traffic sign in CA, anyone want to help me win (or maybe lose a bet)

Q

quebert

Member
Okay so I made a bet with my roommate about a sign we saw today. I came home and Googled to find it, but am not seeing it. I was sure I was right, but I don`t know if I`m so sure any more lol. Any ways, we were at an intersection with 2 left turn lanes. The sign on the signal shows 2 left arrows. They said in the far left lane I could u-turn because there wasn`t a no u-turn sign. I said you can`t, and used the next intersection as proof. Because it had a left arrow in the 1st left lane and a left arrow with a u turn arrow in the 2nd. I`ve been driving 25 years, and have always thought this. But after I bet them, I really started to wonder if I`ve always been wrong here. Them saying "it doesn`t say no u turn" is kind of resonating with me. I`m not understanding the 2 different signs, if I can u turn on sign that has 2 left arrows, why isn`t it showing the U turn arrow I see at about every other light? I`m confused and I feel like I`m dumb for not knowing this :(

Anyone in Cali who could point me to where I can see what the heck the 1st sign means? I might get a free lunch if anyone can help, or have to treat a lunch if I`m wrong, like I am often lol. I Googled traffic signs and see like a ton but of course not the single one that will help me.

Or, if I`m wrong and someone tells me I am sure my roommate will just accept a free lunch without picture/description proof. I just need picture proof if I`m right.
 
My thought if u turns are legal in your state/area and there isn’t a “no u turn” sign then one can do one most anywhere as long as yielding to other traffic properly like you typically have to yield to someone trying to make a right turn if you want to u turn

Here in Indiana if we have two left turn lanes it’s either really two left turns or in inside would be used to u turn the outside could not because you would hit the person on the inside lane if they wanted to make a 90 degree normal left turn

Some states like Michigan there are not a lot of left turns at big intersections. You have to right turn the at the next intersection make a u turn in the left turn lane to be able to go the direction you desired from that previous intersection you had to make a right turn at. Here in Indiana since we are a neighboring state it’s referred to as a “Michigan left” we have one such intersection like this on the north side that I know of


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Aren`t the general policies about U-turns a State-specific thing? IIRC (gee, I really oughta know for sure! OK..it`s on the list..), U-turns are categorically illegal in OH. Or at least that`s what I assume, so I try to avoid being spotted by LEOs when I do them.
 
Solid yellow, yeah..but what about other center-lane markings?

Heh heh, we`re *supposed* to pay heed to all those solid lines, huh?
 
Here in GA u-turns are ok unless there is a sign saying “no u-turns allowed”. Now if there are two left turn arrows, I’m not sure how the law interprets that, but if you are in the second left turn lane a u-turn would not be advisable in my opinion. Having two cars making a u-turn at the same time would be very dangerous.

Here the u-turn law is the same as the “right on red” law. A sign saying “no right on red” makes it a no-no.
 
From the California Driver Handbook , English 2019 ---
Legal U-Turns

A U-turn is turning your vehicle around in the street to go back the way you came. To make a U-turn, signal and use the far left lane or the center left turn lane.. You may make a legal U-turn:
* Across a double yellow line when it is safe and legal.
* In a residential district:
- If there are no vehicles approaching you within 200 feet.
- Whenever a traffic sign, light, or traffic signal protects you from approaching vehicles.
* At an intersection on a green traffic signal light or green arrow, unless a "No U-turn sign is posted.
* On a divided highway, only if an opening is provided in the center divider.

Lane Control

Two Sets of solid Double Yellow Lines spaced 2 feet or more apart are considered a barrier. Do not drive on or over this barrier, make a left turn, or a U-turn across it, except at designated openings. (See diagram) The diagram shows the 2 sets of double yellow lines coming to a square in the middle, and 2 yellow signs that say "End Divided Road", and "U-Turn Ok"

Dan F
 
Okay so nothing on Google`s helping me, my roommate still insists they`re right, but they`re trying to get a free lunch so they`re biased. The craziest thing is, I cannot find a picture of the sign on Google, I looked and looked and looked, nothing. It`s like my city had a bunch of the 2nd sign I see everywhere. But they ran out, and couldn`t find more so just used the next closest sign they could find. I used my legendary MSPAINT skills to craft up what I saw. I probably should have also mentioned that both intersections I brought up had islands in the middle. There were no lines of any color. Here`s my pic


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Now there`s no verbiage on either sign. 2nd sign is the one my roommate claims you can still uturn. To me the 1st is clear "you can uturn here" My logic tells me about the 2nd "why isn`t it the 1st sign if I can uturn?" They`re at intersection less than a mile apart. Street has 4 lanes both directions at both intersections. Of course since there is no "no u turn" sign or verbiage, I dunno it just has me confused still. I know laws vary from state to state. But if you saw both would you think you could u-turn at the 2nd? Since there`s apparently nothing on Google here, I`m probably just going to buy my roomie lunch and call it a day. But I`m curious for my own knowing.
 

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Here in NJ, to me, looking at those signs, it`s pretty clear on the left sign, you can only make a U-turn from the left lane, and on the right sign, you can`t make a U-turn at all. Now, because in NJ that kind of U-turn isn`t allowed (and I always feel like I`m doing something wrong when I do it in CA), I read what Stokdgs posted, and it seems like you can make a U-turn pretty much wherever you like in CA, as your roommate noted, as long as their isn`t a "no U-turn sign".

It`s pretty funny to me, because it sounds like any intersection with a light you can make a U-turn, that would get you pulled over here in NJ faster than you can blink.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Here in NJ, to me, looking at those signs, it`s pretty clear on the left sign, you can only make a U-turn from the left lane, and on the right sign, you can`t make a U-turn at all. Now, because in NJ that kind of U-turn isn`t allowed (and I always feel like I`m doing something wrong when I do it in CA), I read what Stokdgs posted, and it seems like you can make a U-turn pretty much wherever you like in CA, as your roommate noted, as long as their isn`t a "no U-turn sign".

It`s pretty funny to me, because it sounds like any intersection with a light you can make a U-turn, that would get you pulled over here in NJ faster than you can blink.
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Welp, they need to get totally rid of the 2nd sign. I mean 1st one`s perfectly clear, the 2nd should be perfectly clear. But I talked to a bunch of my neighbors and none of them have an answer either. "I dunno, I just uturn unless there`s a no uturn sign" was the best I got.

No U Turns at all in Jersey? DAMN! I had a friend in Jersey City, it sounded like a super crazy place to drive by her tellings. I remember 20 years ago the rumor use to be that Geico wouldn`t even insure people in Jersey. I never knew it that was true but it always made me chuckle.
 
quebert said:
No U Turns at all in Jersey? DAMN!
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It`s not as bad as it sounds, we have plenty of jughandles for that kind of thing.

quebert said:
I had a friend in Jersey City, it sounded like a super crazy place to drive by her tellings.
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All those places near the river that were built up in the 1800`s for the horse-and-buggy crowd got gentrified in the 80`s with people trying to find cheaper housing than the city (NYC) but still be close, and it got crazy with so many cars and nowhere to park.
 
rlmccrty2000 & Stokdgs- Hey, thanks for schooling me on the U-turns being OK (under certain circumstances) in your states. Gee, I still learn something new here most every day!
 
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