In areas where there isn’t a dedicated U-turn lane, you have to use the left-turn lane if you want to make a U-turn. You just have to work with what’s available since not all roads are wide enough to have a separate U-turn lane.
I used to complain about drivers in front of me making U-turns and causing me to miss the light. In some cases, it can even lead to rear-end collisions. But then I found myself doing the exact same thing…
So what’s the proper etiquette here? What do you all do? Wave? Honk? (Probably not a great idea where I live since everyone honks anyway.)
If I can’t make a U-turn completely, I don’t try to make it. I’ll go up until I find a place where I can like a dedicated left turn lane that does have enough space to do a U-turn or I find a driveway/business where I can safely do one, making sure no cops are nearby to ticket me if it illegal.
Or I’ll do the 3 left/rights to perform an alternative to a U-turn if it’s that busy of a city/town which can effectively get what you want in a different way. Takes a little bit extra, but is worth it to avoid a ticket or an accident.