Turn Yourself Around with a 3-Point Turn (2024)

There are right turns, left turns, and U-turns. Turns of events. Turns of fortune. Turnarounds. Turns of phrase. And you can take an unfortunate turn for the worse. But there is only one three-point turn. It's a part of many a driver's-license road test, and sooner or later, every driver is going to need to pull off this basic maneuver. The three-point turn is how you get going in the opposite direction on a road or street that's too narrow on which to make a U-turn in a single, clean sweep.

Follow these steps to make safe and smooth three-point turns. It's as easy as, ahem, one-two-three.

Point 1: Stop, Signal, Check, Turn

For your first few attempts, find a quiet side street or a road on which there's little traffic, so you can practice without worrying about other cars. (For the purposes of this discussion, let's assume you're on a two-lane street or road.) At the spot where you want to turn around, pull your vehicle over to the right side of the road—close to the curb if there is one—and turn on your right signal to let drivers coming in both directions know that you've pulled over and that they should pass. Next, look ahead to check if there's any oncoming traffic and then scan your mirrors to see if any vehicles are coming from behind. Look over your left shoulder as well, just to be sure that the coast is clear.

If there's no oncoming traffic, turn on your left signal and crank the steering wheel all the way to the left. Pull forward, turning slowly across the road until your front bumper is almost at the opposite curb. Stop there. Now turn the steering all the way to the right and shift to reverse. But before you back up, look to the right and left to confirm that the road is still clear in both directions—or that any other cars on the road have stopped for you to complete the turn.

Point 2: Check, Reverse, Stop

Now, with the wheel turned fully to the right, reverse to a point between halfway and three-quarters across the street and come to a stop. If you're executing this maneuver on a street where cars are parked on both sides, be careful when you back up. You don't want to inadvertently hit any of the cars behind you!

Point 3: Pull Forward

Now comes the easy part: Shift to D, turn the wheel to the left and pull forward, finishing your turn, and then head off in the opposite direction from which you came. You've completed a three-point turn!

Remember: Take your time, scan for oncoming traffic before initiating each of the three points in the turn, and maneuver slowly and carefully. Do that and your three-point turns will be safe and drama-free.