Now that the electric handbrake is the norm, turning around the street suddenly takes five times as long. But perhaps the quick turnaround will make a comeback in a while. The electric Mercedes G-class, which should appear soon, can perform a so-called tank turn. Mercedes itself calls it a 'G Turn', but the operation is the same.
During a tank turn, the wheels on the left turn in the opposite direction as the wheels on the left. Just like a tank can do with its tracks. This allows the Mercedes G-class to turn around in place. Officially it is for off-roading, but it is particularly useful if you have driven into the wrong street, for example. But is it actually allowed?
Mercedes itself says that you are not supposed to use it on public roads. A spokesperson for the Dutch police explains that perhaps you should not do it on public roads: 'Behaviour in traffic that endangers road safety can be fined under Article 5 of the Road Traffic Act.'
This is different from turning around
Turning is allowed, but according to the spokesperson this is 'turning around the axis and not turning.' He continues: 'A turn of 180 degrees means that you end up with your nose in the opposite direction (a kind of wrong-way driving), with all the consequences that entails.' He does qualify this: 'Assessment of whether to prosecute this is of course always up to the Public Prosecution Service afterwards.'
The law does not state anywhere that you are not allowed to do a tank turn with your Mercedes G-class, but for everything that is not precisely described, there is the infamous article 5. If you pirouette just like the G-classes in the video below are running, the police will undoubtedly think something of it. The police advise: 'Just turn as explained in driving tests'.
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