Q: Scenario: I’m making a left turn at an intersection (across oncoming traffic). There is an oncoming vehicle doing the same. (We’re now pointing at each other in the intersection.) Do we pass each other and then turn? Or turn before we pass? Sorry this is hard to describe — it’s also hard to deal with in real life, too!
A: If you’re going ballroom dancing, it helps if both you and your partner know the same steps. My own knowledge of the topic is limited to an introductory class taken in an attempt to not make a fool of myself at a wedding where I knew we’d be ballroom dancing. That was enough to know that getting out of step can result in some clumsy results.
The same goes for driving through an intersection, but with much higher stakes, so let’s review the dance moves for a left turn in an intersection. There’s a section of the law called “Required position and method of turning at intersections.” By the title you’ve probably figured out what it’s about. In the part about left turns it states that whenever practicable (I’ll get to that word later) the left turn shall be made to the left of the center of the intersection. And the Washington Driver Guide says, “When making a left turn . . . be sure to leave room for oncoming vehicles to turn left in front of you.”
Trying to explain how an intersection works feels like giving a geometry lesson without a chalk board and, to paraphrase Martin Mull (or Elvis Costello or Frank Zappa, depending on who you ask), talking about geometry is like dancing about architecture. But I’ll give it a shot.
Imagine that there is a flagpole in the very center of the intersection. As you make your left turn, you of course want to avoid the pole, so you have to choose to go around it to the left or to the right. As long as you’re the only one in the intersection you could successfully go either way. But since we’re often not alone on the road, the law sets the rule: drive to the left of the imaginary flag pole. If opposing left-turning drivers do that, they should, in theory, both be able to go through the intersection at the same time.
Sometimes words aren’t enough, so I’ve included a diagram of how this should go:
Even though you sounded unsure of what to do in your question, I bet this is how you usually make left turns. I suspect that what actually generated your confusion was an intersection where it didn’t work. If the intersecting roads are narrow, they cross at an acute angle or there’s some other unusual design problem, two opposing cars turning left might not both fit through the intersection at the same time. Or at least, you might be dancing too close for strangers.
That’s where “practicable” comes in. It essentially means capable of being done successfully. If staying to left in the intersection gets you into trouble, the law lets you pick a better route. However, you now have a situation where two opposing left-turners can’t both go through the intersection at the same time, or at least can’t predict the other’s next step. If you can’t successfully follow the recommended method of turning (and this really applies to any driving situation) give yourself and others the time and space it takes to safely get through the intersection. It’s a dance we want to get right.