Turning in the road

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Turn in the Road redirects here. For the 1919 film directed by King Vidor, see The Turn in the Road.

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Turning in the road is a driving maneuver that is used to turn the car so that it is facing the road in the opposite direction, by the use of reversing and turning. The most common maneuver for turning in the road is a 3-point turn or Y-turn, but a 5-point turn or U-turn may be used, depending the width of the available road and shoulder and the size and maneuverability of the car being driven.

The official way to perform a three-point turn is to pull to the side of the road, turn wheels towards the centre, accelerate until the car is a few feet from the opposite curb, turn the wheel in the opposite direction, and, using reverse, back up until the vehicle's rear tyres are close to the curb on the opposite side of the street, then turn the steering wheel again toward the centre to position the wheels in the desired direction and accelerate forward in the new direction.

Another illegal way to change directions 180 degrees is to execute a Bootleg turn.