Positioning

[nightflight]

I was watching a few youtube videos on driving commentaries when I noticed a situation in this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=cASEscf4lK4
at around the 4min20 mark which I frequently encounter on my drive home from work.

In the video, the driver wants to turn left at the junction, but the layout of the road enables the van driver behind who wants to turn right to pull alongside the driver blocking the view down the road to the right so obviously it's not safe to pull out left until the van has cleared the junction. (side question; wait until the van has gone, or use the van as a shield and pull left when the van turns right?)

On my drive home from work, I have a similar junction where I want to turn right. AIUI roadcraft says I should position my car towards the centre line allowing a better field of view to the left, but this allows the vehicle behind to drive alongside my car and block my view to the left so what I have taken to doing is adopting a more central position (by a few feet, only if i'm being followed) to prevent the car behind pulling alongside. The main road I emerge onto bends to the left almost immediately after the junction, the view round the bend is obstructed by a wall so there is almost zero difference in the field of view between the central and right positioning options.

Sensible defensive positioning or inconsiderate and would be better off waiting for the ever so slightly improved field of view?

[michael769]

Sensible defensive positioning or inconsiderate and would be better off waiting for the ever so slightly improved field of view?

It depends...

Some questions to ask yourself:

* Is there a risk that your "incorrect" position could mislead other road users? If so what are the possible consequences of another driver acting upon this?
* Are you avoidably and unnecessarily inconveniencing other road users? if so is there an overriding safety benefit in doing so?
* Have you considered alternatives? For example would it be safe to edge forwards to get a better view? Can you look "through" the vehicle to get a view?

In some situations like this I will try to position myself just behind them so I can get a good view as they move off with a view to being able to "follow" them out safely. Something that tends to work best at roundabouts.

[7db]

How much of a view to the left do they block?

[nightflight]

This is the junction in question.
http://goo.gl/maps/Io5gB
Emerging from Carsick Hill Rd turning right onto Sandygate

Some questions to ask yourself:

* Is there a risk that your "incorrect" position could mislead other road users? If so what are the possible consequences of another driver acting upon this?

I dont believe so: I'll be indicating, not so far over to the left that my positioning and indication would be incongruous and angled pointing slightly to the right so that everything says, "i'm going right at this junction"

* Are you avoidably and unnecessarily inconveniencing other road users? if so is there an overriding safety benefit in doing so?

a) Yes, I could move more to the right.

* Have you considered alternatives? For example would it be safe to edge forwards to get a better view? Can you look "through" the vehicle to get a view?

How much of a view to the left do they block?

I stop as far forward as I feel it safe to in order to get a view round to the right, edging forward to view round them would just cause them to edge forward to view round me and we'd end up creeping into the new road.
The view through their car is typically blocked by them leaning forward to get a view round me (unless it's a 4x4 when all I get is a nice view of door and front wing)