Can You Make a U-Turn at a Red Light with a Stop Line?
2 Answers
Whether you can make a U-turn at a red light with a stop line depends on the situation. If the U-turn does not cross the stop line of the lane and does not affect the normal driving of other vehicles, you can make a U-turn at a red light. However, if the U-turn requires crossing the stop line of a left-turn or U-turn lane, you must follow the traffic light instructions to make the U-turn. Here are the situations where U-turns are allowed: Presence of U-turn signal or sign: If there is a U-turn signal at the intersection, you can make a U-turn when the U-turn signal is green. If there is a U-turn sign or a U-turn indication on the lane, you can make a U-turn while ensuring the safety of yourself and others. No U-turn sign but left turns are allowed (no prohibition of U-turn signs): At intersections where left turns are allowed and there are no signs or markings prohibiting U-turns, you can make a U-turn. Note that the vehicle must not affect the normal driving of other vehicles and must follow the left-turn signal. If you want to make a U-turn at an intersection with a left-turn waiting area, you can first enter the waiting area when the straight signal is green and then make the U-turn when the left-turn signal turns green. U-turns allowed at dashed lines: U-turns are allowed at both white and yellow dashed lines. For double yellow lines (one solid and one dashed), check whether your side is the dashed line. If it is, you can make a U-turn safely; if it is a solid line, U-turns are not allowed. If you encounter double yellow lines at an intersection, you can make a U-turn on the dashed side, but you must not cross the stop line ahead. U-turns allowed at yellow grid lines: Parking is prohibited in yellow grid areas, but as long as there is no central barrier, you can make a U-turn here after yielding to normally moving vehicles. U-turns allowed on the dashed side of a green belt: When the front of the green belt is a dashed line, vehicles on that side can make a U-turn from there. If the front of the green belt is a solid line, vehicles must follow the traffic signal, cross the pedestrian crossing before making a U-turn, and must not cross the solid line or the pedestrian crossing to make the U-turn.
Having driven for over twenty years, I've encountered countless situations with red lights and stop lines at intersections. Never make a reckless U-turn. When the red light is on, even if there are no cars, you must honestly stop behind the stop line—this is strictly defined by traffic rules. As for U-turns, unless there's a clearly visible sign allowing U-turns or a special signal light is on, you absolutely must not do it. Once, I was in a hurry and tried to make a U-turn at an intersection to turn around, but I almost collided with an oncoming electric bike. The police arrived, fined me 200 yuan, and deducted points. If you really need to make a U-turn, wait for the green light or find a safe spot—don’t follow the example of reckless drivers. Usually, I pay close attention to surrounding signs while driving; safety comes first, and it’s not worth taking risks to save time. In cities, intersections often have cameras, and getting caught will surely bring trouble.
