In Defensive Driving class some folks call the center two-way turn lane the “suicide” lane! That’s a little extreme — traffic engineers will tell you these lanes are actually pretty safe. But every day, you see people using them in ways that were never intended, and some of these actions are NOT safe. The lane I’m referring to is the one in the center of many streets and highways that both directions of traffic can use to make left turns.

We teach in Defensive Driving that in Arizona, the two-way left turn lane must be used for all turns made from the roadway. It is also legal to use it to stage a left turn into a roadway, from a parking lot or side street, for example. You may make a left turn into the center lane, then make a right LANE CHANGE into the flow of traffic to complete the movement.

As of 2015 the law is ARS 28-751 . Required position and method of turning Section 4 . Two-way left turn lanes. If a special lane for making left turns by drivers proceeding in opposite directions has been indicated by official traffic control devices:

(a) A driver shall not make a left turn from any other lane.

(b) A driver shall not drive a vehicle in the lane except if preparing for or making a left turn from or into the roadway or if preparing for or making a u-turn if otherwise permitted by law.

Another thing we teach in defensive driving is that you should not use this lane to pass through any intersections (remember that “intersection” can also be a side street with a major street), and you should never use the lane to PASS other traffic. These are the most common errors, along with the natural tendency of drivers to make those rolling merges after making a left turn into a roadway. To make a left turn into the roadway correctly, you must STOP once you’ve made the turn into the center two-way left turn lane. Then, visually clear the traffic over your shoulder and merge right into the left traffic lane when it is safe to do so.

So why do we call them “suicide” lanes? Having traffic moving in opposite directions using these lanes at the same time can be a stress-inducer. Normally, the low speeds involved keep conflicts at a minimum. Remember that even if the other guy was in the lane first, both directions of traffic still have the right to use it, and I have never seen or heard of any specific right-of-way rules for their use. The only sane way to deal with multiple vehicles using the lane at the same time is to be unfailingly courteous and try to fit into the lane in a way that is a win/win for all participants. If you do get an Arizona traffic ticket take our Defensive Driving class 2passdd.com