U-turn rule confusing motorists
A recent sa move quiz has revealed that many South Australian motorists are confused about U-turn rules.
Of the 2980 people who took the quiz, only 462 answered all three U-turn questions correctly.
Just 45 per cent of motorists knew that the blue car in the above scenario needs to give way to the red car. On social media, opinions were divided. One user wrote:
“Red gives way as U-turns give way to all other traffic.”
This is incorrect. Here’s why.
RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says it’s a common misconception that motorists doing a U-turn always need to give way to all other traffic or pedestrians.
“This isn’t always the case,” Charles says. “In the example above, the blue car must give way to the car doing a U-turn.
“The blue car is entering the road from a car park, which is a road-related area, so the driver must give way to any traffic already on the road.”
Many social media users didn’t realise this was the case. One person said:
“I didn’t know if exiting a driveway, you must give way to those making a U-turn.”
This rule doesn’t apply if a car is entering from another road. In the example above, the yellow vehicle must give way to the green car as it’s entering from a side street.
Despite the give way sign, the yellow driver must give way to all road users when making the U-turn, other than drivers entering from a road-related area or adjacent land.
Fail to give way to other road users when making a U-turn and you risk receiving a $478 fine, $105 Victims of Crime Levy and three demerit points.