Is it allowed to make a U-turn at this point?

Explanation

Permitted; the centre marking is broken and may be crossed.

What is decisive in this picture is the type of marking in the middle of the road: the centre line is broken, and a broken line may be crossed from either side. Because there is also no sign prohibiting a U-turn, no junction, no pedestrian crossing, no bridge and no tunnel in the picture, there is nothing to prevent a U-turn.

The common mistake is that the candidate assumes a U-turn is inherently a "prohibited act". A U-turn is permitted except at the specified places; those places are a pedestrian crossing, a tunnel, a bridge or overpass and beneath them, a level crossing, a public-transport stop, and anywhere the sight distance is less than 100 metres in at least one direction. In the picture the road is straight and open and none of these conditions applies.

But being permitted does not mean being safe. Before a U-turn you must signal left, be sure of the mirrors and the blind spot, move as close to the right edge as possible, and then complete the manoeuvre without a long halt on the opposing path; throughout the manoeuvre priority belongs to the vehicles travelling in the opposite direction.

Worth memorising: broken means "may be crossed", solid means "do not cross". Identifying the type of marking settles the answer to many U-turn and overtaking questions on its own.

• Treating a U-turn as prohibited here comes from the idea that a U-turn is prohibited in principle; whereas with a broken marking and none of the prohibited places present, there is no reason for a prohibition.

Sources and content coverage · Report a content error