Merging from center lane illegal? News to me.

[dk62]

PA Driver's Manual: ....Drivers traveling in either direction must use this lane to begin their left turns , and drivers entering the road may also use this lane to end their left turn from a cross street before entering the traffic stream.

[macphanatic]

This is where a picture or diagram is necessary as the terminology or intent can be confusing.

[Lux Interior]

By "merging" I take that to mean you pull in to the center turn lane, then accelerate to the speed of the traffic and, well, merge.

That is dangerous, because you are looking at the traffic that you are trying to merge with and not the oncoming traffic.

Saw an accident where two cars had a head on collision trying to do this in opposite directions.

But pulling into the lane and stopping, then waiting for the traffic to clear and pulling into the travel lanes is done all the time.

[Pat]

Everyone I know has always referred to it as the "suicide lane."

As noted above, in CA you can make a left out of a driveway into the suicide lane and then merge right into the leftmost lane.

[RAMd®d]

Saw a story about it being illegal to pull out into a center turn lane (those roads that have them) to then merge into traffic. I always thought that was part of the reason for them to exist.


Obviously, it will vary by state.

In CA these are defined in the CVC as two-way left-turn lanes, principally for beginning and completing left turns or making U-turns where legal.

Travel as mentioned, is limited to 200'.

One can't make a left or U-turn from any other lane where there's a two-way left-turn lane.



In California, you can turn left from a driveway into a center left turn lane and merge into traffic when safe.

Yes. Presumably, the only reason one would be legally be on that side of a two-way left-turn lane is because of exiting a drive way. The CVC calls it something similar to 'upon entering a highway'.


As noted above, in CA you can make a left out of a driveway into the suicide lane and then merge right into the leftmost lane.

The CVC provides for crossing a two-way left-turn lane completely before completing a left turn. If safe to do so, the turn can be completed in any lane legally available in that direction.



Everyone I know has always referred to it as the "suicide lane."


I used to hear that when I was a kid.

That was a very long time ago, and haven't heard that that since.

[datbeme]

M A V I C wrote:
Well, I'm in WA so you know my answer. One key part that I see missed - " it’s illegal to travel more than 300 feet in the TWLTL"

This is akin to the rule that says you must drop your bat by a certain distance down the first base line. Rarely comes up, and few people even know where that point is, but the rule has to be there to prevent disaster.

[RgrF]

300 feet is the length of a football field, if you can't merge in that distance you should either be stock still waiting for a traffic break or even more preferable not driving.

[mikebw]

(from the video) "it's very dangerous and it's illegal". I think the terminology should be "It's illegal because it's dangerous". Laws are here to protect us, right??

[Pat]

The CVC you cite does not address the statements made. It says you are not prohibited from crossing the turning lane, addresses U turns, left turns from the lane, but it does not say you are prohibited from making a left turn into the lane.
Furthermore, the CA drivers handbook explicitly states that you may turn into the center turn lane from a driveway or side street and then merge into traffic whenever it is safe to do so.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail...ffic_lanes
Scroll down to center turn lanes, paragraph under the diagram. I know it's not law, but show me the CVC that prohibits it. Now, you may cite someone for an unsafe action, but I'm sticking with a left turn into the suicide lane is legal until I see a CVC that says otherwise. If the CVC is silent, it's not illegal. Now travelling down it definitely is. They set up around here and pop people who drive down it at backed up intersections trying to get to the actual signaled turn lane.

[Michael]

In GA, it's illegal to use the center lane for anything other than a left turn.

Having said that, I use it as a merge lane on one particular road where it you'd sit for a long time waiting on both directions to clear.