[HOW TO DO A U-TURN TO PASS A ROAD TEST | STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS]
Hi there smart drivers. Rick with Smart Drive Test talking to you today about
U-turns; step-by-step instructions to execute a U-turn for the purposes of
passing a road test. Stick around, we'll be right back with that information.
[INTRO & MUSIC]
Hi there smart drivers. Welcome back. Rick with Smart Drive Test talking to you today
about how to execute a U-turn; step by step instructions to pass a road test. Now
just before we get started here, if you're new to Smart Drive Test, Smart
Drive Test helps new drivers get a license regardless of class, veteran
drivers to remain crash free, and CDL drivers to start a career as a truck or
bus driver. So if you're new here, hit that subscribe button. As well, hit that
bell. That way you'll get instant notification when I get the videos up
for you. Now U-turns! And the reason that I probably haven't done this video yet--
although I've had requests from other smart drivers and the latest request was
from Francesca--and they wanted me to do this video on U-Turns. And the reason I haven't done this
is because U-turns are not part of the driving culture in many places. Here in
Canada--British Columbia specifically--Australia, it was not part of the driving
culture in Australia. However there are places in the world where they do do
these. And the southwest of the United States and Arizona was one of the places
that I remembered a lot of U-turns being done. So we're gonna go over that today
and you will have to do this. There are places on road tests that you'll have to
do this, usually it cul-de-sacs and whatnot. Now I just want to go over the
driving manual here in British Columbia, "Learn to Drive Smart." And there are
several places that you cannot do U-turns when you're driving. First one is
any time it interferes with other traffic. And that's basically the catch-all where
they get you if you get into a crash. The police can use that that because you were
interfering with other traffic. And the police will charge you with negligence in executing
a U-turn when you shouldn't have been executing a U-turn. So know that's the
catch-all. Anytime that the U-turn interferes with traffic. As well, you cannot execute a
U-turn on a curve, on the crest of a hill where you cannot be seen for 150 meters
or 500 feet. You cannot execute one at traffic lights. You cannot execute one in
a business district, except at intersections where its not
controlled by traffic lights. Any time that signs prohibit you making a U-turn.
And finally, any time that municipal bylaws prohibit you from doing a U-turn.
So there's seven legal requirements that have to be met
in order for you to be able to do a U-turn here in British Columbia. And that
very much underscores what I taught in my legal history courses: that
the laws reflect the values of society. And the driving society here in British
Columbia does not do U-turns. And it's a high-risk maneuver. Thus all of the
regulations and bylaws that are in place to prevent you from doing a U-turn. So
I'm going to show you where to do that. I'm going to show you how to do them
safely and do them for the purposes of a road test. And out on a road a two-lane
road and those sorts of things to give you some idea of the inherent risks in
doing a U-turn. Now if you can go around the block I do recommend that you going
around the block, rather than doing a U-turn because think about it - maybe two
or three minutes of just going around the block is going to potentially save
you being involved in a crash and executing a high-risk maneuver. So what
we're gonna do here, we're gonna hook up the cameras, go for a drive and show you
how to execute U-turn for the purposes of passing a road test, where you might
have to do this on a cul-de-sac. I know that they do do that here in British
Columbia and other places where you might have to do a U-turn. Oftentimes if
they make you do a U-turn on a road test it's gonna be in a quiet residential
area. So just know that. So let's hook up the cameras & go for a drive. [TRANSITION - DRIVING CAR]
And on a road test, for the purposes of a road test, they're gonna get you at a
dead-end street where there's a cul-de-sac - that's almost a given on a road test.
They're gonna make you do a U-turn at the end of a street such as this one.
Here where you're going to do a U-turn. Again go slowly, check the traffic behind
you, make sure there isn't any traffic coming. Okay signal to the left and of
course you want to go nice and slow here because there's lots of ice here and
it's going to be bumpy. And the slower you go the sharper the vehicle turns. So
you can get around here. And you can see that it is very bumpy. That
we're bumping around here. And we cancel our signal and
bring the steering wheel back to straight. And it's that easy to do a U-turn in
a cul-de-sac where there may or may not be able to get you to do a U-turn for
the purposes of your road test. Now in some of these communities like here in
Vernon and other places they're going to have cul-desacs and they're going to
make you do a U-turn at a cul-de-sac. And we're going to come up here and we're
gonna do a U-turn at the intersection here. And we're slowing down. We're
checking the traffic behind us. Making sure there isn't anybody coming. We're
signalling. A signal to the right - checking the cross traffic. There's isn't any cross
traffic as we move into the intersection. Signals to the left. Again 360° degrees
scan. Going slowly around. Cross traffic... scanning, scanning, scanning. And we simply
straighten out and we proceed. So that's at an intersection and a cul-de-sac.
That's how you do a U-turn at those two places. We're going to go and find one
a couple more places here for you to do a U-turn. We're going to get into a
little bit more traffic here and do a U-turn to show you how to do that.
However you can't do it at an intersection with traffic lights as I
said in the introduction. There are some places in the world that you can do that,
but here in British Columbia. And stopping before the sidewalk and checking traffic.
We're in an alley and the speed limit is 10 miles per hour (20 kilometers an hour)
in an alley so just know that for the purposes of your road test. So we're
gonna do a U-turn here. You can see there's a vehicle coming. And again we
want to move out to the right to try and maximize our space in the intersection.
And we pull through, as you can see here. Checking the cross traffic.
