Turn In The Road

Turn-In-The-Road

Step-by-Step

On your actual driving test the examiner will only ask you to perform one of the four manoeuvres which you need to learn and master.

The four manoeuvres are: Turn-in-the-Road, Reverse-into-a-side-Road, Parallel Park and Bay Park.

As you may already appreciate all of the manoeuvres should be carried out slowly by using very strict ‘clutch control’. On all of the manoeuvres carried out on the driving test you will be judged on two things, your Control and your Observation.

Read through all of the following steps before you commence this manoeuvre

Turn In The Road

This manoeuvre is quite commonly known as the 3-point turn, because in most cases this is normally completed in 3 moves. If you should take 5 you can still pass your driving test.

This manoeuvre should be carried out very slowly to demonstrate your control over your vehicle. To achieve this, very careful use of the ‘clutch control’ is needed. Once you have found the ‘bite’ point (this is the point where the vehicle ‘just’ begins to move), keep your foot very still. This is how you will retain full control over the speed of the vehicle. By using the ‘bite’ point you will be able to inch your vehicle forwards or backwards ensuring complete
control over the speed that you allow your car to move.

Whilst carrying out this manoeuvre the ‘gas’ just ensures that the engine does not stall – in this particular case the ‘gas’ does NOT control the speed of the vehicle at this time. The clutch however, DOES control the speed of the vehicle. The higher the clutch is allowed to come up the faster the vehicle will move. The lower the clutch is put down, the slower the vehicle will move. The point at where the vehicle engine note just begins to fade. This is what is commonly referred to as the ‘bite’ point.

To begin the exercise, select a quiet side road ensuring that you choose a safe and convenient place to stop next to the kerb. Ensuring that you don’t block or obstruct any driveways or entrances and that you do not stop opposite another vehicle or other obstruction such as a skip etc.

Do not commence this exercise until you are sure that the road is clear and that you will not endanger or inconvenience any other road-users, including pedestrians. If any other road-users are present you need to ensure that it is safe to begin the manoeuvre and if in doubt wait until you are convinced that it is safe to proceed.
Remember that no matter in which direction you are moving your vehicle, forwards or backwards, wait if any pedestrians are walking past in front or behind your vehicle. This is to ensure complete safety, for example in case your foot inadvertently slipped off one of the pedals.

The Turn-In-The-Road Exercise:

Use: POMPOM

P – Preparation (Get the car COMPLETELY READY to move)
O – Observation (Look out of every window of the car)
M – Motorvation (move the car slowly using very strict CLUTCH CONTROL)

Prepare the car ready to move off. Carry out all round observation. Observe to see if it is safe to move off. Move the car very slowly using strict ‘clutch control’ and as the car begins to move forward turn the steering wheel quickly and fully to the right until you reach ‘full lock’ (the steering wheel will not turn
any further). About a metre from the kerb, as the car is still moving forward turn the steering wheel back to the ‘straight’ position, and stop before you reach the kerb. Pull the handbrake up to the ‘on’ position, then select neutral, and rest your feet (you can safely take your feet off the foot controls now).

Select Reverse Gear, and find the ‘bite’ point by using very strict ‘clutch control’. Observe to see if it is safe to move off. Watching over your left shoulder as the car begins to move off very slowly using strict ‘clutch control’ and as the car begins to move backwards turn the steering wheel quickly and fully to the left until you reach ‘full lock’ (the steering wheel will not turn any further). When you reach full lock, this is your cue to now look over your right shoulder to observe any approaching traffic and to keep a careful watch on the kerb. About a metre from the kerb, as the car is still moving backwards turn the steering wheel back to the ‘straight’ position, and stop before you reach the kerb. Pull the handbrake up to the ‘on’ position, then select neutral, and rest your feet (you can safely take your feet off the foot controls now).

