trashbat wrote:The safest thing to do here is wait for traffic going in your chosen direction to begin moving (or opposing traffic to stop), and then either go in front or join behind, so that you don't get caught out by a conflict with opposing traffic in exactly this kind of way. Of course, any traffic waiting behind you may not appreciate this caution.
If it really was a close call, did you consider using the horn or similar?
I wouldn't go so far as to blanket state that you didn't get anything wrong, as a probably avoidable conflict did occur, but it doesn't sound like much of an error. Good that you're probing it too.
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:Impossible to tell but one of:
- waited a little longer to see what the state of play was.
- exactly as you did, but seeing it as a lesson for next time, rather than congratulating myself about my "quick thinking". Perhaps some slower thinking, and consideration of the situation, might have led to a different course of action.
It's one of those experiences you will draw on later in your driving career. Last time I was in this situation X happened .... You've recognised that by posting here. Resist the temptation to see yourself as a driving god each time you just cheat death, but take each occasion as an opportunity to learn.
Sounds very pompous. Not meant to.
triquet wrote:If the lorry was a large red tipper with EARTHLINE emblazoned on the front, they come from the quarry near Stanford in the Vale, and they have quite a reputation for brisk driving ....
martine wrote:Great advice above but I'd also be concerned about your choice of accelerating into a closing gap...sounds like a second or two later and you would have had a collision with the cones or lorry or both.
trashbat wrote:It's a fair answer about the horn - some people's rule of thumb might be that if you have time to use it, you don't need to use it, although I think it has its place.
As for whether to accelerate or not, I don't know as I wasn't there, but sometimes the most pressing thing to do is choose a course of action and commit. Don't blindly persevere with a stupid plan of course, but you know what I mean. If you'd dithered or tried to abort your acceleration, things may have got even more confusing. Maybe it was good fortune or maybe it was good judgement but it seems like it worked out.
Have you thought about the view from a lorry cab? Also the timespan during which it was likely you would be seen.
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:Resist the temptation to see yourself as a driving god each time you just cheat death....
TheInsanity1234 wrote:I looked left, saw a queue of maybe 3 cars waiting at the lights which were set just before the beginning of the turning lane, and I could see the lights in that direction were red (cars were stopped and showed no sign of setting off).
TheInsanity1234 wrote:I then looked to my right, and saw a lorry waiting at the lights set just after the central marking section closed up. The lorry was not moving, and also showed no signs of setting off - bear in mind that I must've arrived at the precise moment that both sets of lights were showing red, as there were no cars passing in either direction, and there was no suggestion of movement in both directions.
TheInsanity1234 wrote:I then decided that I could go, as there was no sign of movement from either direction, and no suggestion that the lights were going to change.
Gareth wrote:Could see, or could infer?
Likewise. Sometimes you can see the reflected glow of the red traffic lights, other times not.
How are you able to determine whether or not the lights were about to change? Seriously, how could you do this?
I would say it is clear you made an error of judgement,
and here's why: when there is single-alternate traffic and both sides are stopped, it is because there is a delay before letting the alternate traffic through to allow for slow moving road users such as cyclists. The delay should be proportional to the distance, and set for the slowest moving road users, although maybe not long enough for them to clear the section but just so they can reach the point where the opposing road users can see they are still coming through.
As you stop at the junction it is impossible for you to determine which direction is about to move, nor how long it will be before they do. Because of this the only sane approach is to wait for one side or other to move, then proceed as has already been suggested.
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