Q: I know as drivers we’re not supposed to cross a double yellow center line. However, I and other drivers often do it when making a left turn into a driveway or parking lot on the other side of the street. Does the state really expect us to drive to the next intersection and turn around, or is it actually legal to cross a solid yellow line in this situation?
A: Half-truths are tricky. They often start with a whole truth and then get simplified until they no longer convey the original message. For example, your first sentence is half-right. Unfortunately, being half-right is still technically wrong, and even though in math two halves make a whole, being half-right twice doesn’t make you all right; most likely, you’re wrong two times. You would be correct that drivers are “not supposed to cross a double yellow center line,” but only if you finish that sentence with, “to pass another vehicle.”
The rules for solid yellow center lines are found in the section of the law titled “No-passing zones.” There are three subsections to this law. The first one authorizes state and local transportation folks to use signs or road markings to establish no-passing zones when they determine that passing or driving on the left side of a section of roadway would be especially hazardous.
The second part is for us drivers: we’re not allowed to drive on the left side of the roadway within a no-passing zone. If we stopped here, I could see how you’d conclude that it’s illegal to cross a solid yellow line to pull into a parking lot. I mean, you’re driving on the left side of the road, even if just to cross it. But that would only get us half-right.
Part three of the law lists a few exceptions to the no-passing rule. The first exception is for obstructions in the roadway. If another driver didn’t properly secure their load, and now a ratty futon is blocking your lane, you can cross a solid yellow line to get around it. This is, of course, on the condition that you don’t make yourself a hazard. You still need to yield to oncoming traffic. And getting to your question, the other exceptions are for drivers turning into or from an alley, private road, or driveway.
Elsewhere in the law, there’s another related situation where it’s legal to cross a solid yellow line: two-way left turn lanes. For anyone who needs a refresher, a two-way left turn lane is in the center of the roadway and is shared by traffic going in both directions. Drivers can pull into the turn lane to get out of the flow of traffic while waiting for a gap in oncoming traffic to make a left turn.
They’re marked by solid yellow lines on the outside (along the travel lanes) and dashed yellow lines on the inside. With an outright prohibition on crossing yellow lines you’d never be able to use a two-way left turn lane. The law titled “Required position and method of turning at intersections” and the Washington Driver Guide both make it clear that you can cross a solid yellow line to use the turn lane, as long as you use the lane for its intended purpose – left turns. You’re not allowed to use the turn lane to pass other vehicles, and you’re limited to driving in it a maximum of 300 feet.
Since you were already crossing solid yellow lines to make left turns, you can now set your conscience at ease, knowing that you’re not violating the law.
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