Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jack_Sarang]

What are the rules/law for making a U-turn in a designated U-turn lane?

For example: I'm at an intersection in the left U-Turn lane. The intersection has a protected green (green arrow) available for left turns.

Under what conditions am I legally allowed to make my U-Turn?

I have a Korean driving test coming up that involves about 4 U-turns on the course so I need to follow the law exactly.

Thanks.

[Zyzyfer]

Korean signs usually detail specifics about when you can make turns and U-turns since intersections vary so much here, but if you have a green arrow then you can make the turn. If there is no arrow on the signal then it's generally when the closest crosswalk is green.

[Chaucer]

There is a sign. If it says "비보호" you can go when it's clear.
If it says "적신호시" you can go when the light is red (and the arrow will be green).

[Jack_Sarang]

[andrewchon]

If your goal is to pass the test than be PEDANTIC. U-turn only when green arrow is ON (except for 비봉호). After you got the licence, knock your brains out.

[Zyzyfer]

[nora]

[giraffe]

I dont know where and When the above poster did his/her test but I took my driving test in Daejeon in late Nov 2012 and you 100% have to follow the law and do things properly... ( at least here in daejeon)

The Test is now marked differently, ever since mid november 2012. The The examiner marks with the help of a galaxy tab. The examiner does not talk or tell you where to go. You have to listen to the Galaxy tab's instructions. Yes you can do it in English. I did it in english and its 100% clear and its very easy to do. Just follow the road rules and you'll be fine....

The Uturn can legally be done when the left turning green light is on OR on a red light When the pedestrians are crossing the street on the crosswalk directly in front of you.. You can also do it on a green light when theres a sign saying unprotected left turn ( in korean)... Do not Uturn on a green light even if its "clear" you're intructor will not let you go and will press on the brakes ( yes he has control on his side) to stop you if you ever try to go when you're not suppose to. You will not lose points if this happens.

Only Uturn on a green light or break any rules IF your examiner tells you its safe to do so...

3 tips for you.

- At every REd light or any place you stop for more than 5 seconds ( ie: waiting to do a uturn) Change gears into NEUTRAL. YES EVEN IF YOURE TAKING YOUR TEST IN AN AUTOMATIC CAR. This is NOW a requirement during the korean drivers test. Wether it makes sense or not ...just do it. If you dont you lose 3 points per times you dont do it... They teach this in driving hagwons here and they check if you do this or not. THey will remind you before in the classroom before doing the test. I didnt get the memo though. I though this was only for people taking a test with a Manual transmission...



- Wait for pedestrians to walk the WHOLE crosswalk before turning at an intersection even if the way is clear.

- Drive 5km slower than the speed limit... With the new Galaxy tab way of marking. The examiner can easily see how fast you're going...

Dont worry the Test is Easy But you will lose points... I lost 21 points for not shifting to neutral at red lights and a few other random things like didnt wait for the pedestrian to make it across the whole crosswalk.

I'm a very very good driver HOWEVER Officially the galaxy tab Failed me... BUT the Examiner gave me a PASS and brought my Grade up because the Only thing i was doing wrong was not shifting to neutral in an automatic car....

You dont have to believe me about the neutral shifting though. GO ahead and do the test. Maybe They wont care in your city... But its the reason I "failed". If a korean who went to a hagwon does the test before you ( they will make you ride in the car with him) you will notice he keeps changing to Neutral... Drive however you want after you pass the test but During the test you need to change to neutral at red lights....

Bought a Car and I'm now driving all the time... It's really not as bad as it looks to drive here... And I quite enjoy driving in korea..

good luck..

[Jack_Sarang]

Thanks for the help guys. I took the test last Friday and passed.

With regards to the U-Turns, as Zyzyfer stated it is dependent on the particular intersection and the sign should say what method is allowed. Some allow turns on the green arrow, some allow turns on the crosswalk signal and some allow both.


As for putting an auto-transmission car into neutral when stopped, giraffe is 100% correct. This detail isn't stated in any of the educational videos you are forced to watch and it's only mentioned after the videos by one of the examiners. When the guy said that I thought it only applied to manual cars.

The examiner I had was kind enough to tell me to put it into neutral after not doing it the first time we stopped.

The galaxy-tab passed me but I have no idea what my score was. I don't think I made many errors. The test is fairly easy. I had to ride along twice with two other test-takers. The first was some old ajusshi who almost forgot to put his seat-belt on and then drove erratically. Despite the the tab telling him exactly where to go, he tried making lefts when it told him to go right etc. Half-way through the test the examiner kindly told him he had failed and he needed to go to a hagwon and get some practice. The second was a young kid who drove incredibly slow and overly cautious, didn't change lanes properly and held up traffic. You're supposed to be deducted points for not moving with the flow. He also stopped the car with hard jerks each time, which you're also supposed to be deducted points for. I thought for sure he was going to fail, but he ended up passing.

[Zyzyfer]

That shifting to neutral may be on the test but it's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. I'm really curious what the logic is behind it. I would do this sometimes back in the US at really long lights when traffic was not heavy but doing that in Seoul, you would get honked at 50 times by the time you got the car back into drive.

[giraffe]

[giraffe]

[Zyzyfer]

It probably is good for the engine at really long lights (and Korea has what feels like some of the longest lights in the world) because you disengage the engine and it's not trying to push the car forward.

I wouldn't do it at shorter lights with an automatic because it seems like it would wear the transmission down on one. And I seriously doubt it saves any appreciable amount of gas, although I'm not about to run out and look for a study to back me up.

Anyway it's good for word to be out there for people who need to take the test but I wouldn't recommend idling in neutral regularly in typical Korean driving conditions. There's already enough going on. I actually have half a mind to think it's recommended so that people don't tear through an intersection when a light turns green and hit someone running a red...