Question About U-Turns

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by minDyG

I did a search but couldn't find anything pertaining to this so here is my question.

I have long been aware of the (supposedly little-known) law that states--at least in the state of Georgia--that if you are making a left-hand turn at a red light from a one-way street onto another one-way street, that it is okay to go on red because it is the same as turning right at a regular stoplight (since you're only yielding to traffic coming from one direction). I have freaked out at least a few passengers by honoring this allowance in downtown Athens, GA, where there are quite a few criss-crossed one-way streets.

Anyway, my question pertains to U-turns. I have logically deduced this out in my head and to me it makes perfect sense...but I just wonder if I'm being stubborn just because I want to be right about it. Say you are driving down a divided highway (the kind with a cement barrier between the two opposite directions of traffic but not the kind with an actual median), and you arrive at a stop-light where you need to make a U-Turn...if the light for the left-turn lane is a red arrow or even if the light is red altogether, as long as no one is coming from the other direction (i.e. not perpendicular but parallel--the complete opposite direction), what would it hurt by going ahead and making the U-turn? To me, this is the same traffic exchange as making a left turn from one one-way street onto another one-way street at a red light.

Am I onto something here, or am I just looking for an excuse to run red lights?

Aren't U-turns in most states illegal anyways? They are in Michigan. That's why we have the wonderful MICHIGAN LEFTS!

To answer your question, I"m thinking that if it's a red arrow, it's definitely illegal.

Originally Posted by AGDee

In Michigan, it's only legal if there is a meridian that is at least 60 feet wide, so a cement barrier alone probably wouldn't let it qualify. You would still have to stop at the red first, then proceed if traffic is clear.

This pisses me off on Telegraph down by that stretch of Van Born to Cherry Hill, where it's mostly viaducts (sp?) and nowhere to make a left.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Are you really that stupid?

Answer to your post is no, right turn on red only after stop!

If I was in my Police car and saw you do that, well, a ticket!

You Obey the lights.

You're in Missouri, Tom. She's in Georgia. Traffic laws vary from state to state, especially with regard to u-turns, right-on-red, left-on-red and similar laws.

minDyG, the Georgia Driver's Manual (p. 40) specifically mentions right-on-red and left-on-red, but says nothing about u-turns-on-red. With regard to left-on-red, it specifically conditions that right as follows: "from the left lane of a one way street only onto a one way street on which the traffic moves toward the driver’s left." A u-turn is not a left turn, nor are you turning onto a one-way street that moves to your left, so it would not seem to satisfy this condition.

The only mention of u-turns in the book (p. 44) says "Do not make a U-turn where signs prohibit doing so." Arguably, a red light is a sign or signal prohibiting any movement, except for right- or left- turns as allowed.

I would assume it's not legal unless something can be found specifically saying that it is.

[smiley21]

Isn't the only move legal at a red light is a right hand turn unless otherwise noted?

[Tom Earp]

No, I am in Kansas!

I guess you could do a U-Turn if not caught or T-Boned!

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by minDyG

Tom Earp, did YOU just call me stupid?

LOL.

The correct answer to this is, "Pot, this is my friend Kettle...what color are you today?"

[minDyG]

Originally Posted by AGDee

In Michigan, it's only legal if there is a meridian that is at least 60 feet wide, so a cement barrier alone probably wouldn't let it qualify. You would still have to stop at the red first, then proceed if traffic is clear.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

You're in Missouri, Tom. She's in Georgia. Traffic laws vary from state to state, especially with regard to u-turns, right-on-red, left-on-red and similar laws.

minDyG, the Georgia Driver's Manual (p. 40) specifically mentions right-on-red and left-on-red, but says nothing about u-turns-on-red. With regard to left-on-red, it specifically conditions that right as follows: "from the left lane of a one way street only onto a one way street on which the traffic moves toward the driver’s left." A u-turn is not a left turn, nor are you turning onto a one-way street that moves to your left, so it would not seem to satisfy this condition.

