Lane positioning when making a RH turn
Discussion
Agreed. If I'm slowing down enough to make the turn, and the driver of the car waiting to come out has correctly positioned their car to the right, then by giving them the opportunity to exit I'm giving myself more room for my manoeuvre as well as barely impeding traffic behind by any more. It's conducive to a good flow of traffic IMHO.
Some drivers are very perceptive in regards to this and what the emerging vehicle needs ....
Taking a LGV learner towards the test centre on a warm up drive we needed to exit left from a side road onto a SC road but we need both SC lanes to emerge
Van on SC road approaching our side road from the left see us early and indicates right but holds right back and crawls at about 2 mph - no flashing light or hooter used - we se what van is doing and as clear from right we emerge safely and thank van driver with a quick open hand
Whether van actually turned right or cancelled signal and went straight on I have no idea as we had to deal with another situation just after that
Taking a LGV learner towards the test centre on a warm up drive we needed to exit left from a side road onto a SC road but we need both SC lanes to emerge
Van on SC road approaching our side road from the left see us early and indicates right but holds right back and crawls at about 2 mph - no flashing light or hooter used - we se what van is doing and as clear from right we emerge safely and thank van driver with a quick open hand
Whether van actually turned right or cancelled signal and went straight on I have no idea as we had to deal with another situation just after that
It's definitely an increasing habit that I've noticed, both on people turning right into a side road or turning right from a side road onto another road. I've generally put it down to a combination of laziness and complete ignorance of other road-users. Also you see it at quieter roundabouts - people straddling lanes while waiting to enter the roundabout, regardless of which exit they intend to take.
Another habit I'm seeing almost every day recently is people using the wrong lane at roundabouts. I've watched cars use the right lane to go straight on (even when lanes were marked otherwise) but more frustratingly seeing an alarming number of people use the left lane when going right (or an exit past 180 degrees).
Another habit I'm seeing almost every day recently is people using the wrong lane at roundabouts. I've watched cars use the right lane to go straight on (even when lanes were marked otherwise) but more frustratingly seeing an alarming number of people use the left lane when going right (or an exit past 180 degrees).
Ekona said:
Agreed. If I'm slowing down enough to make the turn, and the driver of the car waiting to come out has correctly positioned their car to the right, then by giving them the opportunity to exit I'm giving myself more room for my manoeuvre as well as barely impeding traffic behind by any more. It's conducive to a good flow of traffic IMHO.
Agreed.... to a certain level, but you have to bare in mind that you dont have control of the road, and are inviting them to join the road, which they may take as the road is clear, even if it isnt. As for giving yourself more space to make your manoeuvre what is wrong with the left hand lane on the road you are turning into, surely you have enough space?DocSteve said:
cooldude27uk said:
Its just another example of lazy and inconsiderate driving that seems to be affecting everyday driving in the UK.
There seems to be no consideration for other road users.
Just one other point to add to the turning right scenerio, what about the one where the driver turning right from a major to a minor lets the car out of the minor road! Where is that one in the highway code... thats my biggest bug bare when it comes to right turns.
"Letting out" implies giving an instruction to another driver, which is not to be advised. However, you might be referring to another more reasonable practice. Say, for example, you wish to turn right into a minor road and there are numerous vehicles following you but no oncoming vehicle, and there is a vehicle signalling to turn right from the same minor road. In this situation, I would argue you might wish to indicate and slow down so that the vehicle wishing to emerge considers it safe to make the manoeuvre. By doing this, you have made minimal impact on the progress of the multiple vehicles behind but also allowed the vehicle emerging to safely get on with its journey. There seems to be no consideration for other road users.
Just one other point to add to the turning right scenerio, what about the one where the driver turning right from a major to a minor lets the car out of the minor road! Where is that one in the highway code... thats my biggest bug bare when it comes to right turns.
