08/14/2026
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ: ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต (๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐) ๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐
If you've ever driven in Los Angeles, you know that a simple left turn can sometimes feel like a guessing game. One intersection may have multiple left-turn lanes with clear guidance lines, while another may have little more than arrows painted on the pavement.
So, what's the right way to make the turn?
The answer depends on the ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐, ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ-๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ at the intersection.
๐ญ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฅ๐๐น๐ฒ: ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ
When turning left from an intersection with multiple left-turn lanes, start in the lane designated for your turn and stay within your lane as you make the turn.
The California DMV advises drivers to stay within their lane markings and complete the turn in the appropriate lane. Don't assume that having two or more left-turn lanes means you can choose any lane once you're through the intersection.
Most importantly, ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป'๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด. Doing so can create a dangerous situation for a driver making the same turn alongside you.
๐ฎ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐
Some busy Los Angeles intersections and freeway ramps use lane lines, arrows, signs, and other pavement markings to guide drivers through complicated traffic patterns.
When these markings are present, pay close attention to them and follow the designated path for your lane.
For example, if you're turning from an outside left-turn lane and the lane markings guide you into a particular lane, don't cross over another lane to get where you want to go. ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐'๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ-๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐.
๐ฏ. ๐๐ผ๐ป'๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ
Here's where many drivers get into trouble.
Making your left turn and changing lanes are two separate driving maneuvers. Once you've completed the turn and you're traveling in your new lane, you can make a lane change when it's safe and legal to do so.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors and blind spots, signal, and make sure there is enough space.
As a general safety practice, ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป, ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ rather than trying to cross lanes while you're still turning.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ-๐ง๐ถ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
โข ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐: Look ahead as you approach the intersection for lane arrows, lines, signs, and other traffic-control devices.
โข ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ: When making a multi-lane turn, don't drift across the lane next to you.
โข ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐: If pavement markings or signs direct your lane through the intersection, follow them.
โข ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐: As a safe-driving practice, straighten out after the turn before making a separate lane change.
โข ๐๐ผ๐ป'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐บ๐ฒ: Just because another intersection allowed you to turn into a particular lane doesn't mean every intersection works the same way.
Los Angeles intersections can be complicated, but the basic rule is simple: ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐'๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป.
A few seconds of planning before you turn can help you avoid a dangerous lane conflict.
