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.)
All you can do is go slower, and hope the traffic around you realizes what you are doing. Try to slow down when approaching the intersection earlier so it’s not all so sudden.
There is a left turn lane near where I live where U-turns are explicitly allowed, on a divided road, at a light with a dedicated left turn/u-turn lane and turn arrow. It’s not the cars you behind you you have to worry about, though. It’s the oncoming traffic that would turn right, that has a red light when you are making your U-turn, but they assume you are turning left and can make their right on red (perhaps without stopping like they should).