Three-point turn

"Turn in the road" redirects here. For the film, see The Turn in the Road.

For the programming technique, see Standard swap.

Performing a three-point turn (shown for right-hand traffic)

The three-point turn is the formal name in Australia, Canada, and in many regions of the United States,^{[citation needed]} and the informal name in the UK and Ireland for a driving manoeuvre commonly required in the practical part of driving tests. The UK and Irish formal name is the rather more laboriously phrased turning in the road (using forward and reverse gears). This is because an acceptable so-called "three point turn" may include more than three points.

The three-point turn is a method of reversing the direction of a vehicle when the road is too narrow for a U-turn. 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. In a narrow road or with a longer vehicle the process may have to be repeated.

The three-point turn is also known as the y-turn, k-turn, and broken u-turn.^{[citation needed]} The y-turn is the official name in the state of Wisconsin.

See also

• U-turn

References

• Department for Transport (1991). Driving. HMSO. ISBN 978-0-11-550355-9. 
• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (2009). "Three-Point Turn". The Official MTO Driver's Handbook. 
• "Vicroads, How your driving is assessed". 
• "Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Class D road test study guide". 

Further reading

• Driving Standards Agency (2010). "Turning in the Road". The official DSA guide to driving: the essential skills (7th ed.). The Stationery Office. pp. 192–193. ISBN 978-0-11-553134-7.