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Three-point turn

{{Short description|Method of turning vehicles around in a limited space}}

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{{about|the vehicle manoeuvre|the programming technique|Standard swap|the skating term|3 turn}}

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File:Three-point turn.svg)]]

The three-point turn (sometimes called a Y-turn, K-turn, or broken U-turn) is the standard method of turning a vehicle around to face the opposite direction in a limited space, using forward and reverse gears. This is typically done when the road is too narrow for a U-turn, and there are no driveways or sideroads that are conducive to a two-point turn. Three-point turns are dangerous because they make the driver vulnerable to oncoming traffic for an extended period of time. For this reason, they are generally recommended to be used only as a last resort.{{cite book |last1=Scotti |first1=Anthony J. |title=Professional Driving Techniques |date=March 27, 2007 |publisher=Photographics Publishing |page=195 }}

This manoeuvre is a common requirement in driving tests.

Process

The basic manoeuvre consists of driving across the road turning towards the offside kerb, reversing across the road to the original nearside kerb while turning, and driving forward towards the original offside kerb, now the nearside.{{sfn|MTO|2009}} In a narrow road or with a longer vehicle, more than three legs may be required to achieve a full 180 degree rotation.

Naming

"Three point turn" is the most common name in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and in many regions of the United States.{{sfn|vicroads|2012}}{{sfn|MTO|2009}}NZTA Road Code: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/driving-skill-syllabus/lesson-18.htmlNew York State Department of Motor Vehicles. [http://www.dmv.ny.gov/dmanual/chapter05-manual.htm "Driver's Manual - Chapter 5"]. October 2011. Retrieved on 20 July 2013.Arizona Department of Transportation. [http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/thirdparty/doc/ThirdPartyNonCommercialDriverLicenseExaminerManual.pdf "Non-Commercial Driver License Examiner Manual"]. 1 April 2010, pp. 22-24. Retrieved on 20 July 2013.North Carolina Department of Transportation. [http://www.ncdot.gov/download/dmv/handbooks_ncdl_english.pdf "North Carolina Driver's Handbook"]. January 2012, p. 9. Retrieved on 20 July 2013. Less common terms are: "Y-turn",{{sfn|wiscroads|2012}} "K-turn",Moore, Greg. [http://apps.itd.idaho.gov/Apps/MediaManagerMVC/NewsClipping.aspx/Preview/59494 "School district sued over fatal crash"] (News release). Idaho Transportation Department, 5 October 2011. Retrieved on 20 July 2013. and Broken U-turnMallozzi, Vincent M. [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/11/automobiles/11njsoap.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0 "Now, Don't Hit That Cone"]. New York Times, 11 September 2005. Retrieved on 20 July 2013. but in the UK, the official name is "Turning in the road (using forward and reverse gears)",[https://www.gov.uk/adi-part-2-test/what-happens-during-the-test "Driving and transport: Teaching people to drive"], www.gov.uk/ and in Ireland it is called a "turnabout",[https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/services/s1.8-learner-driver-resources/rules-of-the-road-2020.pdf "Rules of the Road"] (7th revision, 2019), Road Safety Authority because an acceptable turn may include more than three points.{{sfn|DfT|1991|p=212}}

Notes

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References

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  • {{cite book|ref=CITEREFDfT1991|title=Driving|author=Department for Transport|author-link=Department for Transport|publisher=HMSO|year=1991|isbn=978-0-11-550355-9}}
  • {{cite web|ref=CITEREFMTO2009|work=The Official MTO Driver's Handbook|author=Ministry of Transportation of Ontario|author-link=Ministry of Transportation of Ontario|title=Three-Point Turn|url=http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/handbook/section6.11.0.shtml|year=2009}}
  • {{cite web|ref=CITEREFvicroads2012|title=Vicroads, How your driving is assessed|url=http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Licences/GetYourPs/PreparingForYourLicenceTest/TheDriveTest/HowYourDrivingIsAssessed.htm|access-date=16 March 2012|archive-date=29 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329040924/https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Licences/GetYourPs/PreparingForYourLicenceTest/TheDriveTest/HowYourDrivingIsAssessed.htm|url-status=dead}}
  • {{cite web|ref=CITEREFwiscroads2012|title=Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Class D road test study guide|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/drivers/class-d.htm}}

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Further reading

  • {{cite book|title=The official DSA guide to driving: the essential skills|author=Driving Standards Agency|author-link=Driving Standards Agency|edition=7th|publisher=The Stationery Office|year=2010|isbn=978-0-11-553134-7|chapter=Turning in the Road|pages=192–193}}

Category:Driving techniques