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 G.40  The Three-point Turn

One wrong turn, all drivers have done it, and you may find yourself in a narrow, dead-end (No Exit) street. Turning the vehicle around to get back on course is best executed as a three-point-turn. Many drivers conveniently use a driveway, which in some countries is illegal. 

A three-point turn is basic driving skill. Unlike parallel parking, this manoeuvre requires less judgment, but rather a step-by-step approach (the 8-steps below).

Selecting a suitable place, with clear visibility in all directions is most important, since your vehicle will be blocking the roadway for a considerable time.  (Beginners may take up to a minute to execute a 3-Point Turn, especially in a manual vehicle). Therefore, a beginner should never practice this near bends, crests or on busy roads.

Stay clear of posts, trees etc, which may damage your bumper bar, should you misjudge the space available. (See picture below).  

Before executing this manoeuvre stop at the kerbside, giving the appropriate right signal. Take care to not be blocking driveways, bus stops and obey any No-Standing signs. 

Give way to all traffic before commencing the turn.

 

The 8-steps of the Three-point Turn:

1. Check mirrors, indicate left,  check shoulder (blindspot):	This step is a basic procedure,  every time before pulling away from the kerb (or changing lanes).
2. While slowly moving forward, turn the steering wheel quickly to full left lock (anti-clockwise).	‘Full lock’ means turning the wheel as far as it goes, without forcing it, especially a vehicle with power-steering. Never turn the steering wheel while the vehicle is stationary.
3. Just before reaching the kerb at the other side turn the wheel to full right lock (clockwise). Note the way the wheel is facing >      The further the wheel has been turned in this direction, the less space is required to complete the turn.
4. Stop! Check the road again in both directions.	If traffic approaches, use common sense. Most times drivers will wait. If they don't -  You must give way!
5. Look behind before moving away from the kerb and while you are reversing.	If you did not manage full right lock at step 3, complete full right lock now.
6.  Reverse slowly! Approx. 3 feet (1 meter)  before the car reaches the other side, turn the steering wheel back to the left, while still moving very slowly.  Had this driver judged better and    started the 3-Point turn a feet meters further, the tree would not have become an issue.  >
7. Stop! Check the road again in both direction.	Traffic may or may not stop for you. Cyclists take very little space to move through and you can not hear them.
8. Complete the turn when safe.	Stay left after turning.

 

Watch this 53 second video! Please note: a) the front wheels should have been turned (at the 24 sec. mark) before reaching the kerb, not while the car is stopping, and b) had this 3-point turn been done only a few feet further on, the driver would have hit the post of the road sign!  

During a three-point-turn, or any other slow speed manoeuvre, consider the 'landscape'. Seldom is a road totally flat. The road surface may be tilted (cambered) or raised in the centre (the crown of the road) and fall away toward the edges. This is to allow water to run off in heavy rain. 

At steps 2 and 5, in most cases, your vehicle has to 'climb' out of the gutter. Therefore, in a manual vehicle especially, use the handbrake and apply extra power. Halfway across the road, as the vehicle moves over the crown of the road, the vehicle will gather speed. 

At this point, press down the clutch and start to apply brake pressure. The amount of pressure on the break will determine the (crawling) speed of the vehicle. 

Please note: Learners may take a few seconds to execute steps 1, 4 and 7. Cyclist may not wait, but rather squeeze past. It is vital to check the road (again) just prior to moving away from the kerb.

 In traffic five seconds is   a l o o o o o n g   time!