Opinion ID: 1625947
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Making A Left Turn In Mississippi

Text: Byrd complains that refusal of Instruction No. P-18 was error. P-18 would have advised the jury that, because Smith turned into the lefthand-easternmost lane of the southbound two lanes of Highway 49, he violated Miss. Code Ann. § 63-3-703(b) (1972) and is thus negligent as a matter of law. [1] The statute actually reads: (b) The approach for a left turn shall be made in that proportion of the right half of the roadway nearest the center line thereof and 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. Byrd contends this statute means that a lefthand turn made across a four lane highway is to be executed so that the party making the turn drives directly to the righthand-westernmost lane as quickly as possible. This would have Smith required to cross a lane of possibly oncoming traffic. Visualizing Byrd's theory reveals its impracticability. Our highway safety statutes were enacted in an era when there were few, if any, four lane highways. See Stong v. Freeman Truck Line, 456 So.2d 698, 704-06 (Miss. 1984). We will interpret this statute drafted in an era of two lane highways to accommodate the practical realities of modern four lane highways such as U.S. 49. The center line of the roadway being entered refers in a two lane highway to the dividing line and in a four lane highway to the median area. Byrd's interpretation of the statute is in total contradiction to the proper turning procedure described in the Driver's Handbook put out by the National Traffic Safety Foundation: Drivers making left turns must start and complete the turn in the lane farthest left available to vehicles traveling in their direction.  Driver's Handbook at 8 (1979) There is no error in the trial judge's refusal of Instruction No. P-18.