Turns, lanes, passing and parking
You are making a right turn onto a road with several lanes, and no signs tell you otherwise. Which lane should you turn into?
- The right lane of the road you enter. Correct answer
- Any lane that is clear at the moment you turn.
- The lane nearest the center line, to stay away from the curb.
Why
For a right turn, the manual asks you to get as far right as possible before turning, avoid wide sweeping turns, and, unless signs direct you otherwise, finish the turn in the right lane of the road you enter. A wide swing into a far lane is the kind of turn the manual tells you not to make. Picking whatever lane happens to be clear ignores that rule. Remember also that your rear wheels travel inside the path of your front wheels, closer to the curb on a right turn, and that pedestrians, bicyclists and moped riders are easy to miss on right turns.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is The right lane of the road you enter.
More on turns, lanes, passing and parking
- You are on a one-way road and will turn left onto another one-way road that has two lanes. How should you make the turn?
- You have pulled into an intersection and are waiting for oncoming traffic to clear so you can turn left. How should your front wheels be pointed while you wait?
- You want to make a U-turn near the top of a hill. Other drivers can see your car only from about 300 feet away. May you make the U-turn there?
- You are on a limited access expressway, and a paved path in the median connects your side with the other side. May you use it to make a U-turn?