R0G said:
7mike said:
One of last years threads?
probably LOLCheers, Jim
Be warned though that this manouvre can be of benefit as a lot of drivers now are developing a nasty habit of swing out to turn. Ie if turning right they turn left and then turn right.
If you were to try pass on their inside left they may very well swing into you to try make their right hand turn. The converse is true of a left hand turn. Try pass on their outside right they may swing out to the right before turning left.
They behave like they are driving supertankers.
If you were to try pass on their inside left they may very well swing into you to try make their right hand turn. The converse is true of a left hand turn. Try pass on their outside right they may swing out to the right before turning left.
They behave like they are driving supertankers.
Ekona said:
Agreed. If I'm slowing down enough to make the turn, and the driver of the car waiting to come out has correctly positioned their car to the right, then by giving them the opportunity to exit I'm giving myself more room for my manoeuvre as well as barely impeding traffic behind by any more. It's conducive to a good flow of traffic IMHO.
Yes. It's a sign of a thinking driver - both the one who slows approaching the RH turn into the minor road and the one who correctly sees and acts on the implied invitation to exit from the minor road. It's a "win, win".And if (as is very often the case) there is traffic behind the no 1 car in minor road and behind you in the major road, you're helping no 2, 3, 4 etc in the queue waiting in the minor road as well. So "win, win, win, win.....".
cooldude27uk said:
Its just another example of lazy and inconsiderate driving that seems to be affecting everyday driving in the UK.
There seems to be no consideration for other road users.
Just one other point to add to the turning right scenerio, what about the one where the driver turning right from a major to a minor lets the car out of the minor road! Where is that one in the highway code... thats my biggest bug bare when it comes to right turns.
I regularly experience an extreme version of this. Your advice on best practice would be appreciated.There seems to be no consideration for other road users.
Just one other point to add to the turning right scenerio, what about the one where the driver turning right from a major to a minor lets the car out of the minor road! Where is that one in the highway code... thats my biggest bug bare when it comes to right turns.
On my daily commute to drop three year old daughter off at school. I pass through a junction, turning right onto a busy SC main road that is the end of a dual carriageway bypass headed into town. It is often very busy. To make the situation worse there is a blind bend over the crest of a hill to my left and a blind bend with a roundabout on it to my right. Visibility is not great and the traffic is doing 40 plus. The main road is a bus route with busses turning right into the minor road that I am attempting to exit.
I always approach in the correct gear, ready to move on if clear but able to stop. Correctly positioned so as to pull up behind the give way line square to the line and immediately to the left of the centre mark. Now there is space for the busses to pass me to my right but it is tight. The bus drivers always stop on the main road and try to flash me out. If I do not comply they get quite irate and appear to be suggesting that I should pull out twice! Last week a builder's van came along from my right and stopped to join in with the bus driver in his attempt to bully me into pulling out into the main road. By this stage there was traffic queuing all the way back round both bends. There were no vehicles behind me so I backed up a car's length to give the bus more room.
So am I to take it that they have made all of the safety checks. That there are no cyclists or motor cyclists behind vehicles to either right or left. Are they sure that some hot head in his Vauxhall Corset is not overtaking the whole que from my right? Should I just give in and allow them to make me pull out?
Last week I took the keys out of the ignition and held them up for the bus driver to see. As soon as he realised that I was not going to be intimidated he made his right turn.
Then next time this happens I will be talking to the bus company. If the route is too narrow for their drivers to make it round the bends they should be collecting peasants from some place else.
D Stanley said:
So am I to take it that they have made all of the safety checks. That there are no cyclists or motor cyclists behind vehicles to either right or left. Are they sure that some hot head in his Vauxhall Corset is not overtaking the whole que from my right? Should I just give in and allow them to make me pull out?
Do not trust their judgement - trust your ownIf you pull out and an incident occurs it is your head on the block
As you are waiting to turn right is there enough room on your left for another to turn left? - if not then you might as well err more towards the left of the junction mouth leaving more room for those turning into your road
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