When making a U-turn at this intersection

Explanation

You must give way to the other drivers.

On the dashboard the green left arrow is lit and the car's left indicator is flashing; that is, you intend to make a U-turn. At the same time the blue car is approaching the junction from the left with its indicator on and wants to enter your carriageway.

You should memorise the governing principle as a general rule: a manoeuvre never creates priority. A driver making a U-turn is changing direction and, before beginning the manoeuvre, is obliged to make sure he creates no obstruction to other road users. A U-turn is the worst case in this respect, because the car's path sweeps the full width of the carriageway and cuts across every flow present at the junction: both the opposing lane and the car entering from the road on the left.

The safety reason lies in exactly that. A U-turn holds the car for several seconds at almost zero speed and crosswise in the middle of the junction; in that position the car's side faces every vehicle approaching at speed, and the side is the weakest part of a car's structure. That is why the legislator places the whole burden of decision on the one beginning the manoeuvre.

Practical point: before a U-turn you must have space for the whole manoeuvre, not just for its beginning. If you are forced to stop in the middle of a U-turn, you have locked the junction. Wait until the blue car has completed its manoeuvre, then begin.

• The idea that "since I reached the junction earlier or have signalled, I perform the manoeuvre first" is common; but arriving earlier and signalling are neither of them sources of priority, and a U-turn is a manoeuvre that must be performed in an empty gap.

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