help on emerging right onto a major road from a minor road

For discussion of topics relating to the Driving Standards Agency Learner Test (DSA L Test) and contribution by ADI's (Approved Driving Instructors)

Postby billy » Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:19 pm


hello everyone, and thanks to anyone that replied to my slip road question before, great forum.

I recently did an advanced hackney carriage driving test, which is the same as an L test but you are only allowed 7 minor faults.
I made only 1 minor fault on observation, but unfortunately 1 serious fault and was failed.
it occured emerging right onto a major road from a minor road. the road appeared clear from right and left, and as i started to turn right a fast moving lorry shot around the slight bend from the left. The examiner said he did not see it either. my reaction was to get the right quick and accelerate, and the lorry came quite close behind when he accelerated towards me, i think to punish me maybe! what i was told i should have done, is to go half way and let him pass. It had crossed my mind, but i thought that if i had done this another car could have emerged on the left and i would have slowed them or forced them to stop also resulting in a fail. I felt going half way was not an option ,if i were to keep traffic flowing...

( and was told by my old driving instructor years ago you should never do it! not sure if hes right anymore!),
so the question i have is this..

In a test situation, when is it ok to go half way when emerging to turn right and when is it not? I cant really seem to find and many answers for this. I definately wouldnt go half way to intentionally stop traffic on the right, but somtimes you can be waiting there all day in busy areas. should i just wait even if i takes an eternity for the gap on both sides? And when theres no traffic coming on the right you often still cant get out because traffic is still heavy from the left, and emerging half way doesnt seem to solve anything unless your 100% sure there is nothing coming from the right , which you cant always be certain of..... any advice on this basic task which i should have understood, would be very appreciated,
merry xmas and happy new year to all forum users
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Postby dombooth » Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:24 pm


Do you have a Google Maps Streetview link to the junction?

With regards to going halfway I would say it depends.

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Postby Slink_Pink » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:20 pm


Assuming no conveniently wide centre hatching, the only occasions on which I'd emerge as you describe are:
(a) traffic from my right is queued and someone has intentionally left a gap
(b) if I'm confident that the single vehicle from the left did not have any following - I'd make a slow crawl out intending to join the road directly behind that vehicle, judging so as to keep moving. I can't really see this happening however as there would have to be no threat from traffic on the right, so I may as well wait another few seconds.

You made a decision and stuck with it; you remained safe; it's difficult to tell how your manoeuvre actually affected the lorry rather than him simply disapproving of it. I think that the situation you encountered in your test was unlucky - rather like if you hit someone during your driving test, it may be that you have acted exactly as required and that it was unavoidable, but you still fail. Perhaps others disagree?

As Dom said, a link to a map of the junction would help us understand and comment on the specifics.
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Postby 7db » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:28 pm


What an unlucky situation.

It is the classic advice that you stop for the priority vehicle if you are manoeuvring. There's nothing wrong with that advice and if more people followed it, then there would be fewer accidents. If you cause him to slow down or swerve then you're doing a bit of careless driving and then it's a lottery as to whether it's a major or minor fault. If you find yourself stranded blocking an on-comer form the right, then that's probably not as bad as the truck.

Of course -- next time you face that situation, you will imagine that a truck is coming and really get on with the exiting to ensure that it's not going to be a 50/50 situation -- file that away in the big bank of memories: you look and see a corner and your mind's eye inserts a truck thundering around it. Slightly offside. Swigging from his beer can and on the phone.

I find this image helps temper my enthusiasm into some corners.

I haven't seen you drive, but I have seen a lot of people drive. There are likely to be two modifications to your decision process that may help. The first is to decide later:- you could see it was clear right, and then you commit to going halfway get a view and decide to go. This gives you more vision and information than deciding to go from the sideroad. It also gives you a bit of momentum. Information and momentum are great keys to the second which is to decide harder. Once you have the vision, and you make the decision. Get on with it. No messing around -- full bore acceleration once grip is established: your biggest source of evasive action is to accelerate out of it.

Hope that helps. Ignore if not!
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Postby billy » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:51 pm


thanks 7db slinkpink & dom for replies.
iv tried looking for it. cant locate it on googlemaps. its ilford london, and a lot of little mazes of minor roads branching off the major roads. i really appreciate your time. iv got some good advice there as regards to how judge the situation better next time. If i had known i would have just gone half way, but due to ignorance thought it was out of the question on a driving test.

So as a general rule would you agree that: emerging halfway when turning right is ok, only if your confident that traffic from the left has a space coming, that is big enough to get into. And you are also confident that nothing is emerge from your right which you would cause to slow down or stop.

If not is there a better way i could sum up, the correct execution and judgement for the situation, as i find going half way always helps but of course i want to do it safely and legally.

many thanks again for you expertise and time all
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Postby billy » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:57 pm


by the way 7db like the image , of the beer guzler trucker ill keep that one in mind next time im in the situation. lol, merry christmas
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Postby fungus » Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:22 pm


Difficult to give precise answers as so many situations are grey areas. The Highway Code states that you should not cause another road user to alter speed or position. But realistically in situations where vision is severely restricted this inevitably happens. If you were in a position of no return when you saw the lorry, I would certainly floor it and get out of the way. Was there a danger of you being exposed to approaching vehicles from the right? if so then I see no other option. But if that is the case, should you go anyway? If there was no danger from the right, then holding back and merging in behind the lorry would not be a problem.

A couple of years ago I was observing one of my pupils on his driving test. We approached a small but busy roundabout with the usual clutter adorning the central island. As I said it was busy and the lad had to wait for a suitable gap to emerge. As he did so a car came around from the blind area on the roundabout travelling quite quickly. He did as he'd been taught and floored it. At the de- breif the examiner said that although it was a bit tight, he did get out of the way. Minor error, no serious, test passed.
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Postby dombooth » Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:02 pm


"If it doubt, flat out." :lol:

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Postby billy » Wed Dec 19, 2012 5:07 pm


thanks dom & fungus, and everyone else for your input. appreciated.
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Postby Renny » Fri Dec 21, 2012 11:33 am


Difficult situtation and unfortunate that it happened whilst on test. As others have said, if you could have stopped relatively safely only blocking the "empty" section from the right, you may have been safer, but it is a difficult call. It one of those situations that a bit of commentary, or thinking out loud (keep it clean though!) may have helped the examiner know what your thought process was at that time.

In my expericence in London and other busy cities, a partial emerge if there is no traffic visible from the right, or if a gap is left is quite a common practice (although not totally without risk).
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Postby Slink_Pink » Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:22 am


Renny wrote:In my expericence in London and other busy cities, a partial emerge if there is no traffic visible from the right, or if a gap is left is quite a common practice (although not totally without risk).

+1 but London driving has it's own set of skills and a few unwritten rules.
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