Prepare the car ready to move off. Carry out all round observation. Observe to see if it is safe to move off. Move the car very slowly using strict ‘clutch control’ and as the car begins to move forward turn the steering wheel quickly and fully to the right until you reach ‘full lock’ (the steering wheel will not turn any further). As the car is still moving forward and becomes straight, turn the steering wheel back to the ‘straight’ position, check your mirror, and if safe continue along the road and change gear as necessary. Or if you are going to stop the car, check your mirror and signal to the left if there are any other road-users around and pull up at a safe and convenient place. Pull the handbrake up to the ‘on’ position, then select neutral, and rest your feet (you can safely take your feet off the foot controls now).

Why You Should Use POMPOM

A lot of new learner drivers are very conscious of the fact that they may well be holding up traffic and/or frustrating other road-users. Because of this they feel very self-conscious and either try to get out of the way as quickly as possible or on frozen to the spot.

Therefore, by PREPARING THE CAR FIRST, instead of looking for other road-users, the learner driver will not be distracted by other road-users – Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Thus, the preparation will be quicker and more efficient. If the Observation is carried out first, the learner may well be distracted by other road-users, which in turn slows down the Preparation process, and the result will be that the manoeuvre will take longer to complete and the road obstructed for longer.

Also, by carrying out the Observation before the Preparation, the learner driver, by their body-language is giving out the wrong signals. In effect their body-language is telling other road-users that they are ready to move the car ‘now’.

Look at this another way, how could you obstruct the road for the maximum amount of time? Don’t get the car ready, just look out for, or at other road-users, and only when you are convinced that is safe, then Prepare the car. But then what do you have to do? You then have to carry out the Observation AGAIN!! So the first Observation which was carried out had no value at all, except by delaying and prolonging the manoeuvre.

I personally witnessed an example of this quite recently. We were on a driving lesson and just turned into a side road where another learner driver was in the middle of carrying out a Turn-in-the-Road exercise. The learner driver was reversing back towards the kerb. We stopped our car about 75 yards from the learner so as not to put the learner driver carrying out the exercise under any undue pressure. When the learner had reversed back and stopped at the kerb, she then immediately began to look at us. Around 20 seconds later she began to complete the manoeuvre.

Unfortunately, she was still in reverse gear and mounted the kerb. She then sorted herself out and completed the manoeuvre, and it was then that we saw that she had the driving examiner sitting beside her, so she was on her driving test. If she had only applied POMPOM, and Prepared the car, before carrying out the Observation, she would have completed the manoeuvre successfully.

Below Turn-In-The-Road – Step-by-Step:

1. Clutch Down and Select 1st gear

2. Set the gas

3. Clutch up to the ‘bite’ point

4. Hand on the handbrake (ready to release)

5. Check the centre mirror

6. Check your right side mirror AND the blind-spot (over your right shoulder)

7. If it is safe to proceed – release the handbrake (down)

8. Clutch up a little until the vehicle just begins to move, then push the clutch down a ‘little’ (just below the ‘bite’ point)

9. As the vehicle begins to move forward under ‘clutch control’, turn the steering wheel quickly and fully to the right (ensuring that the vehicle is continuously moving forward as the steering wheel is being turned to minimise excess front tyre wear)

10. As the vehicle is moving forward keep carrying out plenty of all-round observation for not only approaching or passing traffic, but also for passing pedestrians and cyclists

11. When you are about a metre from the kerb turn your steering wheel back to the left to straighten up

12. Off gas

13. Brake and clutch down

14. Handbrake on (up)

15. Select Neutral

16. Rest your feet (you can now take your feet off the pedals)

17. Clutch down and select Reverse Gear

18. Set the gas

19. Clutch up to the ‘bite’ point

20. Hand on the handbrake (ready to release)

21. Look all round your vehicle – left and right, in front and behind

22. If it is safe to proceed – release the handbrake (down)

23. Look over your left shoulder and as the vehicle begins to move backward under ‘clutch control’, turn the steering wheel quickly and fully to the left (ensuring that the vehicle is continuously moving forward as the steering wheel is being turned to minimise excess front tyre wear)

