Turns, lanes, passing and parking
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?
- Straight ahead, so a hit from behind will not push you into oncoming traffic. Correct answer
- Turned to the left, so you are ready to move as soon as there is a gap.
- Turned to the right, toward the curb, in case you are hit from behind.
Why
While you wait to turn left, keep the wheels straight until you actually begin the turn. The reason is the rear-end crash: if your wheels are already turned left and someone hits you from behind, the impact pushes your car into the oncoming lane, which is the worst place for it to go. Pre-turning the wheels to save a second is exactly what the rule is written against. Turning them toward the curb is not what the manual says either; its instruction is to keep them straight. While you wait inside the intersection, keep to the right of the center line, and complete the turn when oncoming traffic clears or stops for a red light.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is Straight ahead, so a hit from behind will not push you into oncoming traffic.
More on turns, lanes, passing and parking
- 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?
- Where a U-turn is allowed on a multi-lane road, from which position must you start it?
- You want to pass on the left on a two-way road. When you get back into the right lane, what is the minimum distance that must still separate you from any oncoming vehicle?