Are there any legal limits on where I can make a U-turn? My GPS is often yelling at me to make one and I never know if I should. Also, am I at fault if I make a U-turn and an oncoming car doesn’t stop in time? – Phil, Toronto
In Ontario, you can make a U-turn almost anywhere, as long as it’s safe. But before you try one, make sure your head’s on straight.
“The average person is making a U-turn because they screwed up – they missed the driveway or they missed an off-ramp,” said Sean Shapiro, a road safety consultant and former Toronto traffic cop. “They’re stressed out, they’re not paying attention – and that’s bad.”
If you need to change directions, take a second and consider the safest way to do it, especially if you’re on a busy road, Shapiro said.
“There are so many other ways to turn around,” he said. “For example, you can go around the block or turn around in a driveway. The U-turn is the last resort.”
So what exactly are the rules? In Ontario, you can make a U-turn almost anywhere unless there’s a sign saying you can’t.
But there are exceptions. You can’t make a U-turn on a curve, the crest of a hill, at a railway crossing or within 150 metres of a bridge or tunnel.
“Those things are prohibited even if there aren’t signs there [banning U-turns], mostly because they’re really stupid. You need to have a clear view,” Shapiro said. “I’ve seen people make U-turns on railway tracks and say, ‘Well, there was no sign.’”
The rules vary by province. Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and PEI generally allow U-turns at any intersection, as long as you can make it safely and there’s no sign banning them. Most of those provinces have some exceptions.
But the rules are trickier in other provinces.
For instance, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan ban U-turns at intersections with traffic lights unless there’s a sign saying they’re allowed.
Cities also have their own rules. In Vancouver, for example, bylaws ban U-turns almost everywhere.
A nasty turn?
If you do need to make a U-turn, follow the same rules as other turns, Shapiro said. Signal and make sure it’s clear.
That means more than a quick glance. Look long enough to see who’s coming and judge how fast they’re going, he said.
“The majority of the responsibility is on the turning vehicle regardless of the fact that the other vehicle may in fact be speeding,” Shapiro said. “If I’m turning, I’m looking at it for a second to determine if I have enough room. I’m using my spidey sense to go, is this safe or not?”
Remember that other drivers probably won’t be expecting you to make a U-turn.
“It really is a situation where no one knows what you’re doing until you’re doing it,” he said. “And a left turn and a U-turn look exactly the same (to other drivers) until they’re executed.”
Also, if there’s more than one lane, turn from the leftmost lane in your direction into the leftmost lane in the other direction, without drifting into other lanes.
“[If there are two lanes] and you make a U-turn from the [rightmost] curb lane, you’re just asking for a collision,” Shapiro said.
If you do get hit by an oncoming car while making a U-turn, you’ll be found at fault – that’s the same as if you make a left or right turn into somebody’s path, Shapiro said.
Ontario’s rules to determine who is at fault in a collision state that you are “100 per cent at fault” if there’s a collision while you are making a U-turn.
But even if you don’t cause a crash, you could still get a ticket for an unsafe U-turn, Shapiro said.
“If you are impacting other drivers and they have to hammer the brakes to avoid a collision, then it was unsafe,” he said.
Have a driving question? Send it to globedrive@globeandmail.com and put ‘Driving Concerns’ in your subject line. Emails without the correct subject line may not be answered. Canada’s a big place, so let us know where you are so we can find the answer for your city and province.