§ 46.2-804. Special regulations applicable on highways laned for traffic
Whenever any roadway has been divided into clearly marked lanes for traffic, drivers of vehicles shall obey the following:
1. Any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions existing, shall be driven in the lane nearest the right edge or right curb of the highway when such lane is available for travel except when overtaking and passing another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn or where right lanes are reserved for slow-moving traffic as permitted in this section;
2. A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as is practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from that lane until the driver has ascertained that such movement can be made safely;
3. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 5 of this section, on a highway which is divided into three lanes, no vehicle shall be driven in the center lane except when overtaking and passing another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn or unless such center lane is at the time allocated exclusively to traffic moving in the direction the vehicle is proceeding and is signed or marked to give notice of such allocation. Traffic-control devices may be erected directing specified traffic to use a designated lane or designating those lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction regardless of the center of the roadway and drivers of vehicles shall obey the directions of every such device;
4. The Commonwealth Transportation Board, or local authorities in their respective jurisdictions, may designate right lanes for slow-moving vehicles and the Virginia Department of Transportation shall post signs requiring trucks and combination vehicles to keep to the right on Interstate Highway System components with no more than two travel lanes in each direction where terrain is likely to slow the speed of such vehicles climbing hills and inclines to a speed that is less than the posted speed limit;
5. Wherever a highway is marked with double traffic lines consisting of a solid line immediately adjacent to a broken line, no vehicle shall be driven to the left of such line if the solid line is on the right of the broken line, but it shall be lawful to make a left turn for the purpose of entering or leaving a public, private, or commercial road or entrance. Where the middle lane of a highway is marked on both sides with a solid line immediately adjacent to a broken line, such middle lane shall be considered a left-turn or holding lane and it shall be lawful to drive to the left of such line if the solid line is on the right of the broken line for the purpose of turning left into any road or entrance, provided that the vehicle may not travel in such lane further than 150 feet;
6. Wherever a highway is marked with double traffic lines consisting of two immediately adjacent solid lines, no vehicle shall be driven to the left of such lines, except when turning left.
(Code 1950, § 46-222; 1952, c. 671; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-206; 1962, c. 87; 1979, c. 25; 1985, c. 481; 1989, c. 727; 2007, c. 501.)
Sections: Previous 46.2-800 46.2-800.1 46.2-801 46.2-802 46.2-803 46.2-803.1 46.2-804 46.2-805 46.2-806 46.2-807 46.2-808 46.2-808.1 46.2-809 46.2-809.1 46.2-810 NextLast modified: April 3, 2009