Which sign prohibits a U-turn?

Explanation

Sign 3 — the struck-through reversing arrow.

All three signs are white circles with a red border and a struck-through arrow, meaning all three prohibit a particular manoeuvre and differ only in the shape of the arrow. Sign 1 has an arrow to the right, sign 2 an arrow to the left, and sign 3 an arrow that turns back through 180 degrees — that complete return is the symbol of a U-turn. So the answer is sign 3.

The most important point in this question is a distinction asked in various forms throughout the exam: "no left turn" and "no U-turn" are two separate signs and neither takes the place of the other. Where only the no-U-turn sign is posted, a left turn remains permitted.

The safety reason for closing off U-turns is that a U-turn is the longest occupation of the carriageway of any manoeuvre: the vehicle must cross the width of the road and the lanes of both directions, and throughout that time it is travelling very slowly and is exposed to a side impact. That is why this manoeuvre is closed off at points of poor visibility, on busy roads and near congested junctions, even where a left turn is still considered safe.

• Sign 1 closes only the right turn and has nothing to do with U-turns; its relevance to the question is zero. • Sign 2 is the most tempting option, because a U-turn begins as a movement to the left; but this sign prohibits only entry into the road on the left, and a U-turn has a sign of its own.

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