lanes, and two lanes to turn into, you’ll run into the person in the other lane if you don’t turn into “your” lane. No, it obviously doesn’t apply to that situation. Most parallel multiple turn lanes are conveniently marked with dashed lines leading you through the intersection to the lane you belong in them. Use some common sense. > [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Kind of a tangent but kind of not: is it common in other parts of the nation to have more than one turning lane? It sure is in the DC area. I don’t know the official law, but the general rule that I and other people seem to follow is this: > > - If you’re turning left from the left-most turning lane, you need to turn into the left-most lane so that you don’t cut off/run into the person next to you, who is also turning left. This seems painfully obvious to me. For what it’s worth, it’s also supported by the Maryland driver’s manual. You are supposed to stay in your lane and there should be lane markings through the intersection to show where traffic is supposed to go while turning. I assume people who don’t do this are careless and/or inattentive rather than ignorant. I am aware of one intersection in Maryland with parallel left turning lanes and no mid-intersection lane markings. It’s a weird intersection where, depending on the time of day, the number of left turning lanes can be two or three and the number of lanes traveling in the opposite direction can also change from between two and four. At this intersection, any painted lane markings would have to be repainted twice per day to be accurate. Even without lane markings, the guidance to stay in your lane unless it is safe to change lanes should still hold. Shockingly, the intersection seems to work without lane markings because most people are familiar with the intersection and understand what they are supposed to do. The obvious problem is that if a person is unfamiliar with the intersection, how they are going to respond could be a crapshoot. > [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > - If you’re turning left from the 2nd turning lane (as in, the rightmost left-turning lane – I don’t know how to say this without making it sound confusing), then you ought to turn into the center lane, but if no cars are coming from the other direction, nobody really minds if you turn into a lane further right. You should never turn into the left-most lane from this spot, because you will cut off the person to your left. Correct if the “center lane” you are heading to is the second-most through lane on that street. Again, the lane markings through the intersection should show you what to do. > [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > - If you turn right from the right-most right turning lane, you should turn into the right-most lane. Correct. > [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > - If you turn right from the 2nd turning lane, then the traffic rule is that you cannot make a right turn on red. Since there’s a green light for you, there will be no cars coming from the other direction, so you can turn into any lane \*except \*for the rightmost lane, since people coming to your right will be using that lane. This turn is perfectly legal in Maryland. In theory, as my driving instructor suggested, you should still make a right turn into the second lane from the right. You are correct that you should theoretically be safe making a near-instantaneous lane change into that left lane because there shouldn’t be any cars there. Check your mirror anyway just to be sure. > [@wonky](#): > > The one place I regularly make left turns from the non-leftmost lane, I turn into the right lane of a three lane road. Why? Because I can’t predict where the person in the left lane will go. Will he go into the left lane or into the middle lane? I often do the same thing for the same reason but I also check my mirror and the right turning lane across from me as I’m turning to make sure no one is sneaking up on me in the lane I’m heading to. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/42 "2018-02-16T17:15:32Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > It would not be free of traffic if there is an vehicle approaching from the opposite direction turning right. Well, then it wouldn’t be unoccupied would it? ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/43 "2018-02-17T09:40:40Z")
I live in Ohio. You are supposed to turn into the closest one. I was pulled over last year for turning into the right lane. It was late and the cop was looking for a reason to pull me over but it was legit. Got a warning. ETA: This is for a 4 lane road with 1 turn lane in each direction. For multiple turn lanes you maintain your lane. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/44 "2018-02-17T09:43:41Z")
> [@wonky](#): > > The one place I regularly make left turns from the non-leftmost lane, I turn into the right lane of a three lane road. Why? Because I can’t predict where the person in the left lane will go. Will he go into the left lane or into the middle lane? > > And yes, this is FUCKING MARYLAND WHERE THE DRIVERS ARE TERRIBLE AND THEY ARE MAKING ME TERRIBLE, TOO! I’m assuming that’s only the part of Maryland where all the DC and VA people are. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/45 "2018-02-17T13:53:23Z")
So nobody here aims for the apex of the turn? Just me then?.. alrighty… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/46 "2018-02-17T14:41:55Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Correct. A driver turning left from the center lane when there’s a designated left turn lane is considered a dangerous asshole, even in Massachusetts. I’ve driven in Boston. Sweet Jesus! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/47 "2018-02-17T15:12:56Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I’m assuming that’s only the part of Maryland where all the DC and VA people are. Baltimore isn’t exactly impressive in the driving department, either. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/48 "2018-02-17T18:13:03Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > California changed the law on this, when I was learning to drive we were trained to turn into the lane we were turning from, left to left right to right. Once we made out turn then change lanes if we like. Very often I will turn into the center lane and start veering into the right lane when the guy behind me comes flying around on the right. I don’t believe in passing someone just as they are completing a turn but I guess it is legal. Yes, the handbook says: > [@CA DMV Handbook](#): > > Left turn from a two-way street. Start the turn in the left lane closest to the middle of the street. Complete the turn, if safe, in either lane of the cross street (shown by the arrows). Use the center left turn lane if one is available. A left turn may be made from the other lane, if permitted by signs or arrows. [There’s even a picture](https://s17.postimg.org/iilj4vny7/Left_Turn.png). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/49 "2018-02-17T21:52:05Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Yes, the handbook says:[There’s even a picture](https://s17.postimg.org/iilj4vny7/Left_Turn.png). Drugs! All Californians are on drugs! At First and Broadway in Little Rock, approaching the Broadway bridge, the First Street left lane may turn left into the left lane of Broadway, and the right lane of First may turn left into the right lane of Broadway. There are signs and LED diagrams with the traffic lights and curved painted stripes. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/50 "2018-02-17T23:26:13Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Kind of a tangent but kind of not: is it common in other parts of the nation to have more than one turning lane? It sure is in the DC area. I don’t know the official law, but the general rule that I and other people seem to follow is this: I can’t definitively answer your question about multiple turn lanes at intersections, but I can say I think it must be, because Boise ID has had them for a couple of decades at least. Heck we even have at least a couple of intersections on main arterial roads with one dedicated right turn lane and another that you can either drive straight through or turn right also. Those are lots of fun in the big trucks. In Idaho, when I was a grasshopper learning to drive, left to left and right to right was how it was. Couldn’t say how it is now, don’t care enough to check. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/51 "2018-02-18T00:19:01Z")
