U-turn rules in Armenia: where banned, which lane

A U-turn is a maneuver to change the direction of travel to the opposite one (Rules, point 3, subpoint 10). It is banned in seven places: on pedestrian crossings, in tunnels, on and under bridges, overpasses and elevated roads, at railway crossings, where visibility is under 100 m in at least one direction, on sections of the roadway with public transport stops, and on one-way roads (point 50). Intersections are not on this list: at an intersection it is reversing that is banned, not a U-turn (point 49).

Before a U-turn, move early into the left edge lane unless a sign or marking allows the maneuver from another lane (point 40). A U-turn is banned by sign 3.19 "No U-turn"; sign 3.18.2 "No left turn" does not ban it.

U-turn, turn and reversing: what is the difference

These three maneuvers are often mixed up, and the answer to an exam question often depends on exactly that difference.

• Turn: a maneuver to leave onto another road or from the road into an adjacent area (Rules, point 3, subpoint 9).
• U-turn: a maneuver to change the direction of travel to the opposite one (subpoint 10).
• Reversing: does not count as a change of direction (subpoint 8).

So "left turn" and "U-turn" are not the same thing. One maneuver may be banned by a sign while the other is allowed, and the other way round.

Where a U-turn is banned

Point 50 of the Rules names seven places. A U-turn is banned:

1. on pedestrian crossings;
2. in tunnels;
3. on and under bridges, overpasses and elevated roads;
4. at railway crossings;
5. where visibility of the road is under 100 m in at least one direction;
6. on sections of the roadway with public transport stops;
7. on one-way roads.

Two details trip people up most often. First, the ban applies on the crossing itself, not on the approach to it: a U-turn that starts before a railway crossing is not banned by point 50. Second, reversing is banned in the same places and, in addition, at intersections (points 49–50), so a missed turn at an intersection cannot be fixed by backing up.

If the road has another prohibition, you must follow it. For example, solid lines 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 may not be crossed (Rules, Form No. 2).

What the signs ban and allow

• 3.19 "No U-turn" bans the U-turn.
• 3.18.2 "No left turn" bans only the left turn. The sign applies at the intersection it stands before. A U-turn is a separate maneuver, and this sign does not ban it.
• Signs 3.18.1, 3.18.2 and 3.19 do not apply to public transport vehicles: trams, trolleybuses and buses on routes with stops.
• Signs 4.1.1–4.1.6 that allow a left turn also allow a U-turn. The same goes for signs 5.15.1 and 5.15.2: a sign that allows a left turn from the left edge lane allows a U-turn from it.
• Under sign 6.3.1 "U-turn place" a left turn is prohibited.

Sign groups and their zones of effect are explained in detail in the article on road sign groups.

Which lane to use and whom to give way to

Before a turn or U-turn, you move early into the edge lane of the roadway intended for that direction. For a left turn and a U-turn this is the left edge lane. Point 40 names three exceptions:

• entering a roundabout;
• a sign or marking allows the maneuver from other lanes;
• the vehicle's size or another reason makes it impossible to do it from that lane.

In the last case, switch on the hazard lights and give way to vehicles approaching from both directions, same and oncoming (point 43).

For a left turn or U-turn outside an intersection, give way to oncoming vehicles and to a tram moving in your direction (point 44). Whom to give way to at the intersection itself is covered in the article on right of way at intersections.

A signal gives you no priority. The left indicator must be switched on before the maneuver, but "I signaled, so I go first" is wrong (point 36).

Typical traps

• "A left turn is banned, so a U-turn is too": wrong. Sign 3.18.2 does not ban a U-turn.
• "A U-turn is banned at an intersection": wrong. At an intersection it is reversing that is banned (point 49), and the list of U-turn bans (point 50) has no intersections.
• "A U-turn is banned when approaching a railway crossing": wrong. The ban applies on the crossing itself.
• "Sign 3.19 applies to everyone": wrong. It does not apply to public transport vehicles.

Before a U-turn: four questions

1. Is this one of the seven places listed in point 50?
2. Is there a sign 3.19 or a solid line I would have to cross?
3. Am I in the left edge lane, or does a sign or marking allow the maneuver from another lane?
4. Whom must I give way to: oncoming cars, a tram going my way, or other road users under the intersection rules?

Three exam questions explained

Below are three group 1 questions where candidates often go wrong. Each describes the picture, the correct answer, why the other options are wrong, and the point of the Rules.

U-turn with sign 3.18.2 "No left turn": which path is allowed

In the picture. Sign 3.18.2 "No left turn" stands before the intersection. Two paths are shown, A and B. Both are U-turns: one is made before the intersection, the other at the intersection. The pedestrian crossing (signs 5.19.1, 5.19.2) is after the intersection. Marking: 1.5.

Correct answer. The U-turn is allowed on either path, A or B.

Why the others are wrong. "Only A" and "only B" are wrong because neither path breaks a prohibition. Sign 3.18.2 bans only the left turn. A U-turn is a separate maneuver, banned by sign 3.19 "No U-turn". A U-turn is also banned in the places listed in point 50 of the Rules, but both paths lie outside them.

Rule. Rules, points 3 and 50. Signs: 3.18.2, 3.19, 5.19.1, 5.19.2.

Practice: group 1

Can you make a U-turn when approaching a railway crossing

In the picture. A U-turn arrow is painted on the road, and a railway crossing lies ahead. On the right stand sign 1.2 "Railway crossing without a barrier" and sign 1.4.3 "Approaching a railway crossing"; near the crossing is 1.3.1 "Single-track railway". The U-turn starts before the crossing.

Correct answer. Allowed.

Why the others are wrong. "Prohibited" is wrong: a U-turn is banned on the railway crossing itself, not on the approach to it. Signs 1.2 and 1.4.3 only warn about the crossing and do not ban U-turns. "Allowed if no train is approaching" is also wrong: the absence of a train is not an extra condition here.

Rule. Rules, point 50. Signs: 1.2, 1.3.1, 1.4.3.

Practice: group 1

Which path allows a U-turn when there is no prohibiting sign

In the picture. Two paths, A and B. Both are U-turns: one before the intersection, the other at the intersection. At the top is the blue sign 5.7.2 "Exit to a one-way road", which refers to the crossing road. There is no sign banning U-turns.

Correct answer. The U-turn is allowed on either path.

Why the others are wrong. "Only A" and "only B" are wrong. Point 50 of the Rules bans U-turns at pedestrian crossings, in tunnels, on bridges, at railway crossings, where visibility is under 100 m, on sections with public transport stops and on one-way roads. None of these applies here, so a U-turn is allowed both before the intersection and at it.

Rule. Rules, point 50. Sign: 5.7.2.

Practice: group 1

How to reinforce it

U-turn questions almost always come with a picture, and the answer depends on a detail: the sign code, the marking, the place. You can go through the practice set "Maneuvers, U-turns and giving way" (group 1) without signing up, and the same rules with point references are in the theory for group 1. When you get steady results on this topic, test yourself in the exam simulation.

See also: U-turns and direction signs.

See also: the hardest exam questions by bibip data.