A two-way left-turn lane (Photo provided)

Those center turn lanes, more properly known as “two-way left turn (TWLT) lanes,” have been in the Malone traffic environment for over 35 years, but far too many motorists continue to use these lanes incorrectly. Within the past several weeks, I witnessed the most blatant misuse of this ever. I was driving east on U.S. Route 11 just west of the village of Malone when a car pulled out from the Dollar General store, next to the New York State Police Malone substation, into the TWLT lane and drove at over 35 mph down this lane until he/she had passed several vehicles and was finally able to move into the eastbound lane just prior to the Mobil gas station/Dunkin’ Donuts store, a distance of about one-third of a mile.

TWLT lanes are typically employed in areas of moderate roadside development where the demand for mid-block left turns is high. The main advantage of a TWLT lane is that it provides a storage area for left-turning vehicles as they wait for gaps in the opposing traffic stream. This not only improves the operations of through traffic by removing the left-turning vehicle from the traffic stream, but also reduces the potential for rear-end collisions. When TWLT lanes are installed on two-lane roads, they have been found to reduce collisions by approximately 35% in suburban areas to 85% in rural areas, says the National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

Improper use often stems from motorists getting into the TWLT lane too soon and, as a result, driving some distance in this lane prior to their left turns. Misuse also occurs when a vehicle enters a highway to turn left but, rather than waiting in the TWLT lane for a break in traffic to move into the drive lane, continues to drive in the TWLT lane like the vehicle I recently witnessed.

TWLT lanes are NOT TO BE USED FOR PASSING, OVERTAKING OR THROUGH TRAVEL.

Article 1126(c) of NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law limits the use of the two-way left turn lane to “such distance as is required for safety in preparing to turn left leaving such highway or in completing a left turn entering such highway.”

Although no exact distance is spelled out in the use of the TWLT lane, the intent is for a motorist to slow down in the through lane and enter the TWLT lane just prior to the location of the intended left turn. (Two to three car lengths would be appropriate.)

Using a TWLT lane to enter a highway for a left turn is also permitted, but again, it should NOT be used as an acceleration lane. When using it to enter a highway if there is no traffic from the left, you should pull into the TWLT lane, activate your right turn signal and wait for a break in traffic in the direction you wish to go, and then move into the driving lane.

When used as intended, TWLT lanes offer a significant improvement for both safety and convenience. They are a major enhancement to smooth flowing traffic while at the same time providing a much safer environment for the motorist.