I’m from Texas and I remember getting pulled over for not staying in the right hand lane while making a right hand turn. So I’m afraid the OP may be mistaken about Texas law. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/52 "2018-02-18T10:26:38Z")
Safe driving is predictable driving. When you’re turning left from Third Ave onto Elm St, it’s not reasonable to expect any other driver to predict that you’re going to turn right onto Fourth Ave. It is reasonable to expect him to predict that you’ll be in the left lane when you complete the turn. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/53 "2018-02-18T23:22:15Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Kind of a tangent but kind of not: is it common in other parts of the nation to have more than one turning lane? It sure is in the DC area. Here it’s reasonably common to have two left-turn lanes. And there are a few places with two right-turn lanes too. In those cases if you are making a left turn, you use the lane to the farthest left if you need to later turn left, and use the second left turn lane if you’ll later be turning right, as this will put you on the correct side of the road for your next turn. Ditto for choosing which right turn lane to be in. I can’t think of any situations where there would be a reason for you to turn into a center lane, if one exists, instead of continuing along the path your turn lane takes other than cluelessness, or a very odd case where your new lane soon becomes a turn lane itself. Cluelessness here, I mean. Roads tend to have few lanes as a general rule (way too many with just one lane in either direction for miles and miles), and our traffic patterns simply aren’t that complicated. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/54 "2018-02-19T00:23:44Z")
The appropriate way to look at it is that you _stay in the same damn lane_ through the turn, because if you don’t, you’re turning and changing lanes simultaneously and greatly increasing the chances of an accident. This means turning from the leftmost lane into the leftmost lane, and ditto for a right turn. This also takes care of the multi-lane turn situation; if you’re turning left from the rightmost left turn lane, you stay in the same lane and enter the new road on the second lane from the left, otherwise you’re going to smash into the guy to the left of you or other traffic to the right of you. As for which lane to use where there is more than one turn lane, it may matter if I’m going to be turning again in a very short distance, but generally my rule is: the lane that doesn’t have a cement truck in front of me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/55 "2018-02-21T01:25:07Z")
I learned to drive in California in the early 1980’s and I know there have been a couple changes since then which were specifically discussed in some Drivers’ Re-education\* courses that I attended: 1a) In San Diego, my driving instructor had me go from a 4-lane road to a 3 lane road using one of the two Left Turn lanes. When I was finished, he noted, “Well, you’re supposed to start and end in the same lane, but that’s a matter of courtesy, not law.” I didn’t understand, so he had me drive back and park at a corner gas station, where he pointed to the multiple turn-lanes and multiple “receiving” lanes to note that, if I turned from the left-most left turn lane (closest to the center divider), I should have ended up in the left-most “receiving” lane (closest to the center divider) because the driver in the right-most Left Turn lane expected himself to be in the second-from-left-most lane (#2 if you’re counting left-to-right from the center divider) because the guy travelling toward the intersection and turning right against a red light onto the triple-lane road expected himself to be in the right-most lane (#3 if you’re counting left-to-right- from the center divider). While it wasn’t illegal to swing wide, other drivers on the road would not expect that and I could have caused a collision by side-swiping the car to my right (or forcing him to side-swipe that guy turning right against the red light). Fortunately, the car I was using was marked STUDENT DRIVER so everyone was giving me plenty of space. 1b) I have heard that the courtesy has become law (some time in the 1990’s perhaps?) and the addition of little dashes in the middle of intersections is intended to help cops enforce it (and make it easier for drivers to see if they are drifting wide or tight. I do not have citation for this. 1. I do clearly recall from Drivers’ Re-education courses and law enforcement officers that it’s illegal in California to change lanes within 50 feet of an intersection. Again lots of roads are painted to make this clear (for drivers or for the cops watching? I dunno…); the dashed line turns into a solid line for a couple dozen yards before and after the intersection. I see people violating it all the time but, then again, I’m not on the road with a star or shield on the side of my vehicle, so maybe they’re just being jerks when they can get away with it. I suspect most people really just don’t know why those lines turn solid just before they reach the intersection. – if they’ve even noticed it at all! –G! \*You know, those “You can avoid the fines and keep this off your DMV record if you take the course” classes. Except in the 90’s or 00’s they stopped taking it off your DMV record and just allowed people to take the course in lieu of the fines. And some people would take it year-after-year but now there seems to be an ‘only if you haven’t taken it within X years’ clause. ---
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/56 "2018-02-21T20:55:38Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I’m from Texas and I remember getting pulled over for not staying in the right hand lane while making a right hand turn. So I’m afraid the OP may be mistaken about Texas law. I’m in Texas and I did look this up fairly recently (due to one intersection here that seems to vex many) and, yes, you should turn into the nearest lane for your direction of travel post-turn. THEN you can change lanes. Turns out I wasn’t vexed. Apparently everyone else is. I get a lot of use out of my horn too. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2018, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900/57 "2018-02-22T06:24:08Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > I have heard that the courtesy has become law (some time in the 1990’s perhaps? Did you read post #48? That’s the current driver handbook in California. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-turning-which-lane-are-you-supposed-to-turn-into/808900.md?page=2)