News 6 traffic safety expert TrooperSteve Montieroanswers viewer questions twice per week in a segment called “Ask Trooper Steve.”
Trooper Steve on Tuesday was asked about upside-down arrows on traffic lights in Florida.
You’re not seeing things. And no, the traffic light isn’t malfunctioning, Trooper Steve said.
If you’ve spotted a signal that looks like a standard traffic light but is shaped like an arrow turning around, you’ve likely come across one of Central Florida’s U-turn-specific traffic signals.
And yes, your assumption is correct, that signal is there to control U-turns.
Making a U-turn is one of the trickier maneuvers that drivers regularly perform. It often places you in a situation where you’re crossing multiple lanes of traffic and could unintentionally violate someone’s right of way. That’s why traffic engineers have started installing these specialized lights in certain high-traffic or high-risk areas.
While they’re not widespread yet, I’ve already seen a handful around town, and I expect more to appear as our infrastructure evolves.
These signals are designed with safety in mind. Like all traffic-control devices, their job is to help you move through intersections more safely and smoothly. If you find yourself facing one and you’re planning to make a U-turn, just follow the basic rules of any traffic light:
Red means stop.
Yellow means prepare to stop.
Green means go, but only if it’s safe (I felt it was necessary to remind you all of that).
So next time you see one of those funky U-turn arrows, just know it’s not there to confuse you, it’s there to protect you.