Client Review by Trucker Injured in 3 Semi CrashU-turns by a semi truck or other big truck can be extremely dangerous. They can easily cause crashes resulting in catastrophic injuries or death. A tragic August, 2025 crash shows the danger. Three people died when the minivan they were in crashed into the side of a semi-truck reportedly making a U-turn on the Florida Turnpike.
Some of the problems with U-turns by semis or other big commercial vehicles are:
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- Not Enough Space
- Visibility Problems
- Blocking Traffic
Space Problems
The space semis and other big trucks need to safely make U-turns is one of the big sources of danger. 18 wheelers and other big commercial vehicles require a lot more space to safely make U-turns compared to cars. Experienced truckers will probably tell you that it takes 4 traffic lanes for a semi to complete a U-turn. Many roads just do not have the space. .
It’s much harder and more dangerous for a semi to make a U-turn on roads with less than four lanes. While making the U-turn the driver may have to move the truck forward and back a number of times to make the turn. While doing this the truck will probably block one or more lanes of traffic. While the truck blocks the flow of traffic other vehicles on the road may crash into the truck.
Semis are also heavier and usually need more time and space to accelerate. This further increases the time that they are blocking one or more traffic lane increasing the danger of a U-turn truck accident. In spite of these dangers, some truckers try to make this dangerous maneuver on roads like two lane streets which are way too narrow for a semi or other big truck to safely execute a U-turn. .
Visibility Problems
Visibility problems also increase the risk of a U-turn truck accident. U-turns significantly reduce the truck driver’s ability to see what is going on around the truck. At some points the truck driver may not be able to see some other vehicles, people or objects in the vicinity of the truck. This can make it impossible for the truck driver to determine if the truck can safely continue the U-turn without crashing into them.
Reduced visibility in the rear of the truck may cause the driver to back it onto a road shoulder which can’t support the truck’s weight. If the shoulder crumbles or gives way under the truck, it can cause the truck to lean with the potential for it to roll over or potentially even jackknife. If you are in the wrong place the truck can fall on you in what is known as a rollover truck accident.
Another danger created by U-turns is trucks is the difficulty that other drivers may have in seeing the truck and/or trailer and understanding that it is blocking their path. This risk is particularly high at night and other reduced visibility conditions. Even if other drivers see and understand the danger they may be unable to react fast enough to avoid becoming involved in a U-turn truck accident. Hitting the back or side of the truck and ending up under it is what is called an underride truck accident. This can result in extremely serious injuries or one or more fatalities. Stopping suddenly to avoid hitting the truck creates the risk of another vehicle crashing into you as well as the potential of a highway pileup involving a number of vehicles.
The Danger of U-turns: The Trucking Industry Knows.
The trucking industry and truck drivers have been well aware of the danger of U-turn truck accidents for a long time. Werner Enterprises, a trucking company with more than 9,000 trucks and drivers which run almost 1 billion miles each year recognizes the risk of U-turns and appears to be serious about avoiding having their drivers involved in a U-turn truck accident. They have a policy basically prohibiting U-turns. Werner’s 2017 driver’s manual tells their drivers to never make a U-turn unless law enforcement directs them to. Werner appears to be so serious about this that the manual says drivers who make a U-turn on any highway, interstate, road or public street are subject to disciplinary action up to and including being fired. Other trucking companies also seeking to prevent having their trucks in a U-turn truck accident prohibit U-turns by their drivers.
What Happens in a U-Turn Truck Accident?
The tractor of an 18-wheeler can weigh 20,000 pounds or more. If it blocks traffic in your path you have 10-ton metal object in your way. Think about your car crashing into something like that. It’s not going to be good day.
Potentially worse is if your car or other vehicle crashes into the side of the trailer. There is a big open space under the floor of many semi truck trailers. It is very likely that this part of the trailer will block one or more traffic lanes during a U-turn. This creates the potential for what is known as a side underride truck accident. This a particularly gruesome truck accident where a smaller vehicle moves into the open area under in the slowed or stopped trailer. The top of the passenger vehicle may be peeled back or torn off with the potential to kill or seriously injure the car’s driver and other occupants.
Preventing a U-turn Truck Accident
The simplest way to prevent a U-turn truck accident is for trucks not to do U-turns. This is why some motorists and traffic safety advocates call for a ban on U-turns by trucks. As indicated above some trucking companies already have taken steps like this. To prevent their trucks from being involved in U-turn truck accident a number of trucking companies prohibit their drivers from doing U-turns or severely limit the circumstances in which they are allowed to do them. Some back this up with a range of discipline including making doing a U-turn a fireable offense.
If a U-turn in semi or other large truck is absolutely necessary there are ways to reduce the risk of this dangerous maneuver. Instead of making a dangerous highway U-turn, if the trucker is driving on a highway with interchanges, the trucker may be able exit at the off ramp of the next interchange and re-enter the highway via the on-ramp heading in the other direction. In other situations the truck driver to may call the police and see if they would be willing to control traffic in the vicinity and help facilitate the U-turn safely. Empty parking lots with sufficient open space may also make it possible for a truck to do a U-turn more safely.
To reduce U-turn truck accident frequency some motorists and traffic safety advocates call for a ban on truck U-turns. But even without this ban, there are already laws in place that require drivers to practice safety at turns and intersections. The problem is that some truck drivers and trucking companies are still negligent when it comes to road safety, disregarding rules that are supposed to protect other vehicles and pedestrians around them.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations appear not to specifically prohibit U-turns by commercial motor vehicles. However, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation § 392.2 requires that commercial motor vehicles be operated in compliance with the laws, ordinances, and regulations of the jurisdiction in which they are being operated. This means that they must comply with the state, local and other laws and regulations of where they are being driven like the Missouri and Kansas laws about U-turns discussed below.
Missouri and Kansas U-turn Laws
Recognizing the potential danger of U-turns, Missouri and Kansas both restrict U-turns in many situations.
Missouri Rev. Stat. § 304.015.3 generally prohibits U-turns on divided highways except at interchanges, intersections or place designated by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission or Missouri Department of Transportation by sign. Missouri Rev. Stat. § 304.431 prohibits U-turns in situations like intersections with traffic signals, curves, on approaches or near the crest of a grade (slope), in other situations and where the U-turn may cause a traffic hazard. From the discussion of the space and time semis need to complete a U-turn, in many situations performing this maneuver creates the risk of a U-turn truck accident and is therefore likely illegal in many circumstances under Missouri law.
Kansas law also restricts U-turns. Kansas Statute Annotated Section 8-1546 of Kansas Statutes is called “Limitations on ‘U’ Turns.” It prohibits U-turns in curves, near or approaching the crest of a grade, where the vehicle can’t be seen within 500 feet by other vehicles or where the U-turn can’t be made safely and not interfere with other traffic. K.S.A. 8-1524 discusses a number of rules for driving on divided and controlled access highways including U-turns. It prohibits U-turns on Interstate highways, where prohibited by signs which the authority which has jurisdiction over the highway has posted and in certain other situations. Given the inherent risk of a U-turn truck accident when a semi or other big truck attempts or do a U-turn, as discussed in detail above, they are probably against the law in many situations in Kansas as well. In addition to these state laws local or county laws or ordinances may govern U-turns.
Call Flick Truck Accident Law for Your U-turn Truck Accident Case
If you or a loved one has sustained serious or fatal injury in a U-turn truck accident call Flick Truck Accident Law for help. We have been successfully helping people hurt in truck crashes for more than 30 years and would like to help you.