ROAD JUNCTIONS

When taking your practical driving test your examiner will expect you to:

Use the MSM and PSL routines effectively and in good time
Brake gently and in good time
Position your vehicle correctly
Look for pedestrians, obstacles and traffic
Read road signs correctly
Assess the speed of traffic.
Approaching A Junction

As you approach a junction you need to assess what type of junction it is, and plan how you intend to deal with it. To help you do this look for the following:

the amount of traffic at the junction
warning signs
road markings
direction signs
'Give way' and 'Stop' signs
traffic lights
Priories at Junctions.

Give way signs, road markings, stop signs and traffic lights indicate priorities. On an uncontrolled junction, where there are no signs or markings indicating priority all vehicles have equal priority. If you encounter an uncontrolled junction you should slow down, look for traffic in all directions and be prepared to stop and give way if necessary.

Pedestrians and Priority

If you turn into a road that pedestrians have already started to cross then they have priority and you must give way.

Emerging From Junctions

When emerging from a junction you may be joining heavy or fast moving traffic. If making a right turn there is the additional hazard of crossing the path of oncoming vehicles. Cautious and careful judgment needs to be exercised and you should be constantly assessing the changing road environment.

When approaching and emerging left from a junction:

as you approach the junction check your mirrors
signal if necessary
position your car to the left of the road with the front bumper just behind the stop or give way line
reduce your speed and be prepared to stop and give way
before pulling out look in all directions, check your left mirror for cyclists and motorcyclists passing on your nearside
as you pull out check your mirrors and accelerate to a safe speed
make sure your indicator is cancelled

When approaching and emerging right from a junction:Follow the above procedure but position you car as close to the centre of the road as you canWhen stopping at a junction for more the a few seconds you should apply your handbrake. This will prevent your car being shunted into traffic if hit from behind.

Assessing Traffic Speed

Remember you must be able to pull out of a junction without forcing other vehicles to slow down or change position. On the other hand you mustn't hesitate and miss a valid opportunity to pull out (do this on your driving test and you will earn a minor fault).To make such judgments takes a driver sometime to learn. However weather an experienced driver or not it is likely that you have experience in crossing a road on foot. So when waiting to pull out into traffic ask yourself this question - given the current road traffic situation would I cross the road on foot? If the answer is yes then it is likely to be safe to pull out in your car.

Open Junctions

An open junction allows you to see clearly in both directions as you approach it. Such junctions are actually quite rare. They will have a Give Way sign and road marking. As you approach, if you see that the road is clear you don't have to stop, just slow down to such a speed that you can emerge safely from the junction.

Closed Junctions

Most junctions are closed junctions. They offer a limited view in one or both directions as you approach them. Again they will have a Give Way Sign and road marking.

Blind Junctions

These give a restricted view even when at the Stop Line. They have a Stop sign and road marking, so you must come to a stop before emerging from the junction. To safely negotiate them, inch your way forward until you can see the road to be clear. If another vehicle approaches you should stop and wait for a clear gap.