And there's a vehicle coming. So I'm checking - lots of scanning. Put on your
right signal. And we stopped here at the intersection before the crosswalk to
make sure there is other traffic and that's how you do it
add a T-intersection. But you've got to maximize the space so you can get the
vehicle around if there isn't going to be enough space to do a U-turn for the
purposes of getting around there. Now on the road test at that intersection
there is no way that they're going to make you do a U-turn.
It just wouldn't happen on it on a road test because there's just too much
traffic going on and they're emphasizing safety. And that is deemed a less safe
maneuver. It's not that it's unsafe, it's just less safe than what most driving
examiner's are prepared to incur with the new drivers. So that's how you do a U-turn
there. Okay I'm going to show you how to do this on a multi-lane road.
Right here, you can see that I'm on multi lane and you need at least three lanes
of traffic. Okay, and I'm moving over now. Ideally when you're doing it here, you
want to do it in front of a laneway like that because you can use that laneway
as space here to do your U-turn. Obviously I missed the light and
I've got to wait for the oncoming traffic to clear before I can do it. Now
you got to be careful as well with the cars coming out of the parking lot and
whatnot. And you check the traffic behind you. I'm okay because I'm on a centre left turning lane.
So another vehicle coming and of course nice and slow here and we proceed. And
that's how you do it on a multi-lane roadway.
And you're gonna need at least three lanes of traffic to do it on multi-lane roadway.
And to do it expediently so that you don't get caught by oncoming traffic
coming the other way. [TRANSITION - HIGHWAY] Now on this roadway here I'm waiting for the straight place
because we're not supposed to do on a curve. There's a bicycle lane here. I'm
going pull over on the bicycle lane. Okay, and I'm gonna pull over. And I've got my
signal on. You mirror, signal, shoulder check. I'm gonna put my left signal on and make sure
there's no traffic coming behind me. Shoulder check - there's no traffic coming.
And expediently do your U-turn. You can see here, even though it's... I'm up into
the snow here. I'm off the curb. There wasn't quite enough room there to do a U-turn.
But we kind of took a little bit and that's the thing is, is that sometimes
there just isn't going to be enough room for you to get around on a U-turn. It's
going to be better for you to do a K-turn, a three-point turn, or a Y-turn.
And those are sometimes called. But most of the time you're not going to do it there
on the highway like that. What you're going to do is do it in an intersection
like this. That's going to be much more expedient and you're gonna have the room
that you can get around and figure that out. And of course, the bigger the
vehicles you have, the more space it is gonna take. I have a small midsize SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) so
there's lots of room, rather it has a very sharp turning radius. So it makes it
easier for me to do that on that highway there. And of course I needed just like
another 12 inches, another 20 centimeters to get around there and kind of push it
up into the snow there a little bit to get around and do the U-turn. So those
are different scenarios for you to execute U-turns. We've got one more U-turn
here for you. We're gonna do it here - shoulder checking, turning. And again we're
checking the traffic behind us. We have a dead-end street here and again nice and
slow. Checking the traffic behind us. Down into a low gear. This is going to be
really tight. And we stay right - over to the right side as much as possible. Nice
and slow. The slower you go, the sharper any vehicle turns.
I don't even have my feet on the pedals right now. I'm going really slow because
the vehicle turns sharper the slower you go. So you can see that I'm up into the snow
there. [CONCLUSION] Quick review of U-turns. U-turns are not
part of the driving culture here in British Columbia, but they are elsewhere.
Thus the request from Francesca to do a video on U-turns. And the reasons that
they're not part of the driving culture here is because there are a lot of
regulations to prohibit U-turns here in British Columbia. And those prohibitions are:
are you can't do a U-turn at traffic lights, you can't do a U-turn on a curve, or on the
crest of a hill where you're not be able to be seen for 150
metres or 500 feet. In business districts, except at intersections where there
aren't traffic lights, Where signs prohibit U-turns and then when municipal
law, as well, prohibit U-turns. So there's a lot of regulations to prohibit U-turns.
And thus, they are not part of the driving culture here in British Columbia.
However on on a road test, you will be requested to do one at a cul-de-sac. So
know how to do that and practice that for those of you are in places where
they have cul-de-sacs. That they will get you to do a U-turn there if you end up
in that residential area. As well, I showed you how to do one at a
T-intersection, and at conventional intersections.Aand lots and lots
of observation, shoulder checks and 360°-degree scans to make sure that
oncoming traffic is not present. Otherwise...y hopefully they're
going to stop or you risk being involved in a crash. Multi-lane, busy highways: make
sure you have at least three lanes of traffic, because you need two lanes to
get the vehicle around. And the bigger that vehicle, the less turning
radius that it has and you're going to need even even more spaces. You saw there on
the roadway where I kind of pushed up into the snow just a little bit. Yes,
sometimes you may misjudge it. And if you misjudge it, then it's going to turn into
a three-point turn. But again, lots of observation and making sure that other
vehicles are not present and on the T intersection where you saw me do the
U-turn I actually stopped at the traffic light and waited for the oncoming
traffic to clear and then I proceeded. Question for my smart drivers: are
U-turns part of your driving culture where you live? Leave a comment down in the comment
section there. All that helps out the new drivers and the veteran drivers who are
working to be crash free. If you like what you see here share, subscribe, leave
a comment down in the comment section. As well, hit that thumbs up button. Head over
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pertinent information and the in the tips and tricks to make sure that you pass
your road test first time. I'm Rick with Smart Drive Test. Thanks very much for
watching. Good luck on your road test. And remember, pick the best answer not
necessarily the right answer. Have a great day. Bye now.
[OUTRO, MUSIC, CREDITS :: FAST U-TURN ON A MULT-LANE ROAD]