9 Ways To Get People To Stop Turning Around In Your Driveway

Cars using your driveway to turn around can be inconvenient, annoying, and stressful. Here are 9 ways to stop cars from turning around in your driveway.

There are several ways of stopping cars from turning around in your driveway. They include installing a gate, installing a “no trespassing” sign, placing cones at the entrance, fencing off the driveway, making your driveway less appealing, and parking your car at the end of the driveway.

If your house is situated at the end of a dead-end street or your property has a large driveway, there’s a high chance that cars will repeatedly use your driveway to turn around.

And despite being an annoyance, cars turning around in your driveway can bump into other cars parked outside your house or run over your lawn.

Furthermore, cars turning around in your driveway can also hurt your children and pets.

In addition, the headlights of the cars beaming in your living room can be an invasion of privacy, especially when it comes to your relations with neighbors or other residents. 

Simply put, cars turning around in your driveway can be a source of constant stress and worry.

To this end, you may be wondering whether you can stop this from happening. Our guide has the information you are looking for regarding this problem.

Read through to the end to know how you can deal with this issue, and by the end of the article, you will be in a position to make informed decisions.

Can You Stop Vehicles from Turning Around in Your Driveway?

Your driveway is considered part of your private property. 

And, while laws may vary from one jurisdiction, cars using your driveway to turn around without permission will be considered a form of trespassing in most states.  

Therefore, cars turning around in your driveway is illegal. And, you have every legal right to protect your property and stop unauthorized vehicles from turning around in your driveway.

Ways to Stop Cars from Turning Around In Your Driveway

Cars turning around in your driveway will damage your property and invade your privacy. 

Besides, these cars may also end up hurting your children or pets when they are playing outside.

Fortunately, there are several effective ways to stop cars from turning around in your driveway. 

Here are eight ways to stop cars from using your driveway to turn around:

Install a Gate

Installing a gate is one of the most effective ways of preventing vehicles from using your driveway to turn around. 

Unlike a signpost that some people can ignore, a properly installed gate will completely end this issue.

However, before you decide to go ahead and install a gate, you should first check in with your local code enforcement officers to determine whether you are allowed to make such an installation.

If you are allowed to install one, then you need to acquire the necessary permits and proceed with your plans. 

Once you’ve installed the gate, you should then make sure you secure it with a latch. But, you should avoid locking it with a padlock.

Installing a gate will deter anyone who may be planning to use your driveway to turn around. At the same time, emergency vehicles won’t have any access issues, since they only need to slide the latch and unlock it.

Place a Sign

Installing a “no trespassing” sign somewhere close or along the driveway can also help to deter motorists from using your driveway to turn around. 

When designing the sign, ensure the words you use are completely legible and visible even at night.

Also, you should ensure you place the sign somewhere that motorists can’t miss it. Ideally, it should be close to your driveway’s entrance. 

You also need to go further and remove any barrier that may block your sign. Such barriers may include things like vegetation or trees.

In addition, your sign should also mention the consequences of trespassing. For instance, you can mention that any vehicle found turning in your driveway will be subjected to applicable trespassing penalties.

If you have decent design skills, you can do the design work yourself. Alternatively, you can hire someone to do it for you, if you want a custom one. 

You also have the option of buying a ready-made sign.

Place Traffic Cones at the Entrance

Placing cones to prevent people from trespassing onto your property is legal and allowed. Therefore, you can also use them to deter motorists from turning around in your driveway.

But, you should ensure that you place the cones in such a way that you don’t obstruct other road users – as doing so is a traffic offense. 

Ideally, you should place them in such a way that they remain within your property.

Like other physical barriers, cones can be an inconvenience since you have to remove them manually, whenever you are driving into and out of your home. But this minor inconvenience will be worth it.  

Install a Chain at the End of the Driveway

Installing a chain at the entrance to your driveway can also help to deter motorists from using it to turn around. While a chain may not prevent everyone from using your driveway, it will be a good start.

