I recently discovered, that somehow in the USA? turning a round is called this way, even though both turns have the same number of stopping points. How do you tell a difference? Apparently a two point turn is when you first go into corner street, then back up and then go in opposite direction, and a three point turn is basically the same thing only done on a straight piece of road.
Any ideas on why it is called like that?

Also, what constitutes a point? I would say that logically it is the point where you reverse the direction of the car, so a two point would be forward-reverse-forward maneuvre. So naturally after a three point turn - forward-reverse-forward-reverse you would be left going in reverse?

 

three point turn:

Point 1 - forward motion, turn car across road untill you drive to the edge
Point 2 - reverse motion, turn steering wheel in opposite direction and back until opposite edge of road.
Point 3 - forward motion, turn steering wheel in opposite direction of Point 2, drive forward.

Not sure about the two point one.

 

2 point (in Canada):

reverse - back into a driveway
forward - come out of the driveway reversing direction

 

Mike Myers demonstrates a 3 point turn.

I've never heard of a 2 point turn.

 

...
Also, what constitutes a point? I would say that logically it is the point where you reverse the direction of the car, so a two point would be forward-reverse-forward maneuvre. So naturally after a three point turn - forward-reverse-forward-reverse you would be left going in reverse?

I always thought it was the "point" of a star. Like if you drew the car movement on paper with a pen line to indicate the movement.

So when the car stops and you have to reverse direction that is a "point".

Technically then post people would be making two point turns, unless it was an unusually tight situation and you actually needed to make three points?

 

If it is the point of a star then on each the car goes from forvard to reverse od vice versa. Then you can only make two, four or six points, because if you do three or five then the last direction is in going in reverse.

 

To you all, gentlemen:

Never more appropriate than here: could you post a schematic?

 

Allright: http://www.driversedguru.com/wp-content/gallery/jamie-gallery/Right Side 2pt.jpg two point turn according to Google
http://www.driversedguru.com/wp-content/gallery/jamie-gallery/Left Side 3pt.jpg three point

This is what got me confuesd in the first place. Now if we stay with the first picture, I can see two points of a star, where the direction of the car flips. Then if three was another point, aka three point turn, you would be backing all the way to the next city.

 

The above images are incorrect. For the 2-point turn, the driver is supposed to drive past the side road/driveway that he/she will be turning around in by about half a car length. Then the driver should back into the driveway, and then pull straight out in the other direction. That is a 2-point turn. You should NEVER back into the main road, much less across two lanes of traffic!

I learned the "3 point turn" as a "K turn". It is exactly as Brownout described. It is not as google showed.

Matt

 

The above images are incorrect. For the 2-point turn, the driver is supposed to drive past the side road/driveway that he/she will be turning around in by about half a car length. Then the driver should back into the driveway, and then pull straight out in the other direction. That is a 2-point turn. You should NEVER back into the main road, much less across two lanes of traffic!

I learned the "3 point turn" as a "K turn". It is exactly as Brownout described. It is not as google showed.

Matt

I agree with DerStrom. Don't try backing into another main road... too many directions to check! Frankly, I'm amazed those maneuvers are actually suggested at all.

I think points are referring to shift points, not stopping points.

 

Any body hear of a J-Turn. Is that a 2-point turn.?

 

Allright: http://www.driversedguru.com/wp-content/gallery/jamie-gallery/Right Side 2pt.jpg two point turn according to Google
http://www.driversedguru.com/wp-content/gallery/jamie-gallery/Left Side 3pt.jpg three point

This is what got me confuesd in the first place. Now if we stay with the first picture, I can see two points of a star, where the direction of the car flips. Then if three was another point, aka three point turn, you would be backing all the way to the next city.

Those are both what I would call 3 point turns, but if you're counting points like points on a star, I would call them both 2 point turns (though I still maintain that there's no such thing). In any case, they are the same thing in my mind, only differences being varying levels of unsafety and starting out with a left or right turn.

 

Any body hear of a J-Turn. Is that a 2-point turn.?

I think that would be a 1 point turn

 

My logic says it is just semantics. They are all 2-point turns but people call them 3-point turns.

Just my 2-cents worth, or is it 3-cents?

 

Any body hear of a J-Turn. Is that a 2-point turn.?

Maybe what we call a "U" turn, around here.

A quite common infraction mostly when driving through a boulevard and you want to hurry back home because you forgot your wife there...

 

Allright: http://www.driversedguru.com/wp-content/gallery/jamie-gallery/Right Side 2pt.jpg two point turn according to Google
http://www.driversedguru.com/wp-content/gallery/jamie-gallery/Left Side 3pt.jpg three point

This is what got me confuesd in the first place. Now if we stay with the first picture, I can see two points of a star, where the direction of the car flips. Then if three was another point, aka three point turn, you would be backing all the way to the next city.

Whether 3 or 2, they are esentially the same to me.

 

My logic says it is just semantics. They are all 2-point turns but people call them 3-point turns.
...

I don't think points are semantics they are real events. The "points" are defined as the star points and changes of direction.

Think back to the days when a driving instructor in the classroom with a blackboard and chalk, drawing a line on the board to show the path of the vehicle. That's where it is all from.

Each point is a stop, followed by a reverse of direction. A "3 point" turn leaves you going in the opposite direction, so it applies to when you start in reverse (say reversing out of a parking place in a cramped car park), then after 3 "points" you are going forward and drive away.

I agree with you completely that in most cases the pattern would be a "2 point turn" but people just don't know what they are talking about and say "3 point".

 

Mike Myers demonstrates a 3 point turn.

I've never heard of a 2 point turn.

I've been driving for a couple weeks now, and this is the correct way, even though it's in real slow motion.:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=XeVhf5utx3w&feature=endscreen

 

I don't think points are semantics they are real events. The "points" are defined as the star points and changes of direction.

Think back to the days when a driving instructor in the classroom with a blackboard and chalk, drawing a line on the board to show the path of the vehicle. That's where it is all from.

Each point is a stop, followed by a reverse of direction. A "3 point" turn leaves you going in the opposite direction, so it applies to when you start in reverse (say reversing out of a parking place in a cramped car park), then after 3 "points" you are going forward and drive away.

I agree with you completely that in most cases the pattern would be a "2 point turn" but people just don't know what they are talking about and say "3 point".

A "3 point" turn leaves you going in the opposite direction...

What you really mean is a 3 point turn leaves you in the opposite gear.

What I mean by semantics is that we understand what people mean even though they are using the incorrect terminology. It's like when we say "it's the same difference".

 

Our driving schools all teach the "Rockford turn" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3E2HgnXKAA