
When turning or making a U-turn, the maximum speed should not exceed 30 kilometers per hour. Motor vehicles shall not exceed a speed of 30 kilometers per hour under the following circumstances, while tractors, electric vehicles, and wheeled special machinery vehicles shall not exceed 15 kilometers per hour: 1. When entering or exiting non-motorized lanes, passing through railway crossings, sharp curves, narrow roads, or narrow bridges; 2. When making a U-turn, turning, or descending a steep slope; 3. When encountering fog, rain, snow, dust, or hail with visibility within 50 meters; 4. When driving on icy, snowy, or muddy roads.

I've been driving for over a decade and always keep my speed low when making turns or U-turns. According to traffic regulations, the maximum speed shouldn't exceed 30 km/h, but in downtown areas with mixed pedestrian and vehicle traffic, I often reduce it to around 20 km/h. Last week during a heavy rainstorm while making a U-turn, the road was completely waterlogged, and even at 30 km/h, I felt the tires slipping, so I quickly eased off the accelerator to stabilize at 15 km/h. Nowadays, with the powerful acceleration of new energy vehicles, some drivers hit the throttle and exceed the speed limit instantly, but during turns, the shift in center of gravity can easily lead to loss of control. Don’t just focus on the dashboard—pay attention to whether there are yield signs at intersections or loose gravel on the road. Experienced drivers know: in these situations, slow is fast.

As a safety driving training instructor, I require trainees to strictly adhere to the 30 km/h speed limit when making turns. Tests on the simulator show that at 40 km/h, the steering wheel suddenly becomes heavier and the rear wheels exhibit noticeable drift. For truck drivers, the training is even stricter due to their longer wheelbase and larger inner wheel difference—some narrow-road U-turns require slowing down to 15 km/h. Intersection cameras commonly capture speeding violations during turns; while the penalty of 200 yuan and 3 demerit points is minor, hitting a suddenly appearing electric scooter would be disastrous. This speed limit is rooted in physics: centrifugal force quadruples when speed doubles, making 30 km/h the safety threshold. Remember to activate the turn signal and reduce speed 50 meters in advance, giving following vehicles adequate reaction time.

Right after I got my driver's license, my instructor kept drilling me on speed control during turns. The test required slow U-turns in first gear, but I later discovered traffic rules mandate not exceeding 30 km/h. Now when making turns in my sedan, I constantly monitor the speedometer, especially near school zones where kids often dart across. Those 90-degree turns in underground garages require extra caution - keeping under 20 km/h feels safest. Once when rushing, I attempted a 30 km/h U-turn at an intersection and nearly scraped the stone curb by the flower bed, leaving my palms sweaty. The new car's automatic braking system couldn't react quickly enough to such sharp turns - in critical moments, it still comes down to my foot control.

According to Article 46 of the Road Traffic Safety Law Implementation Regulations, the maximum speed limit for vehicles making turns or U-turns is 30 km/h. This regulation is based on the physical characteristics of vehicle steering, as excessive speed can easily lead to rollovers or skidding. There are additional special restrictions for different road conditions: for example, the speed limit at railway crossings is 15 km/h, and it may drop to 10 km/h on sharp mountain hairpin turns. Electronic police focus on monitoring speeding during turns, with data from a certain intersection in Hangzhou in 2023 showing that 37% of accidents were caused by speeding during U-turns. Some cities have laid red anti-slip pavement on sharp curves as a reminder to reduce speed. Don't assume cameras can't capture it—now even mobile speed detection vehicles can track turning trajectories.

Only after driving a truck did I realize how crucial the 30 km/h speed limit is. Last year while transporting goods for a logistics company, I made a U-turn on a provincial highway strictly following the speedometer's 30 km/h indication, yet the rear wheels still grazed the roadside guardrail. Later, a veteran driver taught me: for large vehicles, you should drive at least 5 to 10 km/h below the speed limit. Now when I take my family on trips in an SUV, with kids playing with tablets in the backseat during turns, I never exceed 25 km/h - any body roll could make them bump against the windows. On icy or snowy roads, I slow down to under 15 km/h. Last winter solstice when turning on a frosted bridge surface, I began gently braking 100 meters in advance. Some always complain speed limits waste time, but they're far less troublesome than detours for accident handling.


