To turn left from a multilane one-way street onto a one-way street, you should start your turn from:
- Any lane (as long as it is safe).
- The lane closest to the left curb. ✓
- The lane in the center of the road.
Answer: B. The lane closest to the left curb.
Start the turn from the lane closest to the left curb, which is the far-left lane of the one-way street.
Why this is the answer
The handbook's rule for turning left from a one-way street onto another one-way street is to begin in the far-left lane. On a one-way street, the far-left lane is the one running alongside the left curb, so that is where you set up before turning. The handbook also notes that bicyclists may legally use the left turn lane, so expect them there. If your direction has three or more lanes, you are allowed to finish the turn in any open lane.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Any lane (as long as it is safe). — Starting from whatever lane happens to feel safe is not the rule; the handbook ties the starting lane to the far-left position, and signs or arrows are what allow more than one lane.
- C. The lane in the center of the road. — The center lane is not the starting point for this turn; the handbook names the far-left lane, which is the lane nearest the left curb on a one-way street.
Remember it
One-way to one-way left turn: hug the left curb going in, then pick an open lane coming out.
Official handbook: California Driver Handbook (DL 600), Section 6: Navigating the Roads, p. 22