DriveTest Canada

Regulatory signs

What does the no U-turn sign mean?

The no U-turn sign is a regulatory sign. Turning around to go back the way you came is not allowed here. Keep going and find a legal place to turn around further on, such as the next intersection. It is tested in the Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick practice banks on this site, where 12 questions ask about it, and the ones on this page carry the answer and the authority behind it.
Regulatory signs12 practice questionsTested in 8 provinces
No U-turn
The no U-turn sign, drawn by us to the standard shape and colours rather than traced from any official artwork.

What it means

Turning around to go back the way you came is not allowed here.

What to do when you see it

Keep going and find a legal place to turn around further on, such as the next intersection.

How to recognise a regulatory sign

Most are white with black text or a black symbol, or plain white with a red border. Two shapes are used for exactly one meaning each and nothing else: the eight sided red stop sign and the downward pointing red triangle yield sign, so you can still read them by outline alone in poor light. A red circle with a diagonal red bar always means the thing inside the circle is not allowed.

A regulatory sign states a rule you must follow. It carries the force of law behind it, not just advice, so ignoring one is a traffic offence in its own right.

What the test asks about this sign

12 questions in our banks show this sign and ask what it requires. Here are 6, each with the answer marked and the authority it rests on.

OntarioG1 test

You have missed your turning and see this sign at the next set of lights. What does it forbid?

Turning around to head back the way you came

This ban goes up where drivers cannot see far enough, or where the road is too narrow to turn round in one movement. Carrying on to somewhere you can turn safely costs a minute, while turning here leaves you sideways across traffic that is closing fast.

Highway Traffic Act (Ontario)
British ColumbiaICBC knowledge test

You have gone past the street you wanted and you see this sign at the intersection ahead. What does it stop you doing?

Turning around to head back the way you came

The sign bans turning across the road to travel in the opposite direction. That movement leaves your vehicle broadside across both directions of traffic for several seconds, so it is removed near curves, crests and busy intersections where nobody would see you in time.

Motor Vehicle Act (British Columbia)
AlbertaClass 7 learner's test

You have driven past the street you wanted, and this sign is posted at the next intersection. What is the right move?

Carry on and turn around where it is allowed and where you can see well both ways

A U-turn ban usually sits where the road bends or crests, or where traffic arrives fast, so a vehicle turning across the road is invisible until it is too late. Reversing on a through road creates the same problem with less control. Going on to a proper turning place costs you a little time and nothing else.

Alberta Driver's Guide (Government of Alberta)
QuebecSAAQ knowledge test

You have driven past the address you were looking for and see this sign at the next intersection. What does it stop you doing?

Turning around to head back the way you came

The sign bans the turn that puts you back in the opposite direction at that spot, usually because oncoming drivers cannot see far enough or the road is too narrow to finish it in one movement. A left turn into a side street, then a normal turn around, is still open to you. Going round the block costs a minute and removes the risk.

Highway Safety Code (Quebec)
ManitobaMPI knowledge test

You pass your destination on a Manitoba street and see this sign ahead. How should you get back?

Continue to a place where turning around is permitted

This sign prohibits turning around at that location. Find a legal route back instead of reversing direction there.

The Highway Traffic Act (Manitoba), C.C.S.M. c. H60
SaskatchewanSGI learners test

You drive past your turn on a Saskatoon street and see this sign before the next intersection. What should you do?

Continue to a place where turning around is permitted

A U-turn is not allowed where this sign applies. Keep going and choose a legal place to reverse direction.

SGI, Regulatory signs

Questions people ask

What does the no U-turn sign mean?

Turning around to go back the way you came is not allowed here. Keep going and find a legal place to turn around further on, such as the next intersection.

What kind of sign is the no U-turn sign?

It is a regulatory sign. A regulatory sign states a rule you must follow. It carries the force of law behind it, not just advice, so ignoring one is a traffic offence in its own right.

Which provinces test the no U-turn sign?

It appears in the Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick practice banks on this site: 2 in Ontario, 2 in British Columbia, 2 in Alberta, 2 in Quebec, 1 in Manitoba, 1 in Saskatchewan, 1 in Nova Scotia, 1 in New Brunswick. Every question is original prose citing Highway Traffic Act (Ontario), Motor Vehicle Act (British Columbia), Alberta Driver's Guide (Government of Alberta), Highway Safety Code (Quebec), The Highway Traffic Act (Manitoba), C.C.S.M. c. H60, SGI, Regulatory signs, Traffic Signs Regulations (Nova Scotia) and Motor Vehicle Act.

Sources for this page

The meaning and the action are the standard ones taught across Canada. Each question above cites the law or the guide it rests on, and the exam facts on the province pages come from the records below.

Highway Traffic Act (Ontario)Motor Vehicle Act (British Columbia)Alberta Driver's Guide (Government of Alberta)Highway Safety Code (Quebec)The Highway Traffic Act (Manitoba), C.C.S.M. c. H60SGI, Regulatory signsTraffic Signs Regulations (Nova Scotia)Motor Vehicle Actsection 162