When is a yellow pavement marking a ‘median’ and can I turn left across it?

Q: Is it legal to turn left across two solid yellow lines? What about an extra-wide single yellow line?

A: Lines. Our highways are covered with them. White, yellow, solid, dashed.

It’s understandable that there might be some confusion about what they all mean and when and where we are allowed to cross them.

Today, we here at Traffic Q&A headquarters will try to decipher the rules for solid yellow lines running down the middle of the highway.

First, let’s take up the case of two solid yellow lines separating lanes of travel. Most of you know that means no passing. But can you cross them to make a left turn?

Turns out you can.

This from the Washington Driver’s Guide: “You may cross yellow lane markings, except medians, to turn left if it is safe.” That includes into an alley, driveway or private road, according to RCW 46.61.130.

Rock on.

But what about that “median” part? That’s a bit trickier.

In our minds, a median is a physical barrier of some sort. We usually picture a grassy swale, that, unfortunately, becomes strewn with garbage at certain times a year.

The Driver’s Guide describes a median as “an open space, a highway divider, or a median island.”

Yes, yes and yes.

It also goes on to say medians can be formed “either by 18-inch solid yellow pavement markings or by yellow crosshatchings between two solid yellow lines.”

We can’t recall coming across a crosshatching example, but we have seen the 18-inch markings on Pacific Highway East as it skirts past Milton on its way up to Federal Way.

We’re making a note of it for the next time we’re heading north after breakfast at the Poodle Dog. No left turn.

This story was originally published July 15, 2018 at 10:00 AM with the headline "When is a yellow pavement marking a ‘median’ and can I turn left across it?."