Is the U-Turning Vehicle Always Fully Liable?
4 Answers
Yes, the vehicle making a U-turn is responsible for observing road conditions and must yield to through traffic. If the U-turning vehicle completes the maneuver without carefully assessing the traffic situation during normal driving conditions, it should bear full liability. Prohibited U-turn situations are as follows: U-turns are prohibited where there are no-U-turn signs or no-left-turn signs: Any intersection displaying a no-U-turn sign prohibits U-turns. Since a U-turn is essentially an extension of a left turn, intersections with no-left-turn signs also prohibit U-turns. U-turns are prohibited at crosswalks: Never execute U-turns on crosswalks. At intersections where U-turns are permitted, complete the maneuver after fully crossing the crosswalk, without stopping on it. U-turns are prohibited when there is no dedicated left-turn lane: Even in the leftmost lane, U-turns are forbidden without explicit left-turn permission signage. U-turns are prohibited from the second left-turn lane: Vehicles stopped in the second left-turn lane cannot perform U-turns. In the absence of directional signs, U-turns are only permitted from the innermost left-turn lane. U-turns are prohibited at solid yellow lines: Never U-turn across solid yellow lines. Even with U-turn permission signs, wait for the green light and cross the stop line before turning. U-turns are prohibited on highways: Crossing median dividers for U-turns on expressways is illegal, punishable by fines and 12 penalty points. If you miss an exit, proceed to the next one instead of attempting illegal U-turns. U-turn precautions: Always activate the left turn signal in advance, maintain speed below 30 km/h, and avoid obstructing other vehicles/pedestrians with right-of-way.
When it comes to U-turn liability, I've seen quite a few cases. The 'U-turn bears full responsibility' rule isn't absolute—it depends on the specific situation. For example, if you're making a proper U-turn at an intersection where it's permitted, with your turn signal on and proceeding slowly, and an electric scooter comes speeding through and hits you, can you really be held responsible? However, most of the time, traffic laws require turning vehicles to yield to those going straight, so if you hit a vehicle going straight during a U-turn, you're likely to bear the primary or even full responsibility. Pay special attention to exceptional circumstances: if the other party is driving under the influence, severely speeding, or if you're making the turn on a dashed line or a clearly permitted U-turn section. Once, when I helped a friend handle an accident, because the other party ran a red light—clearly captured on dashcam—the U-turn liability turned out to be minimal. Remember, right-of-way determination is a comprehensive assessment, not simply a matter of whoever turned the steering wheel losing.
While studying traffic regulation cases, I found that determining liability in U-turn situations can be quite nuanced. The law naturally prioritizes the right-of-way for through traffic, but the key lies in whether safety obligations were fulfilled. For instance, if you're in the leftmost lane of a three-lane road and initiate a U-turn after confirming it's safe, but a vehicle from the right lane suddenly crosses the solid line and collides with you, the liability determination becomes complicated. Traffic police focus on several critical factors when assigning responsibility: whether turn signals were used, if the U-turn was performed in no-U-turn zones or across double solid yellow lines, and whether proper observation was conducted. I analyzed one case where the U-turning driver's primary liability was reduced to secondary because surveillance footage showed the other party was speeding over 30%, causing insufficient braking distance. Even pedestrians suddenly emerging from behind guardrails sometimes can't be entirely blamed on the U-turning vehicle.
Having driven for over a decade, most accidents during U-turns are caused by blind spots. Even with clean rearview mirrors, electric bicycles can dart out from visual dead zones at their speed. Here's a practical tip: before making a U-turn, besides checking the rearview mirror, always turn your body to glance behind the B-pillar, especially on narrow roads. The most dangerous moment is when the front of the car has just turned and the rear is still sticking out in the middle of the road—this is when accidents most often occur. Just last week at my neighborhood entrance, an SUV making a U-turn didn't notice a delivery bike on its right and got its rear bumper scratched. Ironically, the delivery bike had to pay for damages because it was going the wrong way. Remember: always yield to oncoming traffic, but also watch out for vehicles and pedestrians breaking traffic rules—protecting your car's rear is crucial.
