The higher the skill of the driver, the more likely it is that in a difficult traffic situation avoid a collision or accident, or at least minimize damage. One of the signs of a highly qualified motorist is the ability to make a "police U-turn". This trick often flashes in the movies, it is shown at auto shows. This is not only a very spectacular and spectacular trick, mastering it will help you feel better and control the car more confidently. There are two options for making a police U-turn:

1. while driving forward, turn the car 180 degrees and continue driving for a while in reverse, and then make another turn of 180 o;
2. when reversing, turn the car 180 degrees and continue moving forward.

The second option is, as it were, half of the first, and from it, perhaps, one should begin to master the technique of performing a police turn. But to perform such a maneuver, you need to have a car in excellent condition: during a turn (if it happens on an asphalt or concrete surface), a very large load falls on the axles and wheels. If there are even minor malfunctions, they can fail, it is possible to ruin the handbrake and brake pads. When moving sideways during a turn, the tires practically burn out. This should also be taken into account, and there is a decent chance of damaging the gearbox.

In order to reduce Negative consequences for a car, you need to train on a platform with a perfectly even surface. If the surface is also slightly slippery (wet or icy), turning will be easier. For repeated repetition (you can’t do without it), it’s better to find a flat earthen area - there is less risk of breaking the car.

Requirements for a car to perform a police U-turn

When performing a police U-turn, the car can not only break down. There were times when the car turned over on its side or on the roof. The success of the stunt depends not only on the skill of the driver, but also on the condition of the car. For everything to be successful, make sure that your car meets the following requirements:

• the engine is located in front;
• the trunk is unloaded;
• front-wheel drive, or full;
• the dynamic stabilization system (EPS) is disabled, otherwise it will block the wheels during a turn;
• tires, suspension, axles, brakes and handbrake in perfect condition.

How to make a police U-turn on a machine

The car moves on a level track/ground at a speed of more than 25 km/h (20 km/h is enough on a slippery road). Precisely determining the required speed is quite difficult and the driver must rely on his experience and knowledge of the car (only driving practice helps to learn how to “feel the car”). In principle, the higher the speed, the easier it is to turn around, but the more likely it is to damage something. Having dialed the desired speed, perform the following actions (automatic transmission):

1. move the lever to neutral and turn the steering wheel in any direction until it stops;
2. when the car has almost taken the desired position on the track (turning 120 degrees), turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction, when the car completes the turn, align the steering wheel and turn on reverse gear, continue driving in reverse.

1. at a sufficient speed, the gearbox is transferred to the neutral position;
2. turn the steering wheel;
3. after the middle of the turn, the steering wheel is turned in the opposite direction, the first speed is turned on and the gas pedal is sharply pressed.

Full police turn completed. For a more successful mastering of the technique of its implementation, you can parked car work out the sequence and simultaneity of movements, bringing them to automatism, and only then proceed to training. It is desirable that an experienced instructor, or a person who has mastered the trick, sit next to the driver.

This sequence of actions is given for performing a police turn on the machine. For car with mechanical box the sequence is slightly different:

1. at the required speed, squeeze the clutch to the stop;
2. turn the steering wheel and pull the handbrake;
3. after the passed half of the turn, turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction, release the handbrake, change the speed and continue driving.

When mastering this skill, you will need to experiment with speed, calculate the force of turning the steering wheel. These are the two most common mistakes when performing a turn. But after such practice, you will feel the car much better and, in the event of a skid, your chances of leveling the car will be much higher.

In the early 70s of the last century, the world simply blew up a maneuver that was demonstrated in the American Rockford show. This maneuver was called a police turn. This maneuver is nothing but a stunt performed by the driver of the car. The car goes in reverse and makes a sharp 180-degree turn, does not stop moving, but is already moving forward.

Do you want to know how to learn how to perform such a police turn? Then rather read our article - and we will reveal all the theoretical secrets of this maneuver.

The success of the maneuver: the experience of the driver + the perfect technical condition of the car

The success of the maneuver is 80% dependent on the technical condition of your car. And only 20% of the experience of the driver. Before you start learning to maneuver, make sure that the machine is in full combat readiness. The engine in the car must be in the front. This is very important - the pressure of the weight should fall on the front. Accordingly, the rear of the car should be as light as possible, we even recommend unloading the trunk.

That is why cars in which the engine is located in the "tail" part are not advisable to be used to perform the trick. It is preferable to use a car with a front or all-wheel drive. If you do not want the rear wheels to be blocked at the time of the trick, turn off the ESP. Complete obedience to the brakes and fully functional tires are a must!

A malfunction of the machine or a discrepancy between its technical condition and the above requirements may cause an emergency. For example, the car will change the direction of movement (to perform the trick, choose the area least crowded with cars and people). In addition, the vehicle may roll over. The second option usually provokes not smooth road or very slippery, as well as poorly inflated tires.

