SULLIVAN, S.J.
On June 13, 2010, Officer Robert Wendling of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was traveling westbound on Gateway Drive when he saw a vehicle, driven by a man later identified as Gunn, making a left turn from westbound Gateway Drive to southbound High School Road. At that location, High School Road is a four-lane road with two lanes in each direction. In making the left turn and entering southbound High School Road, the vehicle did not go into the lane closest to the center line but swung out into the outer lane. Believing that turning left into a lane other than the lane in the right half of the roadway closest to the center line was a traffic infraction, Officer Wendling initiated a traffic stop.
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The manner in which to make a turn at an intersection is governed by Indiana Code section 9-21-8-21 (1991), which provides in pertinent part:
(a) A person who drives a vehicle intending to turn at an intersection must do the following:
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(2) Make an approach for a left turn in that part of the right half of the roadway nearest the center line of the roadway. After entering the intersection, the person who drives a vehicle must make the left turn so as to leave the intersection to the right of the center line of the roadway being entered.
The statute requires a driver making a left turn at an intersection to leave the first road “in that part of the right half of the roadway nearest the center line” and to enter the second road “to the right of the center line.” The statute does not specify which lane the driver must enter if there is more than one lane for traffic in that direction; rather, the only requirement is that the driver must enter a lane to the right of the center line. Officer Wendling initiated the traffic stop for the manner in which Gunn entered High School Road. However, Gunn entered High School Road to the right of the center line and therefore complied with the statute.
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Absent other circumstances, we acknowledge that adoption of the approach advocated by the State would be conducive to traffic safety. The incidence of collisions between vehicles entering southbound High School Road from westbound Gateway Drive and vehicles entering southbound High School Road from eastbound Gateway Drive would likely be diminished. However, the statute in its present form does not require such conduct in making left turns.
. . . [A]lthough an officer’s good faith belief that a person has committed a violation will justify a traffic stop, an officer’s mistaken belief about what constitutes a violation does not amount to good faith.2
[2The State cites the Indiana driver’s manual, which states, “To turn left, be in the far left lane for your direction of travel.” Driver’s Manual, Chapter 5, 54 (2011), http://www.in.gov/bmv/files/Drivers_Manual_Chapter_5.pdf (last visited Oct. 5, 2011). Though such advice may constitute wise policy, it is not a law of this state.] . . . .
2 The State cites the Indiana driver‟s manual, which states, “To turn left, be in the far left lane for your direction of travel.” Driver‟s Manual, Chapter 5, 54 (2011), http://www.in.gov/bmv/files/Drivers_Manual_Chapter_5.pdf (last visited Oct. 5, 2011). Though such advice may constitute wise policy, it is not a law of this state.
The State recognizes Indiana decisions determining that an officer’s mistake of law can never be reasonable but nevertheless asks us to hold that there are certain situations when an officer’s good faith belief, later found incorrect, may be objectively reasonable at the time of the officer’s assessment and sufficient to justify an investigatory stop. We decline this invitation. Because Officer Wendling’s belief that Gunn made an improper turn was a mistake of law, he lacked reasonable suspicion for the traffic stop.
ROBB, C.J., and BROWN, J., concur.