Losing your signal and GPS can lead to driving into random streets and dead ends. When this happens, some drivers tough it out and back their cars up until there’s enough space to turn around. However, you can use an easier technique in this scenario called the turnabout.
A turnabout, also known as a police U-turn, is a driving maneuver for turning your car within a confined space or on busy roads. Turnabouts let drivers turn on a narrow two-lane road or return to the proper lane.
There are three types of turnabouts: a police U-turn, a three-point turn, and a driveway/street-assisted turn.
As the name suggests, a U-turn is a 180-degree turn to enter the opposite road/lane. It’s a type of turnabout you should only do if you have enough space. When performing a U-turn, you should signal your intent using your blinkers or the hazard lights, as it’s a dangerous move to perform if you’re in heavy traffic.
A three-point turn is a type of turnabout that requires you to stop, compared to a U-turn that consists of a single turn. Three-point turns are done if the road isn’t wide enough to perform a U-turn. The maneuver got its name because you must take at least three turns to face the opposite direction.
You can also pull or back into a driveway or side street on either side of the road to create the space needed to turn your vehicle around. Do note that this method poses more dangers than U-turns and three-point turns because you’ll be backing into the travel lane (if you pull on the left side). As such, you should communicate your intent by using your signal and hazard lights.
As mentioned, you should perform a turnabout on narrow two-lane roads, when approaching a dead end, and to get back into the proper lane.
You can perform a turnabout on two-lane roads, specifically a three-point turn since these roads tend to be narrow. Two downsides to turning on two-point roads are the innate difficulty of maneuvering on a narrow space and the fact that you’ll completely block the flow of traffic during the turn.
Performing a turnabout on a dead-end street is often necessary because there are no other ways to turn your vehicle around. Dead ends typically don’t have enough room for a U-turn, making a three-point turn the better option. It’s also safer and more efficient to turnabout rather than reversing for a long distance.
You’re likely to perform a turnabout because you’re on the wrong side of the road/lane. Turnabouts let you legally get back into the proper lane as long as you know when and where you can perform the maneuver.
Note that certain situations may prevent you from performing a turnabout. For example, a “No U-Turn” sign prohibits you from using the maneuver. As such, brushing up on common road signs and warnings is a good idea.
While it’s not illegal, you should also avoid attempting turnabouts near a hill/curve or during heavy traffic.
Performing a turnabout with limited sight distance could be tricky and dangerous, as you could fall off the cliff or have a vehicle run into you during a curve. In these scenarios, reversing or waiting for a proper U-turn slot is better.
Meanwhile, performing a turnabout in heavy traffic is difficult because you won’t have enough space, and there’s a chance other drivers won’t clear space for you.
A turnabout is a simple maneuver, but there are specific technical characteristics needed before performing the move. Your vehicle can do a turnabout if it has the following characteristics:
Generally, a turnabout is simply turning your vehicle 180 degrees to face the opposite direction. And while there are different methods, you can perform a turnabout by following the steps below:
If you want to perform a three-point turn on a highway, follow the steps below:
The same technique is used if you want to back into a driveway/side street first. The only difference is you’ll have more space when reversing since you’ll back up into a driveway/street instead of getting close to a curb first.
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