FLORIDA — Every day we get calls and emails from viewers asking us to remind people of the rules of the road.
So, all week long, as part of our commitment to help Drive Tampa Bay Forward, we're showing you some of the most dangerous mistakes that are made on the road.
You may have been in a similar situation before. We found drivers making U-turns and drivers making right-hand turns nearly collide. We also found drivers attempting to make u-turns but instead had to make a 3-point turn.
We reached out to state troopers who tell us u-turns often cause larger issues. But you must yield to oncoming traffic unless a sign is posted telling you otherwise.
And if your turn interferes with oncoming traffic, that's a moving violation in Florida.
Check out this video from Tuscon Police about making a legal u-turn:
Here's some laws about making turns:
316.1515 Limitations on turning around.—The driver of any vehicle shall not turn the vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction upon any street unless such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic and unless such movement is not prohibited by posted traffic control signs. A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.
(c) Steady red indication.—
1. Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until a green indication is shown; however:
a. The driver of a vehicle which is stopped at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or, if none then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering the intersection in obedience to a steady red signal may make a right turn, but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection, except that municipal and county authorities may prohibit any such right turn against a steady red signal at any intersection, which prohibition shall be effective when a sign giving notice thereof is erected in a location visible to traffic approaching the intersection.
(1) The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle which has entered the intersection from a different highway.
(2) When two vehicles enter an intersection from different highways at the same time the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.
