Is it legal to pull into an intersection and wait to turn left in SC? Here’s what the law says
You’re in the turn lane of an intersection waiting to turn left, but traffic heading the opposite direction just won’t let up. The driver in front of you has clearly gotten impatient, creeping their car forward until they’re basically sitting in the middle of the intersection, waiting to turn left.
If you’ve driven around South Carolina for any length of time, you’ve likely encountered this behavior or done it yourself.
But is it legal to wait in an intersection to turn left in South Carolina?
Here’s what state law says on the issue.
Sitting in an intersection in SC
South Carolina Code Section 56-6-2530 states that “except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device, no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle … within an intersection.”
South Carolina Code Section 56-5-2120 further explains what drivers should do at intersections when attempting to make left turns. For instance, the law states that a driver must make a left turn whenever practical, to the left of the center of the intersection.
“The driver making a left turn cannot impede traffic moving in the same direction,” Fulton & Barr Attorneys at Law writes about intersections on its website. “Cutting off oncoming drivers, misjudging the distance/speed of oncoming vehicles, or failure to watch for oncoming traffic are acts of negligence that could cause accidents.”
Left turn rules
South Carolina law states that a driver turning left must use the farthest left-hand lane available in the same direction of traffic. A driver cannot initiate a left-hand turn from a middle lane when a left-turn lane is available.
When at an intersection with a left turn arrow signal, the driver must wait until the green arrow appears. However, if the intersection only has a green light but no arrow, the turning driver must yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic and only turn when it’s safe.
Traffic statistics
Left turn attempts are one of the more common causes of vehicle accidents in South Carolina.
According to the latest South Carolina Department of Public Safety statistics, among 11 vehicle maneuvers tracked, turning left resulted in 115 fatal collisions in the state in 2022 — the third highest. Moving straight ahead had the highest fatalities at 1,067, followed by leaving the traffic lane, with 170 deaths.
Turning left in 2022 also resulted in 397 serious injuries from collision, 6,959 other injuries from collision and 17,019 instances of property damage, the data shows.
This story was originally published December 10, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
