You approach an intersection and realize you are not in the correct lane for the turn you planned. What does the manual tell you to do?
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A.
Make the turn anyway from the lane you are in.
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B.
Continue to the next intersection and turn there. Correct
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C.
Signal and cut across to the proper lane before the intersection.
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D.
Stop and wait in your lane for a gap to slide over.
The answer is "Continue to the next intersection and turn there."
The manual sets one rule for a missed turn lane: ride it out to the next intersection and turn there from the proper lane. The rule exists because cutting across lanes at the last moment creates conflicts with drivers already committed to those lanes, and a signal doesn't neutralize that conflict. Choice C is the answer a driver picks by carrying the ordinary 'signal and go' habit from routine lane changes into the one intersection scenario the manual writes this rule to forbid.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Make the turn anyway from the lane you are in.
Turning from the wrong lane cuts across the path of drivers who expect you to go straight. This answer treats a missed lane as a small violation worth committing to, when the manual writes the rule specifically to keep that turn from happening.
C. Signal and cut across to the proper lane before the intersection.
A last-second cut is the exact conflict the rule is built to prevent, and a signal doesn't remove it. This answer carries over the everyday habit that a turn signal makes any lane change safe, into the one intersection scenario where the manual refuses that shortcut.
D. Stop and wait in your lane for a gap to slide over.
Stopping in a wrong lane creates the same conflict as cutting across and blocks the traffic behind you. This answer reads 'be careful' as 'be still,' picking a passive response the manual never asks for in this situation.
This question tests your knowledge of Turning in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "City Driving," p.63..
Related North Carolina questions
- You have a green arrow to make a U-turn. A driver coming from the opposite direction has a green arrow to turn right into the same lane you are heading for. Who yields? →
- Which hand signal shows you plan to make a left turn? →
- Which hand signal shows you plan to make a right turn? →
- You are approaching a turn on a street with a posted 35 mph limit. How far ahead of the turn must your signal be on? →
- In a single-lane roundabout, how far around do you travel before exiting when making a left turn? →
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