2006 Code of Virginia § 46.2-804 - Special regulations applicable on highways laned for traffic

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 thetime and place and under the conditions existing, shall be driven in the lanenearest the right edge or right curb of the highway when such lane isavailable for travel except when overtaking and passing another vehicle or inpreparation for a left turn or where right lanes are reserved for slow-movingtraffic as permitted in this section;

2. A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as is practicable entirely within asingle lane and shall not be moved from that lane until the driver hasascertained that such movement can be made safely;

3. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 5 of this section, on ahighway which is divided into three lanes, no vehicle shall be driven in thecenter lane except when overtaking and passing another vehicle or inpreparation for a left turn or unless such center lane is at the timeallocated exclusively to traffic moving in the direction the vehicle isproceeding and is signed or marked to give notice of such allocation.Traffic-control devices may be erected directing specified traffic to use adesignated lane or designating those lanes to be used by traffic moving in aparticular direction regardless of the center of the roadway and drivers ofvehicles shall obey the directions of every such device;

4. The Commonwealth Transportation Board, or local authorities in theirrespective jurisdictions, may designate right lanes for slow-moving vehicles;

5. Wherever a highway is marked with double traffic lines consisting of asolid line immediately adjacent to a broken line, no vehicle shall be drivento the left of such line if the solid line is on the right of the brokenline, but it shall be lawful to make a left turn for the purpose of enteringor leaving a public, private, or commercial road or entrance. Where themiddle lane of a highway is marked on both sides with a solid lineimmediately adjacent to a broken line, such middle lane shall be considered aleft-turn or holding lane and it shall be lawful to drive to the left of suchline if the solid line is on the right of the broken line for the purpose ofturning left into any road or entrance, provided that the vehicle may nottravel in such lane further than 150 feet;

6. Wherever a highway is marked with double traffic lines consisting of twoimmediately adjacent solid lines, no vehicle shall be driven to the left ofsuch 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.)