How Many Days Can It Take to Check for Illegal U-Turns on Highways?
4 Answers
Making an illegal U-turn on highways is a traffic violation, and it usually takes 3-7 days to be recorded, as the traffic police department needs to input and verify the information. The latest it can take is no more than 13 working days. Scenarios where U-turns are prohibited are as follows: U-turns are prohibited where there are 'No U-turn' or 'No Left Turn' signs: If there is a 'No U-turn' sign at an intersection, U-turns are not allowed there. Since a U-turn is an extension of a left turn, intersections with 'No Left Turn' signs also prohibit U-turns. U-turns are prohibited at crosswalks: U-turns are not allowed on crosswalks. If U-turns are permitted at an intersection, you must cross the crosswalk before making a U-turn; you cannot make a U-turn directly on the crosswalk. U-turns are prohibited when there is no left-turn lane: Even if you are in the leftmost lane, U-turns are not allowed unless there is a sign permitting left turns. U-turns are prohibited in the second left-turn lane: When a vehicle is in the second left-turn lane, it cannot make a U-turn. Without any signs indicating otherwise, U-turns are only allowed in the innermost left-turn lane. U-turns are prohibited at solid yellow lines: U-turns are not allowed at solid yellow lines. Even if there is a sign permitting U-turns, you must wait for the green light and cross the stop line before making a U-turn. 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 to the next exit instead of attempting an illegal U-turn.
Regarding the query time for illegal U-turns on highways, after driving for so many years, I know that such violations usually take a few days to appear in the system. Data on highway violations, captured by road cameras or traffic police, is first transmitted to a backend processing center. The system then automatically identifies and reviews the footage, a process that takes at least 3 days. During system maintenance or holidays, it might take up to a week or even longer. I once had a violation that took five or six days to show up in the records. I recommend using the Traffic Management 12123 App to check in real-time by logging into your account and entering your license plate number—it’s very convenient. If you still can’t find any record after two weeks, chances are you weren’t caught. But don’t take any chances—making an illegal U-turn on the highway is extremely dangerous. Not only does it result in 12 penalty points and a fine of over a thousand yuan, but it could also cause a serious accident. Safe driving is always the best practice.
A friend of mine shared his experience checking records after a highway violation. About three to four days later, he received a text notification and immediately logged into the official website of the traffic management bureau, entering his ID information to check the details. The query time generally ranges from 3 to 10 days, depending on the processing efficiency of different regions. Urban sections are faster, while remote highways might be slower. If you're in a hurry to handle it, calling the local traffic management office directly for consultation is more reliable. By the way, this kind of violation is quite serious—points deduction and fines are unavoidable, and it will also affect next year's insurance premium. Friends, always pay attention to road signs and markings when driving. Don't risk making illegal U-turns for temporary convenience—it's really not worth it. Next time, I'll go into more detail about how to check other types of violations.
Checking highway traffic violations can be quite nerve-wracking. Last time I made an illegal U-turn and got caught on camera, I kept refreshing the mobile app every day, anxiously waiting for the results. Typically, system records are updated within a week as the backend needs to process massive amounts of video and photo evidence. Sometimes violations recorded on Friday may not be entered until the following Monday. I recommend setting up SMS notifications for updates. If you can't wait, visiting the traffic police station's service window in person is the fastest way to check. Never ignore it thinking it might go away – losing 12 points means retaking the driving test, which is a huge hassle, and such behavior on highways can easily cause chain-reaction accidents. Stay patient for a few days while planning study time to prepare for potential exams.
