Turn in the Road

How to deal with a turn in the road using forward and reverse gears.

The secret of this manoeuvre is to keep the car moving very slowly, but steering very briskly. Ideally you should find a quite side road where you can practise turning the car around to face the other way, using forward and reverse gears.
Follow our advice below on how to deal with the turn in the road:

1. Find a suitable place in a quiet road away from parked cars and obstructions like trees or lampposts, and hidden dangers like very high kerbstones.

2. Take note of the gradient or camber in the road, as these will affect car control.

3. Before you leave the kerb, check all mirrors and blind spot. If any road users are nearby, wait for them to move away. Repeat observations and blind spot check.

4. In first gear, using clutch and brake control, keeping the car slow and the steering brisk, turn your wheel full right lock and move smoothly towards the opposite kerb. Just before you reach the kerb, about a metre away, steer to the left and stop before the kerb without hitting, striking or mounting the kerb. Use your handbrake if needed.

5. Select reverse gear, get bite point, and check all around the vehicle, especially to left and right, for any approaching vehicles. If clear, and looking behind your car reverse towards the rear kerb, steering full left lock. About 1 meter away from the kerb, still looking behind you to the right, steer quickly to the right. Stop at the kerb.

6. Finally, select first gear, and, after checking all around, if the way is clear and no vehicles are approaching in the vicinity, move across the road, steering right. Check your mirrors again, and move off or park as required.

7. If any vehicles should come along whilst you are doing this manoeuvre, give them priority. Some may stop and wait, others will drive on. If they wait, take a deep breath, and continue, and remember, they have all been where you are now, so don’t panic.

8. Finally, if the road is very narrow, or your vehicle is long, then you may need to do more turns – 5, 7 or even 9. On your practical driving test, your examiner will expect you to do it in as few turns as possible.