Turning through an intersection...do you turn into the closest lane?

I was taught when making a left or right at an intersection onto a multi-lane road, you turn into the closest lane to you/same lane you are turning from. I'm not actually sure if there is a traffic law in VA to address this or if it's just best-practice. This allows others on the other side to make right on red/yeild (depending on the configuration of the intersection). I see many cut across the furthest lanes(s) in order to make a turn into a shopping center etc. when in fact they should have to turn into their lane, signal, get over if safe or if not, oh well, you have to go further down or make a u-turn or come at it from the other direction. We have a particularly bad intersection that is one of the most dangerous in the county partially for this reason...see below. Cyan left arrow driver goes into furthest lane to get to the shopping area on the right. Cars making the right at the yield (not a red light lane) go into the right most lane and wham-o! I asked a defensive driving instructor specifically about this one and he said the cyan driver should turn into his closest lane (left-most) first then signal over but here you really can't...you'd have to get it differently...bad situation. The county is actually making this whole intersection a funky new style thing (see below) to help with this. So BITOG...if there is a crash...is it the cyan or red driver's fault? Red has to yield to on-coming traffic (which is primarily coming straight through the intersection...but even then you have folks cut over to make that right to get their Walgreens fix hahaha. Cyan has to turn into the closest lane and signal over/yield. I was also told that you shouldn't change lanes within X feet of the intersection....so that handles some of this too. Seems like this could go either way! In before winter tires enter this dicussion.

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Yes and it annoys me to no end when other people refuse to adhere to this simple rule. I imagine people don't follow it because it's more comfortable to make the wider turn.
 
Yes and it annoys me to no end when other people refuse to adhere to this simple rule. I imagine people don't follow it because it's more comfortable to make the wider turn.
Agreed....I mean hit that apex!
 

§ 46.2-846. Required position and method of turning at intersections; local regulations.​

A. Except where turning is prohibited, a driver intending to turn at an intersection or other location on any highway shall execute the turn as provided in this section.

1. Right turns: Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway.

2. Left turns on two-way roadways: At any intersection where traffic is permitted to move in both directions on each roadway entering the intersection, an approach for a left turn shall be made from the right half of the roadway and as close as possible to the roadway's center line, passing to the right of the center line where it enters the intersection. After entering the intersection, the left turn shall be made so as to leave the intersection to the right of the center line of the roadway being entered. Whenever practicable, the left turn shall be made to the left of the center of the intersection.

3. Left turns on other than two-way roadways: At any intersection where traffic is restricted to one direction on one or more of the roadways, and at any crossover from one roadway of a divided highway to another roadway thereof on which traffic moves in the opposite direction, the driver intending to turn left at any such intersection or crossover shall approach the intersection or crossover in the extreme left lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travel of such vehicle and after entering the intersection or crossover the left turn shall be made so as to leave the intersection or crossover, as nearly as practicable, in the left lane lawfully available to traffic moving in such direction upon the roadway being entered.
 
Archaic rules. In California, a left turn from a single turning lane you have the option of turning into any lane of travel going the proper direction. With multiple turn lanes, all lanes turn to the # lane you start from, except the outermost lane has the option if turning onto a street with more lanes than there are turn lanes. So if there are 2 turn lanes turning onto a 3 lane (in one direction) road, #1 turn lane turns to #1 through lane, #2 turn lane turns to #2 or #3 through lanes, operator choice.
For right turns on 2 way streets with one turn lane, you go from curbside turn lane to curbside lane. Turning right onto a one way street, you have your choice of lanes (probably because there is no possibility of conflict with a left turner).
It's outlined in the Cali driver's manual pretty well.
I've tried to research the same for Nevada, but it's not outlined well in either the driver's manual or the vehicle code.
 
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