Crossroads 2. Approach On Major
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Straight ahead
You may wonder why you need to be concerned about a set of crossroads when you have priority to go straght ahead on the main major road. Well, remember that vehicles approaching on the minor roads may not have noticed that the crossroads are there and just pull out in front of you. See why in the video below. You need to be ready for this.
So when you spot a set of crossroads ahead, even if you are on the major road, do the following:
Mirror. Check your interior mirror incase there is another vehicle very close to you. If there is, slow down slightly to allow for a sudden stop - you don't want the guy behind smashing into the back of you as you try to avoid someone coming out of the crossroads.
Ease off the gas slightly - just incase.
As you approach the crossroads, take a little look into the minor roads to the left and right. If you can see that no-one is likely to drive out in front of you, carry on. If a car is approaching fast in the minor road, be prepared to stop incase they haven't noticed the 'give way'.
On your test, your examiner will look for your awareness of dangers as crossroads, even if you are not turning in or out of them.
Turning left:
Approach the junction in exactly the same way you would as if doing a normal approach and turn left.
As you are about to turn in, take a look to the right to make sure there are no vehicles coming across the junction. You have right of way over them but, once again, they may not have noticed the junction.
Crossroads approach and turn left
Turning right:
Once again, your approach routine should be the same as for a normal approach and turn right.(link to 'approach and turn right') However, as you approach the turn, there are several things to consider.
First make sure you look to the left as you approach to make sure no vehicles are coming across the junction.
Next, you will need to consider your road position if there is a vehicle coming in the opposite direction who is also turning right. Under normal circumstances you will be expect to go around each other 'driver to driver'.
The reason for taking this position is because it helps you see that the road ahead is clear before turning.
If the road is too narrow to do this, you may need to turn 'passenger to passenger'.
You can see that you would need to take extra care when turning as your vision of the road ahead will be limited.
If the road is too narrow for either pass, one vehicle will need to stop before the junction to allow the other to turn.
There is no rule as to which should be the vehicle to stop. Slow down and try to assess what the other vehicle is doing. Make eye contact and work it out between the two of you. Do NOT flash your lights - another driver may get the wrong idea and do something you don't expect.
Remember to look carefully for road markings which may tell you where to position the car when turning.
