Do You Need to Wait for a Traffic Light When Making a U-Turn on a Dotted Line?

[DiLilah]

If the gap is marked with a dotted line, making a U-turn is not affected by traffic signals and does not require crossing the pedestrian crossing. You can make a U-turn directly as long as it does not interfere with other normally moving vehicles and ensures your own safety. If the gap is marked with a solid line, then making a U-turn requires crossing the pedestrian crossing and is subject to traffic signals. When making a U-turn that requires crossing a pedestrian crossing, you must yield to pedestrians: If pedestrians are walking on the right side of the pedestrian crossing and have not reached the centerline of the road, vehicles on the left side of the road should slow down and proceed cautiously, ensuring safety while allowing pedestrians to cross. If pedestrians are waiting outside the boundary line between motorized and non-motorized lanes and have not entered the roadway, vehicles should slow down and proceed cautiously, ensuring safety while allowing pedestrians to cross. If pedestrians have crossed the boundary line between motorized and non-motorized lanes, vehicles that do not stop and yield are committing a traffic violation and should be penalized. If pedestrians have entered the motorized lane (Lane A) along the pedestrian crossing, vehicles in Lane B should slow down and proceed cautiously, ensuring safety while allowing pedestrians to cross. If vehicles in Lane A do not stop and yield, it is a violation and should be penalized. If pedestrians are waiting at the centerline of the road without entering the motorized lane, vehicles that do not stop and yield are committing a violation and should be penalized. If pedestrians have crossed the centerline of the road and entered the motorized lane, vehicles that do not stop and yield are committing a violation and should be penalized. If the road is divided by a green belt and pedestrians are waiting in the central stopping area, vehicles must slow down and proceed cautiously, ensuring safety while allowing pedestrians to cross. Situations where U-turns are allowed: If there is a U-turn sign at the intersection, you can make a U-turn. If there is a U-turn traffic signal, you must follow the signal's instructions. If there is no signal, you can make a U-turn as long as it does not interfere with other vehicles or pedestrians. If there is no explicit prohibition of U-turns or left turns at the intersection, you can make a U-turn. "No explicit prohibition" means there are no signs like "No U-Turn," "No Left Turn," or solid centerlines, in which case you can safely make a U-turn. U-turns are also allowed in yellow grid zones. Yellow grid lines are no-parking zones marked at intersections or important entrances where temporary parking could cause congestion. Stopping on these lines (including waiting for traffic lights) is a violation. However, while parking is prohibited in yellow grid zones, U-turns are allowed as long as there is no central barrier, effectively making it a "U-turn permitted" zone. If there is a U-turn traffic signal at the intersection, you must follow the signal—only proceed on green. If there are both "No Left Turn" and "U-Turn Allowed" signs, U-turns are permitted but left turns are not. Note that "No U-Turn" is not the same as "No Left Turn." Things to note when making a U-turn at an intersection: Check the road markings. If they are solid lines, U-turns are prohibited under any circumstances. Continue driving to find a suitable location. If there is a "No Left Turn" sign, even if there is no explicit "No U-Turn" sign, U-turns are not allowed at that intersection because U-turns inherently involve a left turn. U-turns must be made from the innermost left-turn lane. If you are in the second left-turn lane, you cannot make a U-turn at that intersection. Always yield to oncoming traffic when making a U-turn. Proceed only if it does not interfere with their right of way, or you will bear full responsibility for any accidents. Near the intersection stop line, lanes usually have guiding arrows. The leftmost lane is not always a left-turn lane—if it has a straight arrow, U-turns are prohibited even if there are no explicit "No U-Turn" signs.