Failing to Turn Left from A Two-Way Left Turn Lane in Tucson, AZ
In our last blog post, we discussed how drivers often impermissibly use Two-Way Left-Turn Lanes as express lanes and passing lanes. You can find that blog post here. However, A.R.S. 28-751 also dictates that when a Two-Way Left Turn Lane is present, drivers must use it in order to turn left.
In part, A.R.S. 28-751 requires that “drivers must not make a left turn from any other lane.” (A.R.S 28-751(4)(a).) Put another way, on a road including a Two-Way Left Turn Lane, any driver turning left must use the Two-Way Left Turn Lane to make the turn. This aligns with the rules when a Two-Way Left Turn Lane is not present; the driver must also make the left turn from the “extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travel of the vehicle.” (A.R.S. 28-751(2).)
Using the Two-Way Left Turn Lane
In practice, this means the driver must fully maneuver the vehicle into the Two-Way Left Turn Lane before initiating the turn. However, the driver may not simply change into the Two-Way Left Turn Lane and immediately make the left turn onto the perpendicular street.
For example, imagine a road with three lanes:
- an Eastbound Lane.
- a Westbound Lane.
- a Two-Way Left Turn Lane.
A driver driving his pickup truck in the Eastbound Lane desires to make a Northbound turn onto a perpendicular street. First, the driver must signal his intent to turn into the Two-Way Left Turn Lane not less than one hundred feet before turning. (28-754.) Second, once his pickup truck is fully in the Two-Way Left Turn Lane, the driver must again signal his intent to turn left onto the Northbound street one hundred feet before the turn. In summation, when the driver is in the Eastbound lane, the driver must begin the process of making the turn at least two hundred feet before actually making the turn.
Call the Karnas Law Firm
Unfortunately, drivers and passengers are often injured by a vehicle that either attempts to make a left turn from a lane other than the Two-Way Left Turn Lane. Similarly, drivers and passengers are often injured by drivers of vehicles who fail to correctly signal the left turn before making it. In both situations, the left-turning driver is likely negligent and liable for the injured driver or passenger’s damages. Karnas Law has years of representing victims of drivers who make improper left turns. Contact Karnas Law Firm for your free consultation today.
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