Road Rules – Turning Left into Which Lane?

Is it legal to turn into the outside curb lane when you turn left onto a four lane road?

A) Yes, it’s legal if you can clearly see that the outside lane is open and no one else is merging into it;

B) Yes, it’s legal as long as you’re turning onto a one-way street.

C) No, it’s illegal to turn left directly into the outside lane.

The answer is C. Turning directly into the outside lane is illegal in Washington – but it’s a mistake drivers often make.

Turn from the lane that is closest to the direction you want to go and turn into the lane closest to the one you came from. Once you’ve completed your turn, you can change to another lane if you need to.

The only time it’s legal to turn left into the outside lane is when you’re on a road with two left turn lanes and you’re in the outside, right-most, turn lane.

Adapted from Pemco Perspective Newsletter