Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Road Markings

A lane is marked on the pavement with a white arrow that points both left and right. What does this require of a driver in that lane?

White T-shaped double arrow on dark pavement with a single shaft rising into a horizontal bar that ends in arrowheads pointing left and right.
  1. A.
    Turn left or turn right; going straight is not allowed. Correct
  2. B.
    Turn left only, since the left arrow has priority.
  3. C.
    Continue straight or turn, based on traffic conditions.
  4. D.
    Yield to oncoming traffic before choosing a direction.
The Why

The answer is "Turn left or turn right; going straight is not allowed."

A two-headed arrow marks a mandatory-turn lane: a driver in that lane must go left or right, and continuing straight is not permitted. The trap is the option that keeps straight on the table as a traffic-dependent choice, which is how a shared through-and-turn lane works. This marking is not shared. The lane is dedicated to turning, and the through movement has been ruled out before the stop bar.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Turn left only, since the left arrow has priority.

The marking does not rank one head above the other; both directions are equally valid choices for the driver in that lane. Treats the double arrow as if the left head outranks the right head.

C. Continue straight or turn, based on traffic conditions.

A mandatory-turn lane rules out the through movement before the driver reaches the intersection, no matter what traffic is doing. Reads the marking as a shared lane where a driver may still pick a straight-through path.

D. Yield to oncoming traffic before choosing a direction.

Who yields is set by the signs, signals, or type of intersection, not by the lane-use arrow painted on the pavement. Confuses a lane-assignment marking with a right-of-way instruction.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.24 (Left-or-Right Turn Arrow)..

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