This driver was joined by several others performing dodgy U-turns on the A30 near Hayle

A driver has been criticised for an “unbelievable” U-turn which narrowly avoided a collision - on a stretch of the A30 which has become notorious for the dangerous manoeuvres.

The driver of the dark blue transit van performed the turnaround on the Hayle bypass yesterday (February 17) in a queue of traffic at around 1.50pm.

It can be seen turning over the central line of the road just in front of a white Mini Cooper, in the latest of what has become something of a regular source of anger for locals.

A witness, who did not want to be named, said other cars then followed the van in doing the illegal turns.

“What I think of it I can’t say," he said. "You can clearly see how close the Mini is coming in the other direction. To risk your own life and others because you can’t wait five minutes is unbelievable.”

This is by far not the first time locals have complained about U-turns on this stretch of road, a move which has become so notorious that signs have been put out in several places warning drivers against trying it.

Last September, two drivers were severely injured on the A30 near Hayle after one of them attempted a U-turn. The crash caused the road to be closed for three hours and even required a call-out for the Cornwall Air Ambulance.

At the time, a Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson confirmed the crash happened because of the U-turn and reminded people of the dangers, saying: "We would also like to take the opportunity to remind all road users that the ‘No U turn’ signs have been placed on the carriageway for serious safety reasons.

"It is a very dangerous manoeuvre which has caused a number of fatalities over the years."

It’s been going on for years - with video footage in July 2018 of an Asda delivery driver doing another U-turn on the A30. The driver performed the U-turn near a sign which prohibits the manoeuvres as a result of a fatal crash in the area.

In light of that incident, people began to comment more generally about how they were fearful about driving in the area after a string of crashes.

“Am I the only one who is actually scared to go out ATM. I'm avoiding driving at much as I can until summer is out and everyone goes home,” commented Facebook user Stephenie Hardman.

A CornwallLive report from 2019 showed how often police time was wasted as a result of road users ignoring the rules on U-turns. Sixteen reports of the manoeuvre were recorded by the police in 2018 and 2019.

The outcomes of these incidents ranged from motorcyclists being hit by cars to minor disruption, to “horrendous” traffic as a result of road closures associated with them.

The notorious road even caught the eye of CornwallLive’s Lee Trewhela, who moaned last September in a piece about why the county loves it when tourists go home.

Number one on his list was: “No one does U-turns on the A30 or impossible three point turns in tiny seaside villages.”