What I've Learned

On busy roadways in Michigan, left turns are not allowed. If there is a stop light at a crossroad, there is no left turn signal and no left turn lane.

An advantage to this is that the traffic light sequence is shortened. A disadvantage is -- well, you can't turn left.

But what if you really need to go left? What if you are out of potatoes and PEZ refills for your candy dispenser and the store is not straight ahead or to the right?

In that case, you must make what is called a Michigan Left. That is, make a U-turn, then turn right.

I'll say it again, in case you're confused. To turn left in Michigan, you make a U-turn, then turn right.

What idiot, I hear you say, dreamed that up? I don't know specifically which idiot it was, but on divided roadways throughout Michigan, that's how it's done.

On smaller, two-way roads, left turns are allowed. There are left turn signals and lanes. But on busy, divided roads there are U-turn lanes -- not at intersections, but every half-block or so -- allowing drivers to make Michigan Lefts.

It was in the 1960s on Telegraph Road [US-24] in Detroit, that Michigan first experimented with the no left turn concept. The results were impressive. Not only did traffic flow increase, accidents dropped dramatically.

Here are some quotes from the Michigan Department of Transportation website.

"Michigan Lefts are a type of turn common in our state. Where a Michigan Left is in place, left turns at the intersection are not allowed. Instead, to turn left, you must drive straight, then make a U-turn at a median crossover."

"Michigan Lefts relieve congestion. They provide 20 to 50 percent greater capacity than direct left turns. They reduce average delays to left-turning vehicles and through traffic."

"On roadways where crossovers and Michigan Lefts have been added, crashes have been reduced 30 to 60 percent overall.

The greatest reductions are in rear-end and head-on crashes during left-turns (60 to 90 percent reduction) and right-angle crashes (60 percent reduction)."

The Michigan DOT does note that Michigan Lefts have caused a slight increase in two other crash types.

Rear-end crashes increased by approximately 25 percent, and fixed-object crashes increase by approximately 20 percent.

Most of the fixed-object crashes involve sliding into the curb during snowy and icy conditions.

Though Michigan has been using its no left turn pattern for more than 40 years, other states and countries are only now beginning to consider it.

In 2010, Plano, Texas instituted a Michigan Left at the intersection of Preston Road and Legacy Drive.

Draper, a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah, announced in 2011 that it planned a "Thru-Turn" (read Michigan Left) at the intersection of 12300 South and State Street, just off Interstate 15.

In Australia, the state government in Victoria announced in 2009 the introduction of "P-turns." Traffic in Australia drives on the left side, so P-turns would be mirror images of the Michigan Left.

Guadalajara, Mexico has a version of the Michigan left.

Brazil also uses this setup, especially in Sao Paulo.

As governmental budgets get tighter, the savings afforded by the Michigan Left system could make it more common. I doubt, however, that Maine would ever adopt it. When all other states have Michigan Lefts, we will staunchly declare:

Maine, the way left turns were meant to be.