The only mention of u-turns in the book (p. 44) says "Do not make a U-turn where signs prohibit doing so." Arguably, a red light is a sign or signal prohibiting any movement, except for right- or left- turns as allowed.

I would assume it's not legal unless something can be found specifically saying that it is.

Thanks. These two responses are pretty much the kinds of feedback I'm looking for...everyone who is just repeating the fact that you can't go at a red-light is a bit redundant.

[minDyG]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

LOL.

The correct answer to this is, "Pot, this is my friend Kettle...what color are you today?"

Well that would feel like I was admitting to being stupid myself in the first place.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by minDyG

Well that would feel like I was admitting to being stupid myself in the first place.

Meh, it's Earp anyway. Half the people here have him on ignore and the other 49% don't pay any attention to his drunk rants anyway.

I did find it literally LOL funny that he would think to call someone stupid. I know it's just a persona that he puts on here to make everyone feel sorry for his pathtic ass, but you can't play the duel role of the town drunk and the villiage idiot and expect anyone to respect anything you say/do.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by smiley21

Isn't the only move legal at a red light is a right hand turn unless otherwise noted?

It depends on the state.

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

No, I am in Kansas!

Sorry. Thought you were on the Missouri side.

[KappaKittyCat]

In WI, as far as I know, you cannot make U-turns at controlled intersections.

[DeltAlum]

Colorado law is a little sketchy on these things.

It says something like (really paraphrasing here) U turns are allowed in safe areas. Generally, if they don't want you to make one at an intersection, it is marked No U Turns.

Right turns on red after full stops are legal unless marked otherwise.

Left turns from a far left lane of a one way street to the far left lane of a crossing one way street are legal unless marked otherwise.

It is illegal to make any turn if there is a red arrow pointing in that direction.

Now, here's a good Colorado question:

If two cars meet going different directions on a one lane mountain road, who has the right or way, the car going uphill or the one going down?

[UGAalum94]

The car coming down is my guess for having the right of way.

(I'm basing this off the somewhat frequent run-away-truck-lanes that you see for coming down the mountain. You wouldn't want the burden to yield to on the guy already worried about speed control, IMHO.)

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by AlphaGamUGAAlum

The car coming down is my guess for having the right of way.

(I'm basing this off the somewhat frequent run-away-truck-lanes that you see for coming down the mountain. You wouldn't want the burden to yield to on the guy already worried about speed control, IHO.)

Your are correct, although I can see arguments for both. Backing up either way on a narrow mountain road is scary.

[ztafromuk]

U-turns are legal in Georgia, as long as the road is straight and there's no sign. There's no requirement on how wide the median must be.

I'm pretty sure that if an officer saw you make your "U-turn-on-red" that he'd pull you over and cite you for running the red light. I don't see how the statute can be applied to permit you to make a "turn in the opposite direction," but I haven't pulled the case law.

There's a handy free online version of the Georgia Code at

http://www.lexis-nexis.com/hottopics/gacode/default.asp


From the Official Code of Georgia:

§ 40-6-121. U-turns

No vehicle shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction:
(1) Upon any curve;
(2) Upon the approach to or near the crest of a grade where such vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of another vehicle approaching from either direction;
(3) Where such turn cannot be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic; or
(4) Where a prohibition is posted.


§ 40-6-21 (a)(3)(D) Left Turn on Red

Traffic, except pedestrians, facing a steady CIRCULAR RED signal, after stopping as provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, may make a left turn from the left-hand lane of a one-way street onto a one-way street on which the traffic moves toward the driver's left but shall stop and remain stopped for pedestrians and yield the right of way to other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at such intersection. Such vehicular traffic shall not make a left turn against a steady CIRCULAR RED signal at any intersection where a sign is erected prohibiting such left turn;

[MysticCat]

^^^ Like I said, a u-turn is not a left turn. I wouldn't assume that a u-turn qualifies as a left-turn permitted on a red light unless a police officer or someone else with some authority told me so.