Emerging Left (Minor Road to Major Road)

The MSPSL routine comes into play again here. This time, there is a greater possibility of having to give way to traffic as the traffic on the major road has priority over you.

Mirror – look at the inside and left mirrors
Signal – always signal, even if you can’t see anyone
Position – maintain the normal driving position
Speed – the approach speed will depend on the view you have as you approach the junction so you help yourself a lot if you start looking as you start braking. If the view is good, you may be able to stay in 2nd gear if there is no-one to give way to. If the view is bad or the road is busy, you will need 1st gear. The less you can see the slower you will have to go as the stopping distance will be shorter.
Look – as mentioned above, you help yourself a lot if you start looking as you start braking. You may not see much at first, but you will build up a gradual picture as you get closer, seeing each hazard one at a time. You will be able to make an informed, unhurried decision. If you wait until the last minute to look, you will see everything all at once and will be forced to make a rushed decision and only have a short amount of time to act on it. If you decide to use 1st, make sure your speed is just under 10mph when you change and bring the clutch to bite after changing. You can then creep safely forwards under clutch control to get a better view while being able to stop quickly but safely if you spot another vehicle. 

Common Faults

 

It is very tempting to only look left as that is perceived to be the only place where trouble could come from. However, this will prevent you seeing any hazards on the left, such as a parked car or someone crossing the road. It is also more difficult to steer accurately if you are not looking where you are going :-0 The result? An unexpected excursion on to the other side of the road as you turn.

The timing of the gear change is important. Changing too early into 1st will mean crawling up to the junction at a snail’s pace. Changing too late will make turning more difficult. Wait until you have a rough idea which gear you will need before changing rather than making an assumption. If you are not sure which gear to use, ask yourself this question as you approach the junction; “Can I make my decision (to stop or go) yet?” The answer to this question will tell you which gear you need.

Approaching Junctions to Turn Right (Major Road to Minor Road)

This is very similar to turning left with just a couple of differences, the principle one being that there is the possibility of having to give way to oncoming traffic.

Mirror – look at the inside and right mirrors
Signal – always signal, even if you can’t see anyone
Position – move to just left of centre, or as close to the centre as is safe if you are in a narrow road.
Speed – as with turning left, most of the time you will be at 10-15 mph and in 2nd gear when turning if there is nothing to give way to. If there is something to give way to, naturally you will need 1st. The turning point and stop position are the same; halfway across the side road. Make sure your clutch is fully up before you turn. If it is down (coasting) you can’t brake as effectively or accelerate at all and the car may drift wide around the corner.
Look – you will be able to plan more effectively and make a better decision if you start assessing the junction and looking at oncoming traffic as you start slowing down. Just before you turn, check the inside and right mirrors again, look ahead for vehicles and into the side road for any hazards. Turn when you can do so without affecting oncoming traffic. After entering the new road, have another look in the inside mirror to see what has followed you into it.

Common Faults

Looking down the new road as you turn into it will help you steer accurately. 

The speed should reduce gradually on approach rather than braking harshly at the last moment or too early so that you have to accelerate a bit to reach the side road.

Leaving the clutch down as you turn can feel safer but, as you are not in control of the car when it is down, it is anything but. 

If you turn too early, you will be partly on the wrong side of the new road (cutting the corner), risking an accident with anyone who is approaching, even if you can’t see them when you start turning. Make sure you are level with the centre of the new road when you start turning.

After turning, if you are too late to straighten the car, you will find yourself heading towards the wrong side of the road. You need to start straightening the steering wheel just before the car is straight. All you are doing is changing the wheels from pointing right to pointing straight. You will still have enough right lock just before the end of the turn to complete it.

Approaching Junctions to Turn Left (Major Road to Minor Road)

Previously, you will have learned about the MSM routine. It is used again here, but is extended to Mirror, Signal, Position, Speed, Look (MSPSL). When approaching a side road on the left to turn into it, do the following:

Mirror – look at the inside and left mirrors
Signal – always signal, even if you can’t see anyone
Position – maintain the normal driving position
Speed – most of the time you will be at 10-15 mph when turning and will therefore be in 2nd gear, but assess each junction as you approach; occasionally, 3rd or 1st will be more appropriate. Make sure your clutch is fully up before you turn. If it is down (coasting) you can’t brake as effectively or accelerate at all and the car may drift wide around the corner.
Look – as you reach the corner, check the inside and left mirrors again, look ahead for vehicles turning in front of you (it’s your priority but folks can be cheeky) and into the side road for any hazards.

After entering the new road, have another look in the inside mirror to see what has followed you into it.

Common Faults

The speed should reduce gradually on approach rather than braking harshly at the last moment or too early so that you have to accelerate a bit to reach the side road.

Leaving the clutch down as you turn can feel safer but, as you are not in control of the car when it is down, it is anything but. 

If you find you are turning too much or not enough, it may be that you are looking just ahead of you a few metres in front of the car. Try looking further down the road at where you want the car to be.

Use of Signals

The main factor in deciding whether to signal or not is to ask yourself “Is there anyone around who can benefit from a signal?” when approaching a junction, a signal should always be given in case there is someone unseen who then appears that needs to know what you are about to do, otherwise use your own judgement. 

The whole point of a signal is to help other road users so be careful about the timing of signals. If you signal one second before hitting the brakes, others won’t have time to respond and plan their own actions, but if you signal a long time before taking any action, no-one will know what you are doing. Similarly, don’t signal to stop before a junction if you are stopping after it

Common Faults

Most of the time, the signal will cancel itself, but there are occasions when there is not enough opposite lock to trigger the cancellation e.g. leaving a roundabout. It’s always worth checking that it has been switched off.

It’s very easy to signal only if you see someone behind as most signals are applied immediately after looking in the mirrors. However, we need to signal to any road user who may be helped by it so don’t forget to consider those ahead and to the side of you.