Ohio U-Turns: What’s Legal, Where You Can’t, and a Deadly Crash Sparking Change
A quick U-turn can save valuable time for drivers, but Ohio law dictates precisely when and where this maneuver is permitted. Understanding these regulations is crucial to avoid fines and, more importantly, ensure safety on the road. This article details the legal landscape surrounding U-turns in Ohio, including recent events prompting potential policy shifts.
Ohio law permits U-turns, but with significant restrictions. Drivers cannot execute a U-turn on a curve or on a hill where visibility is limited to less than 500 feet in either direction. Violating these rules constitutes a minor misdemeanor, carrying a potential fine of up to $150 or up to 30 hours of community service.
Furthermore, Ohio drivers are prohibited from making U-turns in areas explicitly marked with signage, where the road’s design doesn’t accommodate the maneuver, or where other traffic control devices – such as lane markings or turn restrictions – forbid them. Drivers must always yield to both pedestrians and oncoming traffic when performing a U-turn.
The rules are even stricter for those traveling on the Ohio Turnpike. U-turns are completely banned unless specifically authorized by a police officer or the Ohio Turnpike Commission.
Emergency Vehicle Exceptions and a Tragic Incident
While generally restricted, emergency vehicles responding to calls are granted an exception. According to the Ohio Revised Code, these vehicles can perform U-turns if equipped with at least one visible rotating, oscillating, or flashing light (visible from 500 feet away under normal conditions), utilize an audible signal, and proceed with “due regard for the safety of all persons and property upon the highway.”
However, the use of U-turns by emergency vehicles has come under intense scrutiny following a fatal crash in 2023. Two years prior to December 2025, a probationary firefighter with the Columbus Fire Department, 25-year-old Tyler Conners, was attempting a U-turn on Interstate 270 in Gahanna using a designated turnaround for emergency vehicles. A pickup truck driven by 63-year-old Timothy Wiggins collided with the fire engine, resulting in the death of Wiggins and injuries to his fiancée, Patricia Hesson.
Conners pleaded no contest to charges of vehicular manslaughter in 2024 and received a two-year probation sentence. Critically, he faced no disciplinary action at work, a decision that prompted the Columbus Department of Public Safety to attempt disciplinary action against Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ in December 2025.
In response to this tragedy, the city of Columbus is currently pursuing a ban on non-emergency U-turns by fire apparatus. This proposed policy change underscores a growing concern regarding the safety risks associated with these maneuvers, even when performed by trained professionals.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of even seemingly routine actions and highlights the ongoing debate surrounding emergency vehicle operation protocols.
Jordan Laird of Dispatch contributed to this report. Transportation and neighborhoods reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at [email protected], at @NathanRHart on X, and at nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
