Emerging

‘Emerging’ is when a vehicle leaves a minor road to join, cross or turn onto a major road.

You’ll have to judge the speed and distance of any traffic on the road you intend to join or cross, and only emerge when it’s safe to do so. This needs care and sometimes patience as well.

Assess the junction. Check road signs and markings and use the MSM/PSL routine.

‘Give way’ sign or lines

A ‘give way’ sign and lines across the road mean that you must give way to traffic which is already on the road you intend to enter.

If you can emerge without causing drivers or riders on that road to alter speed or course, you can do so without stopping. Otherwise, you must stop.

‘Stop’ sign

You must always stop at the stop line accompanying a ‘stop’ sign.

The view at these junctions is limited and it will be impossible to safely assess the traffic on the road you intend to enter unless you stop as directed.

Move off only when

• you have a clear view
• you’re sure it’s safe.

Junctions without signs or road markings Treat these with great care.

Don’t assume you have priority at an unmarked junction.

MSM/PSL routine

M Look in your mirrors to assess what’s behind.

S Signal left or right, as appropriate, in good time.

M Manoeuvre – use PSL.

P When turning left, keep well to the left. When turning right, position yourself, in good time, as close to the centre of the road as is safe. In a one-way street, move to the right-hand side of the road or the right-hand lane in good time.

S Reduce your speed. Be prepared to stop; you must give way to traffic on a major road.

L Look in all directions as soon as you can see clearly. Keep looking as you slow down or stop, if necessary, until you’re sure it’s safe to enter the major road.

Other traffic

Bends and hills could make it more difficult to see traffic coming towards you.

If the vehicle approaching from your right is signalling to turn left into your road, wait until you’re sure the vehicle is turning and not just pulling up on the left beyond your road.

Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable at junctions. Look out for them

• coming from behind as you approach the junction
• travelling along the road you’re joining, as they can be very difficult to see and their speed and distance can be difficult to judge.

When to go

You have to decide when to wait and when it’s safe to go. That decision depends largely on your zone of vision. Your zone of vision is the area you can see from your vehicle. It’s determined by

• buildings and hedges
• bends in the road or contours in the land
• moving and parked vehicles
• obstructions
• available light and the weather.

As you approach a junction, your zone of vision into the other road usually improves. The last few metres are critical.

You can only decide whether to wait or go on when you’ve put yourself in a position where you can see clearly.

Watch out for cyclists, motorcyclists, powered wheelchairs/mobility scooters and pedestrians, as they’re not always easy to see.

Sometimes parked vehicles interfere with your zone of vision, so that you have to inch carefully forward to see more. If another vehicle or a pedestrian isn’t in your zone of vision, you’re not usually in theirs. Looking means that you need to assess the situation, decide whether it’s safe and act accordingly.

An approaching vehicle, particularly a bus or a lorry, can easily mask another moving vehicle which may be overtaking.

After emerging

• Accelerate to a safe speed for the road and conditions as soon as possible.
• Make sure your indicator is cancelled.
• Use your mirrors to check the speed and position of traffic behind you.
• Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
• Don’t attempt to overtake until you’ve had time to assess the new road.

Defensive driving

When turning right, even though there might be little traffic approaching from the right, don’t be tempted to move out and drive down the centre of the road hoping to fit into a gap in the traffic. If the road narrows, or if there are junctions or bollards, you’ll have nowhere to go.

When turning left or right into a major road (see the advice earlier in this section), it takes time to complete the steering manoeuvre safely.

You need to accurately assess the speed of approaching traffic.

If in doubt, wait.