No U-turns sign: what it means

No U-turns sign: a white circle with a red ring, a black U-shaped arrow and a red diagonal bar
Image: Crown copyright, OGL

The no U-turns sign means you must not turn your vehicle round to go back the way you came. The red bar shows the change of direction is banned.

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What it means

Know your traffic signs explains that where a change of direction is prohibited, a red bar across the sign is used as well as the red circle. No right turn and no left turn signs work the same way.

If you have gone the wrong way, carry on until you reach somewhere you may turn round safely and legally.

Where you see it

At junctions and along roads where turning round is not allowed.

A common mistake

Thinking a quiet road makes a U-turn fine. The ban applies whatever the traffic, because rule 109 says you must obey signs that give orders.

Quick quiz

Which part of the no U-turns sign shows that the turn is banned?

  1. The white background
  2. The red bar across the arrow
  3. The black arrow
Show answer

B. The red bar across the arrow. Where a change of direction is prohibited, a red bar is used as well as the red circle. Source: The Highway Code, rule 109, GOV.UK; Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK; The Highway Code: traffic signs, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK

Compare with

Next in regulatory signs: No overtaking sign. See all regulatory signs or the full road signs list.

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Sources

  1. The Highway Code, rule 109, GOV.UK
  2. Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK
  3. The Highway Code: traffic signs, GOV.UK
  4. Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.