Police issue warning about illegal u-turns at Fitzroy and Marius streets in Tamworth

The new lights at the intersection on the corner of Fitzroy and Marius streets were only switched on late-last year but several near misses are catching the ire of officers.

“In NSW, it’s illegal to do a u-turn at any set of traffic lights,” Oxley Sergeant Michael Buko said.

“Police are seeing a lot of drivers carry out illegal u-turns at the lights, where the old roundabout used to be.”

If caught, drivers will cop a $263 fine and two demerit points. Similarly the Marius/Brisbane Street lights are a hot spot too.

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“Police are right there, we can see drivers, even when there is a green arrow to turn, it is still illegal to carry out a u-turn,” Sergeant Buko said.

“We’ve seen drivers cutting across lanes of traffic to do it, or speeding up to get through the lights only to slam on the brakes when traffic banks up.”

Last week, there were several near misses as thousands of extra drivers hit the roads around town in festival, including rear-ends on Marius Street.

“Drivers are going too quick, or going up the inside of cars to get around and there are too many close calls,” Sergeant Buko said.

“It’s about an extra minute in your day, it’s not Pitt Street in Tamworth and if people are running late than they need to leave a little earlier and leave themselves time.”