No Three Point Turn?
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30249249

Potential plans to the driving test may drop the three point turn, reverse round a corner, etc in favour of things like rejoining traffic from a side road, or use of sat nav.

Yes we should reflect changing dependence on technology like sat nav instead of the traditional a-z. But what happens when you get your navigation wrong and need to turn round?

That these are traditional manoeuvres that seem to cause fear amongst learners is not a reason to drop them.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Sounds like the kind of thing you'd do to get more drivers on the road.

to join all the other drivers on the road that are dumb, stupid, haven't got a licence. or have got a licence but it's not valid in the UK.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Which are you?

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

All of them.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Figured that.:D

To many basic driving skills are being neglected just because there's some techno fix available.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

"3 point turn"? I thought it was renamed "turn in the road" in case you had to do more than a 3 point manoeuvre?

Why would they want to dumb-down a perfectly good test?

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

I agree, if anything more emphasis ought to be placed on manoeuvring and generally handling the car on today's heavily congested roads. Given what I see almost daily, I'm wondering how some people passed their tests when they don't seem to have a clue.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

I was taught to pass my driving test by the RAF, and THEN I was taught how to drive properly by the same instructor, including night driving, motorway driving, skid control and basic maintenance. 35 years of no-fault driving since.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

But what about the carnage you leave behind you :angel: :p:

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

When I passed my car test "turn in the road".

The road used by the tester was on a narrow road which it was impossible to do a tree point turn.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

I took my driving test over 40 years ago and I'm sure the Tester's request was to "turn the vehicle around using forward and reverse gears" and although ideally that would be a 3 point turn I believe you were judged on how competently you completed the manoeuvre.

I live in a quiet residential road regularly used by driving schools for pupils to practice three-point turns and reverse parking. An absolute p.i.t.a when you're wanting to get out in the car but I suppose they have to do it somewhere!

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

I should hope so! :D

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Opps, I meant it was impossible to do a three point turn. :(

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Don't see why the major car manufacturers can't do the same as the parallel parking facility and get the car to do it.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

I think people need to be able to manoeuvre their cars and if they rely on the vehicles to do stuff like this then they're not likely to develop those skills or the special awareness, timing, co-ordination etc. that driving demands.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Given we seem to insist on sticking to manual transmissions when most of the rest of the world are using automatics I have no comment to make on the driving test.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Its only really the US, Canada and Australia that go for autos, and that's because they traditionally used large, lazy engines that are well matched to lazy autoboxes.

---------- Post added at 08:10 ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 ----------

Because a driver should be able to manoeuvre a car without automated assistance. While modern cars' massive windscreen pillars and stupid windows don't help, a driver who can't parallel park or do a turn in the road shouldn't really be driving.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Maybe they need more women drivers on the road? :D :Sprint:

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

I don't see the problem really .A 3 point turn is a combination of driving skills that will still be taught ,most drivers don't use that manoeuvre anyway they simply use a junction to turn around .Reversing into/out of a parking space and entering the flow of traffic from a slip road or layby are much more worthwhile things to be taught.The amount of people who don't know how to enter a carriageway is frightening

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

i think if they did want more women on the road the test would include parking 5 foot from the curb -chewing up alloy wheels - scratching and denting other cars [especially in car parks ] putting on makeup at 70 mph- hitting gate posts [every dam week:mad:] and my favorite pretending you can't see the driver trying to join the road your on .

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

How to text and drive safely is surely of more use these days?

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Don't forget putting on makeup while driving.:mad:

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Still focusing on a single test rather than a graduated scheme that would do far more in improving driving ability and reducing deaths and serious injuries.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

I cannot remember the last time I had to do a "3 point turn", its not really that common (or that difficult).

As I told my daughters, first you learn to pass the driving test, then you learn to drive.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

They teach people not to drive in the middle or outside lanes on the motorway, NOT to use a mobile while driving, use lights in rain, and at night put on dipped lights not just sidelights.

---------- Post added at 20:20 ---------- Previous post was at 20:16 ----------


26 years ago when I passed my test :shocked:, it was called "Turning the vehicle around using the forward & reverse gears". As some road a 3 point turn in not possible.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

now its called a doughnut

HOW TO DO A DOUGHNUT
You can perform a doughnut in two slightly different ways and you don't need to be too hard on the clutch to pull one off. You can either have a rolling start, or spin the wheels from a standstill...

1. Spin the wheels. It's slightly kinder to your car to have a rolling start, this will allow you to fully release the clutch before inducing wheel spin. Approach the area where you want to perform the doughnut in first gear at low speed, ensure you're completely off the clutch then turn in hard and apply full throttle rapidly.

2. If you have enough power you'll find the rear wheels start to spin. Keep the revs up high in the power band and apply a certain amount of steering lock . Alternatively you can spin the wheels from a standstill while applying some steering angle to have the same effect.

3. You should find that the rear wheels lose traction and begin to cause the car to rotate, keep the revs high (you can even remain on the limiter if fitted) and you should complete a doughnut. You can modify the direction by steering at different angles and altering the throttle.

4. If you want to drive away from a doughnut ensure you make the necessary counter-steering adjustments early as the car will have a tendency to oversteer.

In summary a doughnut is a relatively simple and dramatic technique to perform with the right car.

Re: No Three Point Turn?
 

Dropping it is a bad idea, how about making it an addition instead?