Question from Charles: Can you clarify something for me please. I know you can make a U-turn anywhere in Arizona unless it is marked no U-turn and also not on the freeway.

When I was in driver’s training a few years ago the instructor indicated that when you are in a double left turn lane and both arrows are indicating “left turn” that U-turns are NOT allowed. However, at Cave Creek and Beardsley: if you are going to make a right turn from westbound Beardsley north onto Cave Creek there is always a lot of cars making the left turn from southbound Cave Creek onto eastbound Beardsley because of Costco on Beardsley. There is a sign there cautioning drivers making this northbound turn from Beardsley onto Cave Creek to yield to cars making U-turns!

Which is it? The left turn signs do NOT show a U-turn option but it appears that U-turns must be legal there, which contradicts what I was taught in traffic school. 

Answer: A U-turn is allowed in the City of Phoenix if it can be made safely and is not prohibited by sign. A vehicle can make a U-turn from southbound Cave Creek Road at Beardsley Road and go northbound on Cave Creek Road.  The turn must be made from the No. 1 lane or lane closest to the median.  A U-turn can not be made from the No. 2 lane or second left turn lane.

Detective Joe Bianchi is a member of the Phoenix Police Department’s Traffic Bureau.

Have a public-safety question for the police or fire department? Send it to [email protected] and place “public-safety question” in the subject line.

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