According to Article 26 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, violators making a U-turn over double solid lines will be fined 200 yuan and receive a 3-point penalty. Generally, on long roads, solid white lines are usually found in the middle section or before intersections. If the lines are yellow dashed or white dashed, U-turns are permitted. However, U-turns are strictly prohibited over any solid lines, so drivers should carefully observe before attempting a U-turn. Permissible U-turn situations: Intersections with U-turn signs: If there is a clear U-turn sign at an intersection, U-turns are allowed. If there is a U-turn traffic light, drivers must follow its instructions. In the absence of a U-turn traffic light, drivers should make a U-turn only if it does not interfere with other vehicles or pedestrians. Intersections without explicit no-U-turn or no-left-turn signs: If there are no signs explicitly prohibiting U-turns, drivers may proceed with a U-turn. "No explicit prohibition" means the absence of signs such as "No U-turn," "No left turn," or solid center lines, in which case U-turns are permitted. Yellow grid lines also allow U-turns: Yellow grid lines are no-parking zones typically marked at intersections prone to congestion due to temporary parking, important facility entrances, or other designated areas. Parking (including waiting at traffic lights) on yellow grid lines is a violation. Although vehicles cannot stop in these zones, U-turns are permitted as long as there are no central barriers, effectively treating the area as "U-turn allowed." Intersections with U-turn traffic lights: This is straightforward—drivers must follow the U-turn traffic light and proceed only when it is green. Simultaneous no-left-turn and U-turn-allowed signs: In such cases, U-turns are permitted while left turns are prohibited. Note that "No U-turn" is not the same as "No left turn." Precautions when making U-turns at intersections: Observe road markings—U-turns are strictly prohibited over solid lines under any circumstances. Drivers should continue forward to find a suitable U-turn location. If there is a "No left turn" sign ahead, even without an explicit "No U-turn" sign, U-turns are not allowed at that intersection because U-turns inherently involve a left-turning motion. U-turns must be made from the innermost left-turn lane. If the vehicle is in the second left-turn lane, U-turns are prohibited at that intersection. Drivers must yield to oncoming traffic and only proceed with a U-turn if it does not disrupt the normal flow of vehicles, otherwise they will bear full responsibility for any accidents. Near intersection stop lines, lanes often have guiding arrows indicating permissible directions. The leftmost lane may not always have a left-turn arrow—if it shows a straight arrow, U-turns are prohibited even without explicit "No U-turn" signs. U-turns must not be made on pedestrian crosswalks, as this is also a traffic violation.
