This week's traffic safety question was submitted by Cedris, of Zellwood. He asks, "Are continuous turn lanes actual travel lanes?"
If you don’t know what a continuous left turn lane is, often you find them in areas that have a high volume of businesses that include four or more travel lanes. The lane allows drivers turning onto a road to continue driving instead of stopping to wait at a light or a stop sign.
A continuous left turn lane is not a travel lane, however, I like to call it a transitional area.
As with any lane, a continuous turn lane is designed for drivers to do just that -- make their turns. It is not a place to bypass stopped traffic or enter in order to complete a turn that may be several blocks or even miles down the road.
When using the center left continuous turn lane, as with any traffic movement, you must always be very careful since opposing traffic also uses this lane.
The continuous left turn lane is also a good spot for drivers to pull into and wait for opposing traffic to pass prior to entering their travel lane. In summary, this is a travel lane that is shared by all sorts of different traffic in order to make your movements that much easier. Sharing is caring, even on our roadways.