24. As you reach halfway across the road turn to watch over your right shoulder so that you can see the approaching kerb

25. When you are about a metre from the kerb turn your steering wheel back to the right to straighten up

26. Off gas

27. Brake and clutch down

28. Handbrake on (up)

29. Select Neutral and Rest your feet (you can now take your feet off the pedals)

30. Clutch down and select 1st gear

31. Set the gas

32. Clutch up to the ‘bite’ point

33. Hand on the handbrake (ready to release)

34. Look all round your vehicle – left and right, in front and behind

35. If it is safe to proceed – release the handbrake (down)

36. As the vehicle begins to move forward under ‘clutch control’, turn the steering wheel quickly to the right

37. As you complete the manoeuvre, straighten up the steering wheel whilst maintaining ‘clutch control’. This will ensure that you keep the vehicle under control, while you concentrate on keeping your vehicle on the left-hand side of the road

38. As soon as your vehicle is straight check the centre and right-hand mirrors

39. If it is safe to proceed allow the clutch to come up to the top

40. More gas and drive away

Once You Have Mastered This Exercise The Turn-In-The-Road Should Be Performed As Follows:

Pull up and stop at the side of the at a safe and convenient place (i.e. not obstructing anyone’s driveway, avoiding stopping opposite other vehicles or entrances, or too close to a junction if possible). Decide if you need to signal to any other road-users as you stop. Handbrake on. Select Neutral.

You will now be asked (by your Driving Instructor, or your Driving Test Examiner if on test) to ‘Turn the car round in the road using forward and reverse gear. Try not to touch the kerbs or use any driveway when completing the turn.

When You Are Ready You Can Begin.

Remember POMPOM. Prepare, Observe, Manoeuvre.

Select 1st gear ready to move off.

Take a good look all round the car being aware of any other road-users such as vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists nearby, and wait if necessary or if in doubt.

As soon as it is clear to move off, move the car very slowly under strict clutch control, turning the steering wheel quickly and fully to the right.

When you are nearly at the kerb, as you keep the car moving very slowly, quickly turn the wheel to the left to straighten up.

Stop the car. Handbrake on. Select Neutral.

Now remember at this point NOT to look around, as you will be distracted if there is anyone there, but to concentrate on POMPOM. The first part being Preparation.

Select Reverse gear. Find the clutch ‘bite’ point to take into account the camber of the road and to ensure that the car will not roll forward. Take all the time you need to be certain that you have got the ‘bite’ point as the accuracy is much more important than the speed.

Put your hand on the handbrake ‘ready’ to release it – but DON’T release it yet.

Once you have the ‘bite’ point, you are now ready for the O of POMPOM, Observation. Look out of every window in the car to make sure that the road is absolutely clear. If anyone is approaching, wait to see what they do next. If they wait for you, you should continue. If they continue, you should wait. So effectively you don’t need to make the decision, ‘they’ make it for you, and you do the opposite to what ‘they’ do.

When you are satisfied that the it is safe to proceed, you have reached the M for Manoeuvre part of the exercise.

Release the handbrake and watch over your left shoulder maintaining strict clutch control to keep the car moving very slowly back, turning the steering wheel quickly and fully to the left. Once you reach full-lock where the steering wheel will not turn any further, this is your cue to look over your right shoulder to decide when to straighten the steering wheel by turning it quickly to the right, and to decide when to stop the car before reaching the kerb.

Stop the car. Handbrake on. Select neutral.

Remember POMPOM. Prepare, Observe, Manoeuvre.

Select 1st gear ready to move off.

Find the clutch ‘bite’ point to take into account the camber of the road and to ensure that the car will not roll forward.

Take all the time you need to be certain that you have got the ‘bite’ point as the accuracy is much more important than the speed.

Put your hand on the handbrake ‘ready’ to release it – but DON’T release it yet.

Take a good look out of all of the windows of the car being aware of any other road-users such as vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists nearby, and wait if necessary or if in doubt.

As soon as it is clear to move off, move the car very slowly under strict clutch control, turning the steering wheel quickly and fully to the right.

As you complete the turn, check the rear view mirror and either continue along the road, or if you intend to pull up to stop at the side of the road, check your mirror and decide if you need to give a signal and if necessary do so, and pull up and stop safely beside the kerb at a safe and convenient place.

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