Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Road Markings

What does this pavement marking permit a driver in the lane to do?

White arrow on dark pavement curving up and over in a 180-degree loop, ending in an arrowhead pointing back down in the opposite direction.
  1. A.
    Reverse direction with a U-turn at the intersection. Correct
  2. B.
    Make a left turn only at the intersection.
  3. C.
    Use the lane for left turns from either direction of travel.
  4. D.
    Execute a three-point turn to change direction.
The Why

The answer is "Reverse direction with a U-turn at the intersection."

A curved arrow that loops a full 180 degrees marks the lane as one where U-turns are permitted, so a driver may reverse direction at the intersection. The trap sits with the plain left-turn reading: a left-turn arrow bends once toward the left and stops there, while the U-turn arrow wraps the whole way around to show the reversal, and the two markings sit close enough in shape that the loop gets misread as an ordinary left.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Make a left turn only at the intersection.

A left-turn arrow bends once toward the left and does not wrap back on itself; the U-turn arrow curls a full 180 degrees to show a reversal. This answer reads the looped arrow as a plain left-turn arrow that points once and stops.

C. Use the lane for left turns from either direction of travel.

The two-way left-turn lane uses arrows pointing left in both travel directions; this marking loops back on itself to show a single-direction reversal. This answer applies the two-way left-turn lane's meaning to a marking that shows a U-turn.

D. Execute a three-point turn to change direction.

A three-point turn is a maneuver used where no U-turn lane is available; this marking allows the reversal in one continuous motion. This answer swaps a stop-and-reverse maneuver for the single continuous turn the arrow permits.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, marking 3B.24 (U-Turn Arrow)..

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