You want us to make a u-turn? In some situations the answer is yes. Requiring single occupant vehicles to make
u-turns and subsequent right turns instead of direct left turns is a well
documented strategy for improving safety and minimizing delay along arterial
corridors. According to the
Transportation Research Board of The National Academies Access Management Manual, “U-turns are generally safer than direct
left turns. A study of the safety and operational implications of U-turns
versus direct left turns on multilane arterial roadways with a nonreversible
median was conducted in Florida in 2000. The
analysis of 250 sites revealed that right-turn plus U-turn maneuvers on six lane
arterials exhibited a 17.8% lower crash rate and 27.3% lower injury/fatality
rate than direct left turns. The study also found that U-turning drivers
experience less delay than those making a direct left turn from a drive-way
under high-volume conditions. The findings were statistically significant at a
95% confidence level.”
The Wisconsin DOT just put together a summary document of
government agency policies regarding u-turns. Minnesota’s State Statute (169.19 TURNING, STARTING, AND SIGNALING. Subd.
2. U-turn) says:
No vehicle shall be turned so as to proceed
in the opposite direction upon any curve, or upon the approach to or near the
crest of a grade, where such vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of any other
vehicle approaching from either direction within 1,000 feet, nor shall the
driver of a vehicle turn the vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction
unless the movement can be made safely and without interfering with other
traffic.
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