Ask an expert


otagoill

Hi, if there's no sign, as in attached photo, is it legal to make a u-turn using a flush median?

Anon

Hi there,
The Roadcode says about flush medians.
It provides a place for vehicles that are turning right, or vehicles that have turned right onto the road from a side road or driveway.
You can only drive onto the flush median to: wait to move into a gap in the traffic flow after you have turned right or to slow down and wait before turning right.
You are normally allowed to make U-turns, as long as the road is clear in both directions and it is safe to do so. Make sure you have enough room to complete the turn and don't create a hazard for oncoming vehicles.
You aren't allowed to make U-turns if a 'No U-turn' sign is displayed.
In this case either rule could be applied, but I would like to think that a U-Turn over a flush median if it was safe would be permitted under the U-turn rule more than the flush median rule as you are not driving onto the median but across it to access the road on the other side.