Illegal U-turn 'hotspot' on Rooley Lane in Bradford

The right turn off the eastbound A6177 Rooley Lane onto Newhall Way is regularly misused by drivers who ignore the signage and turn back on themselves onto the westbound carriageway of Rooley Lane. 

A Volkswagen Golf making a U-Turn (Image: T&A)

The illegal move seems especially tempting for motorists who have emerged onto Rooley Lane from Parkway, but want to go the opposite way along Rooley Lane to reach Staygate roundabout or the M606.

After one motorist told the T&A they had "lost count of how many near misses" they had seen at the junction, we observed the location for a 30-minute period on the afternoon of Friday, June 28, and captured pictures of six drivers flouting the U-Turn ban.

A blue Seat making a U-Turn (Image: T&A)

Potentially, it could have been many more, but several eagle-eyed drivers spotted our photographer while waiting for the lights to change.

The concerned motorist, who did not wish to be named, said: "I'm so fed up with waiting for an accident, I see cars, vans, taxis all ignore the signage.

A dark-coloured Mercedes-Benz making a U-Turn (Image: T&A)

"Signs on the lights have a 'NO U-Turn sign' but the amount of cars that do do U-turns is flabbergasting.

"Normally it's the vehicles coming out of Parkway and are too idle to go down to the roundabout and come back up to the lights, just U-Turn, not bothered about traffic coming out of the Park.

A Toyota driver making a U-Turn (Image: T&A)

"I have spoken with Highway so so many times, even asked for a mobile camera there for a short time, joked they would make a fortune in fines but alas .. no. It's pretty much until there is an accident not bothered."

The motorist said they had contacted Bradford Council about the issue three years ago, but was frustrated by the lack of action.

A BMW making the U-Turn (Image: T&A)

Another motorist branded the junction an "illegal U-Turn hotspot" and said acton should be taken.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “A U-Turn ban is in place at this location and has been present for many years, so it’s regrettable that some drivers are intent on flouting the law.

A Peugeot making a U-Turn on Rooley Lane (Image: T&A)

"Bradford Council will work with Police in Bradford on the issue.

"In the meantime anyone with dash-cam footage of such illegal manoeuvres can report the offence direct to the police via the Operation Snap website (https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/SaferRoadsSubmissions).

“Having looked at the accident data at this location there have been two recorded accidents within the last five years none were ‘U’ turn related.”

It comes after problems at another Bradford junction were highlighted by the T&A, as many motorists performed an illegal right turn from Croft Street onto Manchester Road.