Turns, lanes, passing and parking
Where a U-turn is allowed on a multi-lane road, from which position must you start it?
- From the left portion of the lane nearest the center line. Correct answer
- From the right lane, so you have more room to swing around.
- From any lane, as long as you signal and yield to other traffic.
Why
The manual is specific about the starting point: a U-turn may be made only from the left part of the lane closest to the center line of the road, and never from the right lane. The extra room a start from the right lane seems to give is exactly what the rule rules out. Signaling and yielding are necessary, but they do not replace the correct position. The manual also notes that, unless signs say otherwise, you may make a U-turn on a green left-turn arrow, provided the U-turn is allowed there and you yield to other traffic. Wherever you make one, it begins in the left part of the lane beside the center line, never from anywhere further right.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is From the left portion of the lane nearest the center line.
More on turns, lanes, passing and parking
- 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?
- On a two-way road, you are about 80 feet from a railroad crossing and a slow truck is in front of you. May you pass it on the left?
- On a two-lane, two-way road, the vehicle ahead of you slows down and signals to turn left. May you pass it on the right?
- You are passing a slow vehicle on a road with a 55 mph limit, and to finish quickly you would need to reach 62 mph. What does the manual say?