Approaching and emerging from junctions

By the end of this topic you can

• You can recognise give way and stop junctions from signs and road markings.
• You can approach a junction using the MSM routine and arrive at a safe speed.
• You can tell an open junction from a closed one and adjust your speed.
• You can judge a safe gap and emerge without making others slow down or swerve.
• You can give way to pedestrians crossing the road you are turning into or out of.

What you need to know and understand

• At a Stop sign with a solid white line you must stop behind the line, even if the road looks clear.
• At a Give Way sign or broken white lines you must give way to traffic on the main road, but you do not have to stop if it is clear.
• You should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road you are turning into or out of.
• Do not assume a vehicle signalling left will actually turn.
• Motorcyclists and cyclists are easy to miss and may be moving faster than you expect.
• At a dual carriageway, if the central reservation is not deep enough to protect the full length of your car, wait until you can cross both carriageways in one go.

Open or closed: reading the junction early

As you approach, look for signs and road markings and decide early what kind of junction it is. An open junction gives you a good view of the main road as you approach, so you may be able to judge the traffic and keep moving if it is clear. A closed junction has hedges, walls or parked vehicles blocking your view, so you will need to slow right down, possibly to a stop, and creep forward until you can see.

Creeping is done slowly and in small amounts, ready to stop if anything appears. Your view, not the line, decides how far forward you go, but you must still stop at a Stop line first.

Emerging safely

1. Check your mirrors and signal in good time.
2. Position correctly: near the left for a left turn, just left of the centre line for a right turn.
3. Slow down and choose the right gear, usually first or second.
4. Look right, left and right again, and keep looking. Watch for pedestrians crossing in front of you.
5. Wait for a safe gap that means nobody on the main road has to slow down or swerve.
6. Move off briskly and smoothly, and do not cut the corner.

Judging gaps

A safe gap depends on the speed of the traffic, the size of the gap and how quickly you can move off. A gap that is fine on a 20 mph street may be far too small on a 60 mph road. Bikes and motorbikes are narrow, so look twice for them. If you are not sure, wait. Pulling out and making someone brake hard is a serious fault on a driving test.

• Do: keep looking both ways while you wait, as things change.
• Do: take extra care where parked vehicles hide pedestrians.
• Do not: rely on another driver waving you out.
• Do not: roll over the line while still looking.

Common mistakes

• Approaching too fast and having to brake hard at the line. Start slowing earlier.
• Rolling across a Stop line without stopping. Your wheels must come to a complete stop behind it.
• Looking right only once. Keep scanning right, left and right while you wait.
• Pulling out in front of a vehicle that was indicating left but went straight on. Wait for proof it is turning.
• Cutting the corner when turning right out of a junction. Steer so you join on the correct side of the road.

Test yourself: Approaching and emerging from junctions

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Junction Rules UK