U-turns - don't do them! Should be a law...

[rocketman1]

I am seriously getting pissed off with the number of cagers that do U turns,
My wife, and a colleague at work have both done U turns in the last year and and been hit side on.
And I was almost hit a copr about to do U turn at TeKauwhata, phew close!!
U turns are bloody dangerous manouvres to perform. I personally wait till I get to a driveway pull to the side off the road reverse into it and move off in the opposite direction... a much safer manouvre.
If you see a car parked on the side off the highway, BEWARE that cager is likely to do a turn straight in front of you.
I have told to watch the right front wheel, if it moves or turns you may have second more to brake before final impact. Because there is nowhere to go but into the vehicle.
In my opinion the transport authorities sholud take a hard line on those idiots that do U turns..anywhere.
Advice Dont do them yourself when driving in cage.
Bloody dangerous Act. Police cars are the most common cuplrits

[BMWST?]

true....remeber down south the two m'cyclists hit a u turning policecar..personally i turn into a quiet side street and turn there

[PrincessBandit]

Amazing isn't it that by law you're not allowed to open your door if it could be a hazard to others, and the first thing you're always told before executing a U turn is to LOOK. Can't figure out why so many people find it so hard.
Oh yeah, they say they look but then only see what they want to see (which is empty space, no sir, no motorcycle coming at me.....)

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

true....remeber down south the two m'cyclists hit a u turning policecar..personally i turn into a quiet side street and turn there

I don't turn... i just keep going forward...

[firefighter]

Bloody dangerous Act. Police cars are the most common cuplrits

hmmmm, maybe, but think of the no. of U-turns they do compared to the average rd user.........

[martybabe]

Madness I reckon, not so bad if they pull to the left, signal and look before executing the turn but there is an even worse one I've encountered several times recently. A moving u turn,no signal, just a sharp yank on the steering wheel, no warning, the oncoming lane is clear and they see a parking space opposite so they just Wang the bastard round, god help anyone overtaking.

[Usarka]

Police cars are the most common cuplrits

hmmmm, maybe, but think of the no. of U-turns they do compared to the average rd user.........

And most of those are in court!

[ckai]

We were in a pretty major car crash about 20 years ago. Whole family was in a bloody nice bright orange falcon just south of Temple View in the Waikato. Dad drove around a corner and noticed a dude filling his car with a gas can on the opposite side. He started slowing and when he was just about 50-100 m away the guy decided to do a U-turn. Troulble was he didn't look and he didn't have enough room to complete the turn in one sweep.

Needless to say we hit him...us kids (old car, no seatbelts) slid to the floor and pushed the front seat forward. Seconds before Mum had taken off her seat belt (medical reasons) and ended up putting her head through the window. The funny thing is they reckoned it saved her life because she would have hit the hard dash instead. She still has glass coming out of her forehead to this day.

If the other guy had a passenger...well, the passenger door was touching his left elbow! His car was shunted 300 m up the road and we only hit him at about 90 km/hr.

So that's my stance on U-turns

It's funny how it's law to actually preform them during your licence though

[Trumpess]

My pet hate is dimwit parents preforming u-turns right outside school gates, kids everywhere, and after they have jaywalked their kids across the road, with a patroled crossing a few meters away from them!
The u-turn usually turns into a 3 point turn cause there is no room for a full u-turn manouver with cars parked everywhere, even over peoples driveways.
If you want a giggle, sit outside a school at home time!
Fark some people have no brains!

[Jantar]

I disagree with the notion of banning u-turns completely, but I would fully support enforcing that they be done properly and safely.

It may be OK in the cities to have alterantives to U-turns, but there are many rural areas where they can be essential.

[Daffyd]

There is one alternative...go round the block. This is a great idea if you overshoot somewhere like Jacksons. It would mean heading for the Coast, coming back over Haast and back up the middle. Good alternative if you've got plenty time! But I think I'd just make a carefully executed U-turn.

[Owl]

His car was shunted 300 m up the road and we only hit him at about 90 km/hr.

I'm no physics major, but are you sure you don't want to re-evaluate your figures?

[FJRider]

My pet hate is dimwit parents preforming u-turns right outside school gates, kids everywhere, and after they have jaywalked their kids across the road, with a patroled crossing a few meters away from them!
The u-turn usually turns into a 3 point turn cause there is no room for a full u-turn manouver with cars parked everywhere, even over peoples driveways.
If you want a giggle, sit outside a school at home time!
Fark some people have no brains!

Actions of parents outside schools is a whole different ballgame... worth a new thread, on just that subject... ask any

[FJRider]

I am seriously getting pissed off with the number of cagers that do U turns,
My wife, and a colleague at work have both done U turns in the last year and and been hit side on.
And I was almost hit a copr about to do U turn at TeKauwhata, phew close!!
U turns are bloody dangerous manouvres to perform. I personally wait till I get to a driveway pull to the side off the road reverse into it and move off in the opposite direction... a much safer manouvre.
If you see a car parked on the side off the highway, BEWARE that cager is likely to do a turn straight in front of you.
I have told to watch the right front wheel, if it moves or turns you may have second more to brake before final impact. Because there is nowhere to go but into the vehicle.
In my opinion the transport authorities sholud take a hard line on those idiots that do U turns..anywhere.
Advice Dont do them yourself when driving in cage.
Bloody dangerous Act. Police cars are the most common cuplrits

Why stop at banning U-turns... Ban drinking and driving, speeding, make stopping at stop signs COMPULSARY...

[AllanB]

When in my car I like to join a couple of U-turns together, this is preformed quicker if you break traction............