Performing a
three-point turn or a ‘turn in the road’ is one of those
manoeuvres that new drivers get pretty worried about. It’s true
that a poorly executed three-point turn can cause a lot of either
amusement or frustration to other road-users. It’s also true that
it’s one of the most common manoeuvres that an examiner will ask a
learner to perform in a driving test, so follow these simple
instructions and take the fear out of the three-point turn.
In a test situation,
the examiner will be looking for three key factors. Getting these
right will help you in the test, but will also ensure that you carry
out your manoeuvre correctly in the future. These factors are:
ACCURACY – you should be able to perform the turn in three moves
(possibly five), without touching the kerb or mounting the pavement;
CONTROL – steering the car appropriately, while also maintaining
slow movement by controlled use of the clutch; OBSERVATION – you
should be aware of your surroundings, your position on the road and
any other road users at all times, by carrying out continuous
all-round observation during this manoeuvre.
When to perform
one
If you need to turn
around and face the other direction when you are driving, you have a
few options. If the road is wide and quiet, you could execute a
u-turn; if there’s a suitable junction you could pull up, reverse
into it and pull back out in the correct direction; or you could
carry out a “turn in the road”. Technically this doesn’t have
to be a three-point turn, in a narrower road you may need to use
five-points, but it’s the same idea. You might use one if you’ve
gone the wrong way, or if you are at a dead-end.
Step by step
Safely pull over to
the left of the road, ensuring that you are not across somebody’s
driveway, on a sharp bend or opposite a junction. Use your interior
(rear-view) mirror and left-hand mirror and signal left if necessary
as you pull over.
Check ahead of you,
in your rear-view and right-hand mirrors and in your right-hand
blind-spot to make sure that the road is clear. If there is any
traffic in either direction, then wait, and perform the checks again
before carrying out the manoeuvre.
Put the car into
first gear, remove the hand-brake and start moving off using clutch
control. Immediately turn the steering wheel all the way to the
right. Keep moving slowly towards the opposite side of the road,
observing in both directions all the time. As you approach the kerb,
turn the wheel slightly back towards the left and brake and clutch to
come to a stop before you hit the kerb. Apply the handbrake and
select reverse gear.
Check up and down
the road again in both directions, and if all is clear then, finding
the clutch bite point, remove the handbrake and move off in reverse.
Look out of the rear window as you reverse, immediately turning the
steering wheel all the way to left-hand lock. Keep the car slow, and
while looking mainly out of the rear window, keep looking left and
right all the time. As you get about halfway across the road, turn
to look over your right shoulder at the approaching kerb. As you
approach this kerb, turn the wheel slightly back to the right, and
apply the brake and clutch to come to a stop. Apply the handbrake
and select first gear.
Check up and down
the road again in both directions. If all is clear then find the
clutch bite point, remove the handbrake and move off, steering to the
right to find the correct driving position in the road.
What to do if a
vehicle appears while you are carrying out the three-point turn.
Don’t panic! Just
stop your vehicle and assess what they are going to do. They may
signal for you to complete the manoeuvre while they wait, in which
case do so. Alternatively, they may decide they have space to get
past you, allow them to do so and then check that the road is clear
again before continuing the manoeuvre.
To find out more
about learning
to drive in Glasgow contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764
1213.
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