Probably the most common consequence of making an improper turn in New York City is getting lost. Getting lost is easy in New York because of the sheer number of streets, the constantly heavy traffic, aggressive drivers, and proliferation of one-way streets. One-way streets make it difficult to quickly get back on course, especially if you're not familiar with the area. It can be easy to end up in a neighborhood miles from your location if you are not careful.
Many busy New York City intersections have special rules related to turns between specific hours, or on certain days. In the city's business district, for example, U-turns are prohibited. Also, unless specifically indicated otherwise, turning right on a red light in the city is also illegal. A wrong or improper turn in New York City that violates a rule could lead to a ticket if you're spotted by a member of the New York Police Department.
If you're visiting New York on business, or even if you live in the city and are driving to a meeting or other appointment, making an improper turn could delay you considerably. If your improper turn creates a significant detour, your miscue could result in you being extremely late to your meeting or missing it entirely. The consequences to missing an appointment vary -- if you were going to a job interview, you likely won't get the job, but if you missed a doctor's appointment, you could reschedule it.
One of the worst kinds of wrong turn to make is turning the wrong way down a one-way street. Though this mistake sounds simple to avoid, it's easy to do if the street isn't clearly marked or if you're using an unreliable GPS or trying to find your location on a map. If you turn down a street into oncoming traffic, you may get into an accident. Accidents also happen in regular intersections, particularly when the turning driver does not properly yield to oncoming traffic.
