Online driving tutorial - Crossroads

There are several different type of crossroads you'll have to deal with once you're out and about in your car. You'll have to do slightly different things depending on which way you approach the crossroad junction from. I recommend you know the difference between approaching and emerging as you'll be doing both for this.

Major to minor 

If you are travelling along a main road you may from time to time see a crossroads warning triangle, letting you know one is coming up soon. It could very well be hidden. As you pass through you'll have to give a little look to the right, then the left. You're looking for emergency vehicles and other road users who aren't stopping. Cyclists in particular. We look to the right first as generally the entrance here offers better visibility early.

If you are wishing to turn right and another car wishes to turn right there are two options on how to proceed.

Left side to left side (image 1), which is deemed the most dangerous, however, is far easier. Or right side to right side (image 2), which offers greater visibility, but if often not adopted. There are a few things which determine which one to use.

First question to ask is what is the other car doing? Secondly, what's the size of the road? Narrow roads would suit left side to left side, huge traffic light controlled junctions would suit right side to right side when it's far more important to be able to see down the road as there could be several lanes of traffic coming towards you. If in doubt, go with option 1. This is by far the most common scenario.

Minor to major 

If you were approaching a crossroads situation coming from a minor road into a major road it's exactly the same as emerging but with an extra road in front of you to think about. You would use your M-S-M routine for turning left and right (look at emerging tutorials for further details), but when it comes to going straight on there are a few things you need to consider.

Firstly, interior mirror check. Then look at the entrance of the new road to see how it differs from the exit of the road you are on. Some crossroads are slightly staggered, or the new road is slightly wider or narrower. In which case you will need to adjust your position. This is because you'll need to adjust yourself so when you emerge you're already inline to take up your normal driving position in the new road. Before you change your position, you'll need to a door mirror check. Which one depends on which way the car is to be directed. No signal is your signal for going straight across. 

If you are waiting at a crossroads situation and intending to go straight on and there is a car opposite wanting to emerge and they are signalling to their right (so they are going to cross your path), you would have priority in this situation. But never assume it. 

If you were wishing to emerge right and another car in front also wished to emerge to their right, no one here has priority and so once again, be careful. Get eye contact and see what their intentions are before proceeding.

Traffic light controlled junctions

When wanting to turn right at a set of lights, we have to wait for the main light to turn green. Once this happens we are allowed to proceed into the junction and may have to wait, depending on what is coming towards us. If we have to wait, then make sure you are not in the way of cars coming towards us, and not in the way of anyone wanting to make their right hand turn across our path.

There is a lot of confusion over traffic light types and filters. Filter arrows will indicate that it is safe for you to proceed in that direction

Box Junctions 

You are allowed into and to stop on a box junction as long as you are turning right and you can see that your exit is clear.

Next free online driving tutorial - Traffic lights.  Click here to read.