We recommend that you make the first police U-turn in dry, warm weather on a flat road. Although, some drivers who have already repeatedly performed a police U-turn claim that training better in winter and on the snow. It's a matter of technique and personal preference. In winter or summer, most importantly, do not forget to fasten your seat belt!

But a smooth road is the main requirement. It plays a huge role in the safety of the driver and his vehicle.

A little about safety: be careful

At first glance, a police turn is an easy maneuver that can be easily performed experienced driver. But this is far from the case, and, if possible, the first turns are best done under the supervision of an instructor or " craftsman", who already masterfully owns this technique.

Danger, equally, lies in wait for both the driver and the car. Let's take a closer look at what this is:

• police reversal provokes rapid wear automotive rubber;
• with frequent maneuvering, the suspension elements of the car wear out quickly;
• part of the steering mechanism may fail;
• the operation of the automatic transmission may be impaired.

It is worth remembering that an incorrectly executed police turn and the subsequent rollover of the vehicle will damage the car body. And much can be said about the harm that a “skid” of a car can cause to a driver. In any case, you must be aware of the risk and even damage that a U-turn can cause to you and your vehicle.

But, if you have not changed your mind yet, we present to your attention a mini master class on performing a police turn maneuver.

Choosing a place to perform a police U-turn

For the first run, an ordinary dirt surface will be an ideal platform. It is worth avoiding concrete or asphalt expensive. It is easier to train on the ground - the speed is less, and tire wear will occur less rapidly. But there is also a minus - after training and performing a maneuver, the car will have to be thoroughly washed - from dust and earth!

To understand whether the site is suitable for training and performing a trick, carefully turn the car in the direction in which you will perform a police U-turn. If nothing interferes (holes, bumps, tubercles) - you can proceed.

As we wrote above - avoid places where there is a large concentration of cars, people and especially children!

Action #1

It is better to start the trick with a minimum speed of 20 to 40 km / h - you should not exceed it. Of course, the faster the car goes, the better and more spectacular the police turn looks. But, training is carried out gradually.

Action #2

Turn the steering wheel to the right or left, depending on which direction the turn will be performed. At the moment when you start to turn around - give a little gas and when the front wheels start to skid, switch to neutral.

Action #3

When the turn reaches 90 degrees, shift into first or second gear, depending on the speed of the vehicle. At this point, the wheels should already be level, that is, their alignment is in the process of making a turn.

Action #4

When action number 3 is completed - step on the gas, giving the car the direction in which it should continue to move.

Don't get frustrated if you don't get to 180 degrees right away. Your car may not move along the desired path. Make sure there is enough road surface for this manoeuvre.

There are no general statistics that would tell us how much training is needed to perform a trick perfectly. Some drivers have 5, others have 10. If you set a goal for yourself to learn, only hard training will help you! But not very long. You can master the maneuver in just 30 minutes, provided you have a good instructor.

It is possible to perform a police U-turn on vehicles with both manual and automatic transmissions. The drive also does not have much effect. The subtleties of execution lie only in the differences in machine control. Of course, a car with an automatic transmission is more convenient, especially for beginners in this business.

By adding handbrake work at the time of the turn, you can make the maneuver even more impressive and spectacular, making the car rotate 360 ​​and 540 degrees.

We hope that our advice will help you understand the theoretical side of the issue. Although it is not enough, only practice, in the company of excellent theory, will help you achieve the perfect technique for performing a police turn!

A police turn is a maneuver that allows you to quickly turn a car that was previously in reverse 180 degrees. Moreover, the car will continue to move along the previous trajectory, but in the “forward facing” position. Let's figure out how to learn a police turn.

Table of contents:

Which cars can make a police U-turn

An important criterion for the successful implementation of the "police" maneuver is the technical data of the machine. The vehicle must meet the following conditions:

Note that on cars with a high center of gravity - for example, minibuses (buses) - it will not work to turn around like a policeman. High risk of vehicle rollover.

Consequences of a police U-turn for a car

With the external “steepness” of a quick change in the position of the car, this maneuver harms its nodes:

• high tire wear;
• increased load on the wheels and axles, damage is possible;
• malfunctions of elements of the steering system and suspension are possible;
• critical damage to the transmission may occur.

You should not try to make a police U-turn on a car whose technical condition is obviously not perfect.

Due to drivers who do not have enough knowledge of the 180-degree turn technique, the following emergencies occur:

• the car loses control, its trajectory changes. You will be lucky if there are no obstacles;
• the machine rolls over on its side or upside down. The reason for this is the bumps, slippery road or too much high speed movement.

Insofar as emergency situation, which develops when trying to make a police U-turn, is dangerous not only for the driver, but also for third-party traffic participants, the maneuver should be trained on an empty section of the road and in the presence of an experienced mentor.

