A two-point turn is a basic driving manoeuvre that involves pulling into an adjacent road or drive and then backing out onto the original road to continue driving in the opposite direction.
You can also pull into a nearby street or drive on the same side of the road you are on and back into the next lane. But this is a bit riskier and not the best way to do things.
A two-point turn is, other than a legal U-turn, the easiest and safest way to turn a car around on the road without leaving the road.
How To Do a 2-Point Turn
A two-point turn is a simple move that just involves turning and backing up.
To perform a 2-point turn:
1: Look for an empty road or driveway next to you. In residential areas, drivers often use driveways.
2: Stop when your car’s back bumper is close to the curb or side of the road.
To avoid a possible accident, pull your car all the way off the main road so that cars going by don’t hit your back bumper by accident.
3: Get back into the main road lane you want to be in.
4 – Move forward in the right way.
How To Do a Two-Point Reverse Turn
A two-point reverse turn is the same as a two-point turn, except that instead of pulling off the road onto a side road to back out, you back onto the next road or drive and then pull onto the main road.
It looks like this –
To perform a 2-point reverse turn:
- Look for a nearby empty road (driveway).
2: Move slowly toward the empty road or driveway, and stop when your back bumper is about even with the far edge or curb of the road or driveway you want to back into.
3: Go back onto the road or driveway you are using as your turning point.
The best thing to do is to get back into the right lane so that your car is facing the right way on the next road and doesn’t block the other lane. (On some roads, this might not be possible.)
4: Make sure you back up far enough so your car is completely off the main road and on the road or drive next to it.
5: Get back on the main road and turn in the direction you want to go.
Risks of a Two-Point Turn
Two-point turns work best when there aren’t many other cars on the road and there aren’t any better places to turn around.
A two-point turn is the safest and best way to turn around on a country road with few shops or homes.
When doing a 2-point turn, the most important things are to watch out for other cars and make sure the road is clear.
Since a two-point turn involves backing onto a busy road or driveway, you NEVER have the right of way when “backing up” for a two-point turn. It’s up to you to make sure that both roads (or the road and the drive) you’re using are free of cars.
Still, if you are on a two-lane road that is too narrow for a U-turn and there is no other way to turn around, the two-point turn is the best and safest way to get back to the direction you want to go.
