This road marking allows you to drive:

Explanation

To the left and also a U-turn.

In the picture, from behind the wheel, an arrow pointing left is painted in your lane, and to its left the lines separating the opposing flow are visible; that is, you are in the extreme left lane of your direction and are approaching a junction.

The rule is: a left-turn arrow painted in the leftmost lane permits a U-turn as well. The reason is geometric — a car making a U-turn and a car turning left both start from this same lane and both cut across the same oncoming flow; so the conflict area is identical and separating the two manoeuvres adds nothing to safety. Conversely, if a U-turn were prohibited from this lane, drivers would be forced to turn round from lanes further right and cut across the whole width of the carriageway.

Note that this permission is one-directional: from a left arrow you may not go straight or turn right.

The common trap is reading the shape of the arrow literally: because the arrow shows only left, the mind picks the option "only to the left". Memorise the rule apart from the visual shape: "a left arrow in the leftmost lane means left plus a U-turn." Of course, if another sign or marking prohibits a U-turn at that place, that prohibition prevails.

• "Only to the left" is a direct translation of the arrow's shape, but it ignores the implicit permission for a U-turn. • "Only a U-turn" effectively removes the arrow's principal purpose; this lane is intended above all for turning left. • Adding "straight" is wrong: a left arrow does not permit straight-ahead movement from this lane.

Sources and content coverage · Report a content error