Gearbox in a car to perform a maneuver

mechanical or automatic transmission- not essential. The difference is only in the small details of driving the car when performing a maneuver.

If the gearbox is manual:

If the gearbox is automatic:

How to perform a police turn

Performing a quick 180-degree turn of the car takes place in five consecutive steps, discussed below:

Note that on the first attempts to train a turn, it may not work to turn the car exactly 180 degrees. Those. at the fifth step, the car will not move along the calculated trajectory. Therefore, before turning the car, make sure that there is enough free space for the exit “not in this direction”. The easiest way is to unscrew the car on an icy area, while it is important not to accelerate faster than 25-30 km / h.

What is a police turnaround? How to do a police turn? Could this somehow affect technical condition your car?
Many of us, watching American-made movies, have noticed the beautiful turns of cars at full speed one hundred and eighty degrees. There must be special requirements for the car - the handbrake and brakes must be fully operational.

If you want to learn - try to train in winter, it will be much easier than in summer. In the summer you will still have time to reach the chosen spot to accelerate to one hundred and twenty. Try to choose a deserted place (or a place with a minimum number of people) for training.

So, how to make such a turn?

A police U-turn will allow you to instantly start moving in the exact opposite direction. You have correctly completed a police U-turn if the vehicle continues forward in the same direction. Regardless of the drive of the car, such a turn will be performed in the same way.

In the United States of America, this turn is called "Rockford". The name comes from the protagonist of the 1974 Rockford Files series. In the series, Detective Jim Rockford performed this maneuver in his Pontiac firebird coupe in almost every episode.

Be sure to check your tire pressure before skiing. If the tire is poorly inflated, then during high side loads in sliding it will be able to disassemble. If the sliding car receives a solid support, which will be the wheel rim, the car will continue to move on the roof. Tire pressure should be approximately two and a half atmospheres.

If your rubber is slightly worn out, the tread is not visible, and the cord is sticking out of it, you should not subject it to additional overloads. The same applies to tires that have lain for several winters, quite cold, in the garage.

Tires can be slightly warmed up - just make a few sharp turns in different directions. It is very harmful for rubber if there is too sharp a temperature drop. The same applies to sliding on cold tires.

Don't forget to turn off ESP, a system that was specifically designed to keep the car from slipping. If you try to do tricks with the ESP on, it is fraught with the fact that you can lose control and the car will need service later.

Be careful with your choice of road surface. If the asphalt is wet, the car will slide easily, but it will remain under your control. It will be easier to slide on snow or ice, however, it is very easy to lose traction and it will be quite difficult to restore it. Concrete has a higher coefficient of adhesion than dry asphalt (even if it is wet). Be careful - trying to slide on wet concrete can result in a trip on the roof of a car. And, of course, do not forget that the road should be as flat as possible.

For cars with different drive options, it is necessary to correctly make a police turn. If you have a car with front and all-wheel drive: you need to accelerate in reverse to forty kilometers per hour. Next, you should squeeze the clutch and quickly rotate the steering wheel until it stops. While the car is spinning, you need to turn on the first or second speed (whichever is more convenient for you). While switching, the car will have to turn 90-120 degrees. Next, you need to rotate the steering wheel back so that at 180 degrees the car returns to the neutral position. Release the clutch and drive straight ahead.

An example of a police U-turn on a VAZ 21061 car.

How can this be done on a VAZ 21061 car (we describe the actions on behalf of the driver). So, given: VAZ - 21061, volume 1.5, serviceable brakes and handbrake, snow on the road. Turn off the music, let's go. We are driving together, the passenger is filming, the operator is also standing at the place of the proposed maneuver, waiting for us to appear. We enter the final straight, maintain a speed of about 60 km / h, until the turn is about 300 meters, 200 meters ... .100 meters, I blink my headlights to the cameraman to start filming, I advise the passenger to hold on tight. 20 meters ... 10 meters - start! I turn the steering wheel a little to the right, sharply tear the handbrake and immediately turn the steering wheel to the left, there is no need to unscrew it all the way, just make a turn - one and a half to set the direction of the car. The car turns around, the clutch is already depressed, the first gear is engaged, the hand is on the handbrake. The turn is almost complete, I release the handbrake at the same time returning the steering wheel to its place, squeeze the gas to the floor and throw the clutch. Voila .. at the last stage of the turn, you need to be ready to apply the brakes, as the car can suffer, the main reasons and the main mistakes leading to this are the steering wheel turns are not synchronized with the handbrake, the steering wheel is not sharp enough, bald tires on the car, just too much snow, etc. at first, while this maneuver is being worked out, it is better to do it together, one turns the steering wheel, the second pulls the handbrake, it is also just necessary to buckle up, this is a guarantee of safety.