For this method, you will first need to install two metallic posts at either end. From there, you can then attach a chain, which will be running across your driveway.

The chain should have a hooking mechanism on one end, which you will be hooking or re-hooking as necessary.  

The main drawback to this method is that you will have to unhook and re-hook it whenever you need access to your driveway.

Make Your Driveway Less Appealing

Another method that you should consider to stop vehicles from using your driveway to turn around is to make it less appealing. And there are several approaches to go about this.

First, you can make the entrance to your driveway narrower. 

For this method, you can stack a couple of large rocks on one side of the driveway, leaving just enough space for your vehicle to squeeze through.

While this method will not prevent all the cars, it will stop some of the bigger vehicles from attempting to use your driveway to turn around.

Second, you should consider installing a motion-activated alarm and CCTV cameras. A motion-activated alarm will go off whenever a car enters your driveway. 

And its sound and light will be enough to deter the motorist from entering your driveway.

At the same time, the CCTV cameras will allow you to capture videos of all instances of trespassing. You can then use this footage in court, in case you want to seek legal action against trespassers.

Third, if your vehicle has a high clearance, you can opt to fill your driveway with large rocks. Most motorists will avoid getting their vehicles anywhere close to big rocks. 

And since your vehicle has high ground clearance, you won’t have any issue driving over these rocks.

Fourth, you can opt to install an overhead bar or beam.

With such a bar or beam in place, most motorists will avoid trying to use your driveway, especially those with bigger vehicles.

Ideally, the bar or beam should have a retracting mechanism only known to you.

With this approach, you won’t have any issues moving large items or equipment in and out of your house.

At the same time, no one else will be able to move the beam without your permission, meaning your driveway will be inaccessible to outsiders.

Erect a Fence

If you want to keep outsiders completely away from your driveway, then you can also consider erecting a fence. 

But before you proceed to fence your driveway off, you should find out from the area code enforcement officers whether such an installation is allowed. You also need to find out whether you will need to acquire any building permits.

If allowed, you can then proceed to fence off your driveway. Going for plastic posts with a rounded, smooth finish will be advisable.

Such posts will minimize the chances of your kids, pets or anyone else hurting themselves against the posts. 

At the same time, the fence around your driveway will prevent unauthorized access.  

Keep Guard Dogs

If you love dogs, then you can also use them to deter motorists from accessing your driveway and using it to turn around. 

Your dog’s loud barking will deter them whenever someone attempts to use your driveway.

At the same time, your dogs will alert you of any intruders or trespassers. Consequently, you will be there on time to request the person trespassing to leave

If they decide to go ahead and ignore your warning and you’ve already placed a “no trespassing” sign, you will have every right to pursue legal action.    

Park Your Car at the End of the Driveway

Another method that you can use to deter motorists from using your driveway to turn around is by parking your car at the foot of your driveway.

Parking your vehicle there will block anyone from attempting to turn around in your driveway.

If you decide to use this method, then you shouldn’t park your vehicle too close to the road, as you may end up inconveniencing other road users.

Instead, you should park your vehicle slightly inside your driveway.

However, this method is only recommended if your property has a short driveway. 

If the driveway is long, parking your car at the periphery can be inconvenient, walking from the car to the house and vice-versa. 

Also, it’s a safety risk at night, as you may be attacked while walking to the house.  

Install Driveway Markers

While driveway markers are mainly used to mark driveways for snow removal, you can also use them to stop cars from doing U-turns in your driveway. 

There are two main types of driveway markers – reflective and non-reflective markers. 

Reflective markers are the better choice for preventing access to your driveway since they are visible during both day and night.

Key Takeaways

• Cars turning around in your driveway can damage your property
• Cars doing U-turns in your driveway can also injure your kids and pets
• You can prevent cars from accessing your driveway and turning around
• You should ensure the methods you use are in line with local laws