Flashing Yellow Arrow and the Center Left-Turn Lane
At 6:20 p.m. on a dry weekday, you are eastbound on a five-lane road: two through lanes in each direction and a center left-turn lane. You want to turn left into a shopping plaza. The signal for your direction shows a flashing yellow arrow. Oncoming westbound traffic includes a pickup about 300 feet away traveling at 45 mph, with a second car behind it. A sign beside the signal reads LEFT TURN YIELD ON FLASHING YELLOW ARROW. You enter the center left-turn lane about 150 feet before the intersection and stop to wait for a gap. The pickup is not slowing. The lane is marked with solid yellow outer lines and broken yellow inner lines, and a left-turn arrow is painted in your lane.
1. What does the flashing yellow arrow require you to do, and does it give you any right of way?
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A flashing yellow arrow is a permissive left-turn indication. It means you may turn left only after yielding to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians in the crosswalk; it does not give you a protected right of way. The sign LEFT TURN YIELD ON FLASHING YELLOW ARROW states the same rule. A green arrow would be protected; a flashing yellow is not.
You may enter the intersection to wait for a safe gap if you can do so without blocking cross traffic, but you must be ready to clear when the signal changes. If you cannot complete the turn safely, wait behind the stop line.
2. Was it legal to enter the center left-turn lane 150 feet before the intersection and stop there?
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Yes, if you entered where the markings allow. A center left-turn lane is for decelerating and waiting to turn left, not for through travel or passing. The broken yellow inner line marks where entry is permitted; the solid yellow outer lines separate the lane from through traffic.
Entering about 150 feet before the intersection and stopping to wait for a gap is a normal use, provided you do not block a driveway or crosswalk and you are actually turning left. If you crossed a solid line or used the lane to bypass the through lanes, that would be improper.
3. The pickup is 300 feet away at 45 mph. Should you take the gap?
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Probably not. At 45 mph the pickup covers about 66 feet per second, so 300 feet is only about 4.5 seconds to arrival. A left turn across two oncoming lanes requires perception, decision, acceleration, and clearing the intersection; 4.5 seconds is marginal, especially with a second car behind and no sign the pickup is slowing. If you hesitate after entering, you may stop in the path.
The better choice is to wait for a larger gap or for a protected green arrow. If you do commit, accelerate decisively and clear; do not creep forward and stop again.