A driving AIBU: three point turns

[BeanAround]

This morning I was parked up next to the curb on a long straight 30mph urban road which is moderately busy. I needed to drive off in the opposite direction. The road is wide, but wide enough to U-turn meaning I had to do a three point turn in the road.

I waited until I had a reasonable amount of space clear of traffic in both directions - nothing visible behind me, and a car approaching about 300m away in front of me.

I completed two points of the three point turn and was ready to execute the third point as the approaching car reached me.

At this point, who should give way?

I fully expected the approaching car to adjust their speed so I could drive off ahead, but the car continued without slowing and went ahead of me, which gave me a bit of start.

YABU - the car turning in the road should give way to the approaching car, letting them pass before completing the 3 point turn

YANBU - the approaching car should slow to allow the car turning to complete the manoeuvre.

I dont think you should be making the other driver slow down so they were within their rights to continue forward past you. As a courtesy they could have let you complete the manoeuvre but they didn't need to

You should not manoeuvre in a way that causes another road user to change speed or direction.

YABU, don't piss about doing 3 point turns on a busy road, you drive off in the direction you're facing and find somewhere to turn safely or some roads to drive down that will allow you to drive back the way you came. Cannot believe you are genuinely asking this.

You should have continued along the road until a point where you could safely turn. Find a quiet side street if needed.

You should. And you shouldn't have started a 3 point turn with another car approaching and only 300m away.

In my driving lessons (about 5 years ago) I was taught that you do 3 point turns only when there is no nearby traffic, and if a car approaches you pause your manoeuvre in a safe position and let them pass

The reality of London at rush hour is that there's basically no such thing as a quiet side street.

If the car travelling towards you was doing 30mph, it would take only 22 seconds to reach you. Not long enough for a 3 point turn?

If the side roads are too busy to safely turn then it makes doing it in the main road even more dangerous!

You stop and let the person driving towards you pass.

You really can't expect them to stop for you.

Oh is it going to be one of these threads, where a poster asks AIBU and then goes to argue the toss that they weren't.

No, you shouldn't begin a manoeuvre if it is going to cause another driver to have to take evasive action.

Yeah you stop and wait. I mean it's nice if someone stops / slows and lets you get on with it.

I failed my first driving test for doing exactly this. YABU.

You shouldn’t three point turn at all if there’s traffic coming!

You dont enter the lane unless its safe to do otherwise you are impeding traffic. So you need to stop to let traffic pass

The other car should not proceed if it is not safe with you bobbing in and out of their lane but you should be out of their lane before they reach you and you stop to let them safely pass

Moving traffic has priority over maneuvering car.

There is such a thing as a safe place to turn. You failed to choose one.

I think the reality of urban driving is that sometimes you have to cause and/or wait for another driver to slow down and let you perform a manoeuvre otherwise no-one would ever get anywhere.

E.g. it's pretty frequent that you have to perform a right turn in two steps - wait until there's a suitable gap in the traffic approaching on your right, then wait for a gap in the traffic approaching from the left, even if you're briefly holding up the traffic on the right.

Driving in London is different from driving anywhere else. It's aggressive! As someone who drives in London every day I'd not be bothered about someone doing a 3 point turn in a busy road, that's par for the course. But equally I wouldn't be giving way either and if you live in London I'm a bit surprised you'd expect that!

I am another who says 'drive around the block instead of a 3-point turn in a busy road'.

You’re basically asking if the person creating the blockage should have right of way? YABU.

Sounds like your a very impatient driver who will just push your way through!

I would slow and wait for you to complete the turn OP

YABU to be bothered about this enough to post about it.

Everyone BUT you has priority when doing a 3 point turn