New York DMV Permit Written TestRules of the Road and Traffic LawsHard
You are driving on a multi-lane roadway and need to make a right turn. You are in the far left lane. What is the safest and most legal procedure to follow?
- AProceed through the intersection, find a safe place to turn around, and approach the intersection again from the correct lane.
- BMake a wide right turn from your current lane, assuming other drivers will yield.
- CSignal right and carefully cut across all lanes to reach the rightmost lane just before the turn.
- DSignal right and gradually merge across lanes as traffic allows until you are in the rightmost lane or a designated right-turn lane.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Proceed through the intersection, find a safe place to turn around, and approach the intersection again from the correct lane.
Making a right turn from the far left lane is extremely dangerous and illegal. The safest and most legal action is to continue straight through the intersection, find a safe place to turn around, and then re-approach the intersection from the correct lane for a right turn.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Making a wide turn from the wrong lane is unsafe and could cause a collision with vehicles in the correct lane.
- C. Cutting across multiple lanes at an intersection is highly dangerous and illegal.
- D. While merging gradually is good practice, attempting to merge across multiple lanes just before an intersection for a turn is often not feasible or safe, especially in heavy traffic, and it's better to miss the turn than risk an accident.
Missed Turn Procedure
If you are in the wrong lane for a turn, it is safer and more legal to continue straight, find a safe place to turn around, and re-approach the intersection from the correct lane.
- Never attempt to change multiple lanes suddenly at an intersection.
- Prioritize safety over making the turn immediately.
- Utilize U-turns or other safe turn-around options.
- Re-approach the intersection correctly.
Memory trick: Wrong lane, no pain, just drive on, then turn back again!