So, now backwards, reverse gear, gas pedal to the floor, pick up speed. When the engine of the car is already simply roaring without further acceleration, we sharply turn the steering wheel and at the same time squeeze the clutch. The main thing at the same time is to set the direction of movement for the car, we saw that it is going where you need it - we all return the steering wheel to its place and turn on the first gear. On the front wheel drive even easier - the steering wheel itself will return to the desired position.

Well, now 180 and reverse back, the execution time is 7-9 seconds. We keep the speed at about 70 km / h, the steering wheel sharply to the left, at the same time breaking the handbrake, the car almost turned around, release the handbrake ... in 99% of cases, at the end of the maneuver, the car already rolls back a little, turn on the rear wheel, the steering wheel sharply to the left, gas to the floor - return, first , gas to the floor ... a 360 turn is over. But, guys, all this must be done with the same equipment as the police.

Many motorists want to master the police turn. This impressive maneuver is a 180-degree turn of a car that was previously driving in reverse. In this case, the trajectory of movement does not change. For novice drivers, this maneuver may seem extremely difficult and accessible only to aces. But let's see how you can quickly learn it.

Do not forget that an important factor for the possibility of performing such a maneuver will be specifications the car itself. There are several criteria according to which you can understand whether the car is capable of performing a police U-turn:

- it is very important that the engine is in the bow. But the trunk should be completely cleared of things. It is important that the center of gravity of the car is shifted precisely to the front of the car, because otherwise a non-professional without experience will not succeed in such a turn.;

- the drive is also important. It must be either front or full. It is possible to perform this maneuver in a rear-wheel drive car, but it is extremely difficult;

- the dynamic stabilization system must be turned off. Otherwise, when you try to turn around, it will simply block the wheels;

- should also be done with ABS system. True, a professional can perform a U-turn with her, but it is difficult;

— Serviceable for all 100% parking and foot brake;

— new tires, erased will interfere with the execution of the maneuver.

It should also be remembered that cars with a high center of gravity are not suitable for making such turns. There is a real risk of simply rolling over.

First of all, it should be said that such a maneuver can harm the vehicle components. Tires are subject to heavy wear, there is also a strong load on the axle and wheels, due to which problems can occur. Added to this is the risk of critical damage to the automatic transmission, steering system and suspension. If the general condition of the car is technically not ideal, then you should refrain from performing such a maneuver.

And drivers who do not know the police turn well can become the culprits of an accident. Therefore, you should train it with an experienced mentor and where there are no other cars.

The type of gear box does not greatly affect the overall course of the maneuver. The difference will be in some nuances of driving a car during a maneuver.

If this is "mechanics", then:

- you must first turn on the reverse gear and accelerate to 40-60 kilometers per hour;

- now you need to squeeze the clutch and turn the steering wheel to the side until it stops, and set the gearshift lever to neutral, after which you need to turn on the handbrake;

- when the car turns 90 degrees, remove it from hand brake, and return the wheels to a straight position with the steering wheel;

- at the end of the turn, set the gearshift lever to first or second speed and put pressure on the gas.

On the "machine" the algorithm of actions is different:

- set the lever to the "R" position - reverse;

- turn the steering wheel in the direction opposite to the direction of the turn;

- as soon as the angle of rotation of the car reaches 90 degrees, return the steering wheel to a straight position;

- when the car turns around and stops, set the speed change lever to "P";

- then switch to "D" and you can safely go forward.

Now let's take a closer look at the five important steps that make up a police turnaround.

The first step is to find the right place to study. An empty ground area will do. This surface is better than asphalt or concrete - there is no chance of accelerating too much, and the tires are subject to less wear. True, after training, the car will have to be washed. It is also important that the site was without any irregularities. Before proceeding directly to the police turnaround, it is worth checking the area for interference by spinning halfway.

Next, we move on to the maneuver itself. When reversing, you need to accelerate to 40-60 km / h. The higher the speed, the easier it is to make a turn, but there is a chance of losing control. Therefore, it is best to start at 40 km/h.

When you reach the desired speed, proceed to the next step - with one hand turn the steering wheel in the desired direction. You will notice that the wheels start to slip. When they begin to skid, switch the gear lever to neutral, and then turn on the handbrake.

It is worth noting that this is very difficult to do on rear-wheel drive cars. When the front wheels begin to slip a little, you need to apply the brakes. It is important that they are not blocked, so you need to slow down a little, and then release the pedal. After that, also switch the lever to the neutral position and put the car on the handbrake.

When the car turns 90 degrees, you need to remove it from the handbrake and transfer it to speed from neutral, and set the steering wheel to a straight position to align the wheels.

After that, press the gas and the steering wheel is already setting the direction of movement. Everything. This completes the police turn.

Photos from Internet resources