SO, I’m taking my driving test tomorrow and I’m kind of confused. At first I thought a three point turn was this:
(1) Start from the
extreme right side
of the road. Look
for other traffic and
if clear, give a left
signal and proceed
forward slowly
while turning the
steering wheel to
the left. Stop within
several inches of
the left curb or
edge of the street.
(2) Then proceed
backward slowly
while turning the
steering wheel to the
right. Stop within
several inches of the
right curb or edge
of the street.
(3) Proceed forward
slowly while
turning the steering
wheel to the left.
This should
complete your
turnabout.
________________________
But then I was talking to some friends who recently took the test and they said that they had to pull over right past a road, back into that road and then turn left out of the road.
Which one is correct??? Please, please help me!
A "true" 3-point turn is how you stated it in the first part. I have never heard of a 3-point turn how your friends did it-it is actually only a 2-point turn because you only have to turn the wheel twice (right backing into the road, left pulling out) to complete it. And there always won’t be that "other road" in real life so stick to the first one, it is the correct 3-point turn.
the way you described it is a textbook 3 point turn, according to the cali dmv book. the only part you are missing, look behind you while backing up the entire time.
even if its true you can see better out your side mirrors (like in a full size truck), you will get points marked off if you arent looking in the direction you are going.
personally, i think backing onto a side street has a danger of you cant always see around the corner, but when vision is clear it does keep you from obstructing the other street as much.