Can the outer lane of a dual left-turn lane make a U-turn?
4 Answers
The outer lane of a dual left-turn lane can make a U-turn if there is no no-U-turn sign and safety is ensured. Other situations where U-turns are allowed include: U-turn traffic lights or signs: When there is a U-turn traffic light at an intersection, a U-turn can be made when the U-turn light is green. If there is a U-turn sign at the intersection or a U-turn marking on the lane, a U-turn can be made while ensuring the safety of yourself and others. No U-turn sign but left turns are allowed (no no-U-turn signs or markings): Vehicles can make a U-turn at intersections where left turns are allowed and no no-U-turn signs or markings are present. It should be noted that vehicles must proceed according to the left-turn traffic signal without affecting the normal traffic flow of other vehicles. If making a U-turn at an intersection with a left-turn waiting area, you can enter the waiting area when the straight-through light is green and wait until the left-turn light turns green before making the U-turn. U-turns are allowed at dashed lines: U-turns are permitted at both white and yellow dashed lines. For double yellow lines where one side is dashed and the other is solid, check if your side is the dashed line—if so, a U-turn is allowed when safe. If your side is the solid line, no U-turn is allowed. If encountering double yellow lines (one dashed, one solid) at an intersection, a U-turn can be made on the dashed side, but you must not cross the stop line ahead.
I've been driving for several years and have quite a bit of experience with this. Whether you can make a U-turn from the outer lane of a dual left-turn lane mainly depends on whether there are any no U-turn signs or road signals at the intersection. Most of the time, if it's not explicitly prohibited, U-turns are allowed, especially when the outer lane has ample space, making it less likely to be hit by vehicles behind during the turn. However, sometimes traffic rules may impose restrictions, such as at traffic light intersections or areas with special markings—don't take the risk. Safety first—it's best to enter the lane slowly, scan the surrounding signs, and then proceed. Beginners often make mistakes by not paying attention to these details, leading to fines or accidents, so developing a habit of checking the intersection environment is crucial.
From the perspective of driving regulations, whether a U-turn can be made from the outer lane of a dual left-turn lane depends on local traffic laws. At typical urban intersections, if U-turns are not prohibited, the outer lane is a viable option as it provides vehicles with wider road space to complete the turn. However, this is not an absolute rule—some areas may have prohibitive signs to avoid confusion, such as at large intersections with heavy pedestrian traffic. My advice is to check your city’s traffic regulations handbook before traveling or use a navigation app to preview the route, which can help avoid unintentional violations. Experience tells me that overlooking this detail can easily lead to penalties, so paying extra attention is always better than regretting later.
When I first started learning to drive, I also struggled with this question for a long time. Is it okay to make a U-turn from the outer lane of a dual left-turn lane? After asking my instructor, I learned that in most cases it's allowed as long as there's no prohibition sign. In actual practice, making a U-turn from the outer lane is safer because the turning angle doesn't need to be as sharp. But don't just rely on theory - observe how other vehicles do it when you're on the road, especially at unfamiliar intersections where you shouldn't rush into action. Playing it safe is never wrong, as the cost of making a mistake is too high.
