Can You Make a U-Turn at a Highway Service Area?
2 Answers
You cannot make a U-turn at a highway service area. U-turns are prohibited on the entire highway, regardless of whether you are in a service area. If you need to turn around, you must exit at the next off-ramp and then make a U-turn. Prohibited U-turn situations are as follows: U-turns are prohibited where there is a 'No U-turn' or 'No Left Turn' sign: If there is a sign prohibiting U-turns, then you cannot make a U-turn at that intersection. A U-turn is an extension of a left turn, so if there is a 'No Left Turn' sign at an intersection, U-turns are also prohibited there. U-turns are prohibited at crosswalks: You cannot make a U-turn at a crosswalk. If a U-turn is allowed at an intersection, you must cross the crosswalk before turning around and cannot make the U-turn on the crosswalk. U-turns are prohibited when there is no left-turn lane: Even if you are in the leftmost lane, if there is no sign allowing left turns, U-turns are not permitted. U-turns are prohibited in the second left-turn lane: When your vehicle is in the second left-turn lane, you cannot make a U-turn. In the absence of any signs, U-turns are only allowed in the innermost left-turn lane. U-turns are prohibited at solid yellow lines: You cannot make a U-turn at a solid yellow line. Even if there is a sign allowing U-turns, you must wait for the green light and cross the stop line before turning around. U-turns are prohibited on highways: Crossing the central divider to make a U-turn on a highway is illegal and will result in a fine and 12 penalty points. If you miss an exit on the highway, continue driving to the next off-ramp to exit the highway. Never attempt an illegal U-turn out of recklessness.
I've been driving on highways for over twenty years and have witnessed many accidents caused by impulsive actions. It is absolutely forbidden to make a U-turn at a highway service area, as the road design there is solely for rest and replenishment, with exits only connecting to the same direction of the highway. If you attempt to turn around and drive against traffic, you are highly likely to collide with vehicles coming at high speed from behind, as no one expects a vehicle to be going the wrong way in a service area. This is not only extremely dangerous but could also trigger a chain-reaction pileup. Moreover, this is a clear violation of traffic laws. If caught by surveillance cameras or traffic police, you could face penalties ranging from fines and demerit points to the revocation of your driver's license. Safety should always come first. If you miss your exit, simply continue to the next one and take a detour—don't take reckless shortcuts. Exercising caution while driving at high speeds can prevent tragedies.
