No Stupid Questions

Appreciate all the responses so far. I forgot to mention some background:

• This isn’t a place with sensible driving. Yes, there are reckless drivers everywhere, but that’s another story.

• Blinkers and right of way basically don’t exist here. Cars aren’t the only things on the road. It’s usually bumper to bumper all day long.

• Traffic lights have a numeric countdown, which is fine. But the system somehow thinks 15 seconds is enough for 20+ cars, bumper to bumper, to complete a left turn and clear the intersection. So yeah, that’s why there’s a real risk of collisions.

Back to the OP, I’ve noticed some drivers do the following:

• Zero fucks given, just make the U-turn like they own the road (99% of the time).

• On rare occasions, some roll down their window, honk, and point left. Others just honk.

I don't understand the problem with the car in front doing a U-turn. How does that increase the probability of rear-ending or missing a light? Even if it were a regular turn, some people turn faster and some slower, some people take longer to respond to a light change, and some wait for a larger clearance in oncoming traffic before turning. Whatever they decide to do, you just follow their lead.

I look for lane positioning to see if the person in front of me is doing a u-turn. We have mostly 2+2 and 3+3 roads and almost everyone drives these big clunky SUVs and massive trucks. They'll turn from the furthest right part of the left turn lane and still need the whole road and the merge lane to spin around. Conversely, people turning left tend to sit in the middle or on the left of the lane. The bigger problem is many don't realize that a u-turn must yield to all other movements.

The only thing you can do is use your signal and turn when it is legal and safe.

The proper etiquette is “not there”. Just because you feel the need doesn’t mean it needs to be here and now. When you’re disrupting other people you’re also causing a hazard to you and them. You can turn on a side street or go around the block or turn into a parking lot so you don’t obstruct traffic don’t cause a hazard, and it may only add a few seconds

Note that your gps would guide you around the block or other place you can do it safely

I just don't make u-turns at busy intersections, specifically because they're problematic.

If I need to go back the way I just came, I make a left into a parking lot, turn around there, then pull back out onto the street, or if that's not possible, I simply go around the block.

My view is that doing unnecessary things that interrupt the flow of traffic is always a bad idea.

If there's enough traffic that you need to signal your u-turn; then don't! Circle the block or go down to the next exit to turn around. Don't make your poor planning every one else's problem.

U-turns are almost always poor traffic etiquette.

Use your blinker and turn. You are not responsible for the actions of the car behind you.

All you can do is go slower, and hope the traffic around you realizes what you are doing. Try to slow down when approaching the intersection earlier so it's not all so sudden.

There is a left turn lane near where I live where U-turns are explicitly allowed, on a divided road, at a light with a dedicated left turn/u-turn lane and turn arrow. It's not the cars you behind you you have to worry about, though. It's the oncoming traffic that would turn right, that has a red light when you are making your U-turn, but they assume you are turning left and can make their right on red (perhaps without stopping like they should).

In California, a U turn is considered a left turn that keeps going. As a result, a U turn is legal anywhere that a left turn is legal, except when signs are posted otherwise. So in a left-turn pocket/lane, it is both reasonable and expected that people will make left turns, some of which will continue into a full 180 degree turn. People who do U turns are doing what is allowed, and they have every right to do so. If this seems like a problem, then talk to your transportation department to restrict U turns.

I'm not aware of any aspect of a U turn procedure that would be any different than than a standard 90 degree turn: use turn signals, look for oncoming traffic, look for pedestrians, turn slowly as required by the radius, roll out of the turn with careful acceleration.

I get surprised every time someone does it, so I dont think there exists a good etiquette that makes it obvious what you are doing

If you are in the left turn lane at a standstill waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, the turn signal is doing very little for cars behind you. It is to indicate to oncoming traffic that you might pull out in front of them.

If you come up behind someone and are frustrated that they are not turning as quickly as you would like, the main resolution to this problem is for you to take a deep breath. At most, they are increasing your commute time by a matter of seconds.

If someone not turning when you want them to is almost causing accidents, then you probably need to slow down. Other people in this thread are talking about how the U turner is at fault for being unpredictable - and sure, it is very nice when all drivers are predictable all the time. But that doesn't really matter if you get in a collision. A judge might say the other driver was in the wrong - but it will still suck to hear it with a totalled car, endless insurance headaches, and a broken arm. Assuming you don't want that outcome, it is your job to drive such that you are prepared for people behaving in ways you don't expect. And that means leaving enough time distance between yourself and a stopped car so that you don't rear end them if they continue being stationary.

I have found that U-Turners do not go into the intersection like left turners do.

They will stay tight to the curb at the intersection and then make the U-Turn from there without entering the intersection.

If I can’t make a U-turn completely, I don’t try to make it. I’ll go up until I find a place where I can like a dedicated left turn lane that does have enough space to do a U-turn or I find a driveway/business where I can safely do one, making sure no cops are nearby to ticket me if it illegal.

Or I’ll do the 3 left/rights to perform an alternative to a U-turn if it’s that busy of a city/town which can effectively get what you want in a different way. Takes a little bit extra, but is worth it to avoid a ticket or an accident.

This is why they are illegal at almost all intersections where I live.

I can usually tell someone is going to u-turn by the way they position their car. I.e. wide/to the right, often using the turning lane itself to get as much rotation as possible, and wheels turned sharply.

Do those things

SImple solution is to just go into the turn slow. This gives a hint to the car behind you that you might be doing something beyond a left turn, and reaction time for any traffic that you may have to yield for (whether or not they legally have the right-of-way). Once you start turning more it ought to be obvious.

Of course lots of accidents are from obvious situations that could have been avoided, but not doing a legal U-turn isn't going to fix stupid people.