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On Hand

Off Hand: The Banana Turn

By Michelle Jokisch Polo
Published October 24, 2025 at 6:00 AM EDT
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A green highway sign reads “The Banana Turn” beside a “No Left Turn” symbol, with a smiling banana on a curved road with vintage maps in the background.
Design by Michelle Jokisch Polo and Jodi Westrick
/
Michigan Public
A story of how a couple of siblings came to call the Michigan Left the 'Banana Turn'.

In Michigan, sometimes when we are driving and we want to turn left, we have to turn right first — and it turns out that quirky traffic design can help prevent car crashes. Most people call it a Michigan Left or a Michigan U-Turn. But there are some Michiganders that have another name for it: the Banana Turn.

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On Hand traffic controlTikTokcarcarsdrivingtraffic congestionInstagrammichigan leftleft turn
Michelle Jokisch Polo
Michelle Jokisch Polo is a producer for Stateside. She joins us from WKAR in Lansing, where she reported in both English and Spanish on a range of topics, including politics, healthcare access and criminal justice.
See stories by Michelle Jokisch Polo
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