There comes a time in every driver's life when he needs to quickly turn around on the road.
You could just find a good parking spot or take a drive around the block, but who has time for that these days?
The fastest way to move in the right direction is to turn 180 degrees. But where can you do this in Ohio? Are they even legal?
Here's what you need to know.
What Ohio Law Says About U-Turns
U-turns are legal in Ohio.but there are limitations. You can't do this on a bend in the road or on a hill where other cars in both directions can't see you at least 500 feet away. Violating these rules is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $150 or up to 30 hours of community service.
Ohio drivers are also prohibited from making a U-turn where there are signs prohibiting them, unless the road design allows them to do so, or where any other traffic control device (eg, lane markings, turn restrictions) prohibits them from doing so.
When turning, you will also have to give way to pedestrians and cars traveling in both directions.
Ohio Turnpike drivers are completely prohibited from turning around. unless approved by a police officer or the Ohio Turnpike Commission.
Can ambulances make U-turns?
Emergency vehicle drivers responding to an emergency call may make a U-turn if the vehicle has at least one rotating, oscillating, or flashing light visible from 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions. The driver uses the horn and does so with “due regard for the safety of all persons and property on the highway,” according to the Ohio Revised Code.
The City of Columbus is now seeking a ban on non-emergency fire apparatus turnarounds two years after A Columbus firefighter caused a fatal crash on Interstate 270.
Probationary firefighter Tyler Conners, then 25, was attempting to make a U-turn using the emergency turnaround on I-270 in Gahanna when a pickup truck driven by motorist Timothy Wiggins, 63, struck the rear of the engine, killing Wiggins and injuring his fiancee Patricia Hesson.
Conners pleaded no contest to a charge of vehicular manslaughter in 2024 and was sentenced to two years probation. He received no discipline on the job, a fact that prompted the Columbus Department of Public Safety to try Fire Chief of Discipline Jeffrey Happ in December 2025.
Dispatch reporter Jordan Laird contributed to this report.
Transportation and neighborhoods reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at: [email protected]V @NathanRHart on X and in nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch: Is it legal to make a U-turn in Ohio? See State Law, Columbus Rules.
