When you learn to drive you will learn how to negotiate different types of road junctions. At first, it can seem very daunting, there is a lot to remember, traffic signals, signs, potential hazards, and road markings to take into account and the roads may be busy, and other drivers could be impatient.
Your driving instructor will have helped many students, they will give you the skills and confidence to know that you can safely do it. Listening to your instructor and practicing will help you gain confidence and put you well on the path to passing your driving test.
Lack of observations at junctions is a big cause of accidents and can be a common reason for failing a driving test, so it’s important that you fully master this key skill.
Spotting a junction early and making your preparations will allow you time to prepare, identify what type of junction you are approaching and give you a better chance of negotiating it safely.
What is a T-junction?
T-junctions are where a minor road meets a major road, usually, the minor road will have road markings and signage to indicate that the driver should stop and give way to traffic on the major road.
Approaching a T-junction
Your instructor will plan their routes to ensure that you practice different types of junctions. Firstly, they will help you prepare when approaching the junction. So that you can safely assess the situation and determine what actions need to be taken to proceed safely. You will need to check for hazards, and use your mirrors to assess where other road users are before your clearly signal, in plenty of time, your attention to other drivers.
Next, you should manoeuvre the vehicle into the correct position in the road, depending on the direction you will be turning, and reduce your speed while selecting the most appropriate gear.
Turning Left at a T-junction
As your approach the junction, roughly ten car lengths or more if needed from the junction you should check for hazards, use your mirrors and check the road ahead. Check your mirrors again and if safe to do so use your indicator to signal your intention to turn left. You should position the car approximately 1 metre from the left kerb and gradually reduce your speed as you approach the junction.
Give way to any pedestrians crossing and keep checking for other hazards. Look, both ways at the road you will be joining to see if there are any obstacles and check the view that you have. Start to turn the wheels to the left so that you can move more easily when you are ready to move off.
You need to make constant observations and wait for a safe space before you pull out into the road. A safe space will allow you to pull out and proceed without causing other road users to stop of slow down. Instructors often get asked “how big is a safe gap?”, as you practice your skills in assessing how fast oncoming traffic is going and how much space you will need to allow will improve and it will feel more natural to you.
Turning Right at a T-junction
Turning right unsurprisingly is a very similar process to turning left. You will need to use the right indicator and position the vehicle on the right-hand side of the road or your lane. As you approach and stop at the junction, in most cases your wheels should be straight so that you can cross the first lane of traffic before joining on the opposite side.
You will need to take extra care to check for other vehicles, hazards, and pedestrians in both directions to ensure there is a safe gap before you pull forward.
Obstructions and Blind Spots
At times your view may be impaired by parked vehicles, trees, people or other items. You should also be aware of any cyclists and motorcycles are these are not as noticeable as other vehicles. Your instructor will help you decide what is the best course of action in each individual circumstance.
Key Points
At a T-junction, the vehicles on the major road have the right of way and you should only join the major road when you are sure you can do so safely, without causing a hazard to oncoming traffic.
If there is a stop sign at a T-junction you must stop, stopping allows you to get a better view and have sufficient time to make your observations. Failing to stop at a stop sign during your driving test will result in a fail.
Keep re-checking and observing during the approach and while you enter and exit the junction.
Take your time, whether you are having driving lessons, you are taking your driving test or have already passed your test every time you approach a t-junction you should keep re-checking and observing, and only pull out when you are sure it’s safe. It’s much better to holdback and miss a gap you are not sure about to drive out dangerously in front of someone.