How to do the turnabout on the Irish driving test

What is the turnabout?

The turnabout is turning the car round on the road so it faces the opposite direction. You do it using forward and reverse gears, within the width of the road. Most people know it as the three-point turn. Many drivers say U-turn. On a car test the RSA’s “reverse and U-turn” faults are about the reverse around a corner and this manoeuvre.

The RSA lists “perform a vehicle turnabout manoeuvre” among the things you must do on the test. The tester chooses the road and tells you what to do.

Where is it done?

On a quiet road with enough room and a clear view in all directions. The Rules of the Road says not to make a U-turn unless it is completely safe. Before turning, check that:

• no sign or road marking prohibits a U-turn, for example a continuous white centre line
• the road is not one way
• you can see clearly in all directions

Avoid bends, brows of hills and places close to junctions. If the tester asks you to turn where you think it is unsafe, say so and ask. Stop and wait for traffic to clear.

How do you do the turnabout step by step?

1. Pick a safe place. Look for a quiet stretch with a clear view. Signal left and stop on the left.
2. Look all around and move off across the road. Check mirrors, front, both sides and blind spots. Signal right, move slowly in first gear and steer fully right.
3. Stop before the far kerb. Turn the wheels left as you slow, stop before you reach the kerb, apply the handbrake and select reverse.
4. Look and reverse back. Look all around, especially to the rear and both sides. Reverse slowly across the road, steering left, and stop before the opposite kerb.
5. Repeat if the road is narrow. Move forward and back again as often as you need, looking each time and giving way to traffic.
6. Move off in the new direction. When the car faces the other way, do your checks, signal and move off on the correct side of the road.

On a wide road you may need only three moves. On a narrow one you may need five or more. A safe turn in six moves beats an unsafe turn in three.

What does the tester look for?

The marking guidelines say you should turn the car round on the road in a competent manner, taking all necessary observations and giving way as needed. The tester records faults under control, position, observation and right of way. Several rules help you:

• The tester waits until you finish before recording any fault.
• Only one fault is recorded under each aspect, however often it happens.
• Dry steering, turning the wheel while the car is stationary, is not marked.
• Where you ask to repeat a manoeuvre because you are out of position, the request should usually be allowed, though a fault may already stand.

Learners often say to keep their eyes moving throughout, over both shoulders and out of the back window, rather than fixing on one spot. The marking guidelines count direct observation: turn your head and look, do not rely on mirrors or a camera. Read the observation and mirrors guide to see what testers expect.

What are the common mistakes?

• Hitting or mounting the kerb. Usually a sign of speed or lost sight of the kerb. Slow down, look and stop earlier.
• Poor observation. Missing a car coming from either side while you are across the road. Look every time you change direction.
• Not giving way. Other vehicles have priority while you are turning. Wait, and let them pass.
• Poor car control. Stalling, jerky clutch work or racing the engine. Keep the speed to walking pace and use the clutch to control it.
• Finishing in the wrong position. Ending far from the kerb or on the wrong side of the road. Straighten and move off on the left.
• Rushing. The turn has no time limit. Slow and careful scores better than quick and sloppy.

What if the road is too narrow or busy?

Tell the tester if you think the place is not safe, and wait. Do not force a turn across traffic. A turnabout is only worth doing where you can see clearly in all directions and there is room to move. If a car comes while you are across the road, stop, let it pass and start again with fresh checks.

If a move goes wrong, for example you stop too close to the kerb, make a correction rather than carrying on. Take another move forward or back, look again and carry on. The marking guidelines say the tester waits until you finish before recording a fault, so a calm correction costs less than a rushed finish.

How do you practise it?

Practise with an instructor or sponsor on quiet roads of different widths. A suggested plan over three lessons:

1. Lesson one. A wide road with no traffic. Focus on the sequence and on slow speed.
2. Lesson two. A narrower road. Focus on observation and kerb awareness.
3. Lesson three. Roads with the occasional car or pedestrian. Focus on giving way and finishing in position.

Ask your instructor to place you on a road with a camber, a road with a slight slope and a road with parked cars on one side. Different roads teach different lessons. A learner who practises on only one road risks being thrown by a different camber, kerb or width on test day.

Turas marks the likely spot for the turnabout on each practice route, usually a quiet straight stretch, so you can rehearse it close to your own centre. See the practice routes for each test centre and pair them with the hill start guide. To see how the tester grades a manoeuvre, read how faults are marked. The tester picks the route and the place on the day.