Maridady Blog

HOW TO MAKE A U-TURN

What should you do before making a U-turn? Possible answers: A. Give an arm signal as well as using your indicators B. Check road markings to see that U-turns are permitted C. Look over your shoulder for a final check A u-turn manoeuvre is where you turn 180 degrees on the road in order to travel in the other direction. There are a number of things to think about: Is there any traffic following me that might not be expecting me to stop and do a u-turn? Is it safest for me to pull over to the left, wait for a gap in traffic and then perform the u-turn? Is the road wide enough to complete the turn in one manoeuvre? (if not, it will become a three-point turn where you have to reverse as well) Is there any traffic coming towards me? If there is traffic coming towards me, can I complete the turn and accelerate back up-to-speed again without causing them to brake or take evasive action? If I'm waiting at a traffic light and want to do a u-turn, will doing the u-turn interfere with traffic either coming towards me or entering the junction from the right, or any pedestrians on the road. Is my vehicle capable of doing a u-turn without causing issues? This is mostly a problem if you are towing a trailer and it ends up having to be a three-point turn because you misjudged the turning circle of the vehicle Is it safer to turn into a side street and then do a three-point turn? The safest way is to pull over to the left of the road by indicating left. While you are stopped on the left, indicate right, wait for a gap in both traffic directions and make the manoeuvre. Pay special attention to cyclists approaching - ensure you look over your shoulder, not just in your mirror. You can do a u-turn anywhere where it's safe and not prohibited. If you see the NO U-TURN sign, then u-turns are not allowed.