Illegal U-turn crash: who is at fault

A driver making a U-turn generally carries the heavier duty to make sure the manoeuvre is safe before starting it, since they are crossing into traffic that already has the right of way. That duty is not absolute. An oncoming or following driver who was speeding or not paying attention can still share the blame. See who is at fault in a crash for the general approach.

The typical facts in this crash

A vehicle turns back across the road, either at a gap in a divider or where a U-turn is not permitted at all, and is struck by oncoming or following traffic. The collision is often sudden, since the turning vehicle is briefly stationary or slow across another lane.

How fault is usually assessed

The turning driver is expected to check that the manoeuvre is genuinely safe and to yield to traffic already on the road. Where the road is marked “No U-Turn” or has a physical divider, that failure adds further weight against the turning driver.

At the same time, a driver approaching at excessive speed, or one who had time to react and did not, can still be found partly responsible.

The evidence that decides a U-turn dispute

• Whether “No U-Turn” signage or road markings applied at that spot.
• Dashcam footage from the oncoming or following vehicle showing speed and reaction time.
• Skid marks, or their absence, from the vehicle that was not turning.
• The point of impact, showing how far across the road the turning vehicle had travelled.
• Witnesses who saw the manoeuvre begin, not just the impact.

Photograph the signage and the road markings before you leave the scene, and lodge your police report within 24 hours.^[2] The police report after an accident explains what to record.

Contributory negligence in a U-turn crash

If the other driver was travelling well above a safe speed for the road, or a rider was not wearing a helmet, compensation can still be reduced or shared without changing who started the crash.^[1] Contributory negligence explained explains how this works.

What to do at the scene and after

Note exactly where the turning vehicle was when it started, not just where the impact happened. Dashcam, photo and video evidence and a road accident claim cover what to do once the scene evidence is secured.