Should the left side yield to the right side when changing lanes?
3 Answers
When changing lanes, the left side should yield to the right side, as stipulated in traffic regulations. Below are the relevant details: Regulations: According to Article 52 of the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China", when motor vehicles pass through an intersection without traffic signal control or traffic police command, and there are traffic signs or markings, the party with the right of way should proceed first; in the absence of traffic signs or markings, vehicles should stop and look before entering the intersection, yielding to vehicles coming from the right. Traffic Rules: When vehicles from both the left and right sides are changing lanes towards the center simultaneously, the left-side vehicle must yield to the right-side vehicle. This is a safety consideration, as a collision could impact the driver's side of the right-side vehicle, hence the left-side vehicle must yield to the right-side vehicle.
When I first started driving, I was also confused about these rules. It wasn’t until I carefully studied the traffic laws that I realized there’s no absolute left or right when changing lanes—the key is who yields to whom. According to the rules, if you want to merge into another lane, you must first ensure safety and let the cars in the original lane go first, whether you’re merging from the left or the right. For example, if you’re changing lanes from the left to the right and there’s a car coming in the right lane, you have to wait and let it pass. This is different from the rule at intersections where left yields to right, which is a special scenario. The safe practice is to check your mirrors, signal before changing lanes, and avoid rushing—if an accident happens, it could be a big trouble. In daily driving, forming good habits is the most important thing. This way, everyone on the road is much safer, with less traffic congestion and fewer conflicts.
I've been driving for over twenty years, and my experience is that lane changing depends on the actual road conditions. There's no such thing as always yielding to the right from the left—it's entirely situational. If you're changing from the left to the right lane and there's a car approaching in the right lane, you have to wait for it to pass; the same goes for the opposite scenario. The key is to observe through the rearview and side mirrors, not to cut in blindly. Many people misunderstand the rules, thinking that yielding to the right from the left applies everywhere, but that's only in specific situations like intersections. In real driving, I've seen too many rear-end collisions caused by hasty lane changes without yielding. I advise both new and experienced drivers to remember that when changing lanes, speed shouldn't change too abruptly. Steady lane changes are better for everyone and save fuel and money too.
