“The main difference between turning left at a crossroad and turning left at other junctions is that you will have at least one extra road to check, but doing this is as easy as counting 1,2,3 as you’ll see in a moment.
When turning left at crossroads, check your mirrors early to start your mirror-signal-manoeuvre routine. Signal in good time and maintain your normal road position as you approach. Because there will be at least one extra road to check at crossroads, it is more likely that you will need to stop.
When emerging from a side road, as you are arriving, start the easy as 1, 2, 3 checks as soon as possible.
1 – Check the road to the right.
2 – Check the road opposite.
3 – Check the road to the left.
You will need to make these checks at least twice and may have to repeat them several times. You are checking right and left for traffic or pedestrians who might be crossing the main road. You need to check the road oppsotie for vehicles that might turn in front of you.
When there is a suitable gap in the traffic on the main road, make a final check at the road opposite. Drivers coming towards you will often give way to you when you are turning left or going straight ahead, but there are no rules that say they have to do this if they have started to turn and have entered the main road before you start to move.
After turning, check you rmirrors to make sure that it is safe to increase your speed when turning left from a main road to a side road.
At crossroads, you will again use the 1, 2, 3 observation method. Start this early by scanning the road ahead as you approach. Remember you might need to check each road several times.
1 – Check the road ahead for anyone who might try to turn in front of you, although they should give way, some drivers take dangerous risks.
2 – Check the road to your right. Will anyone pull out in front of you. This is always an important check, but ebcomes even more important at unmarked crossroads where there is no defined priority. Drivers from the side road may think they are on the main road, especially if they are not from the local area.
3 – Check the road that you are turning into to make sure that it is clear and that there are no pedestrians.
After turning, check your mirrors to make sure that it is safe to increase your speed occasionally You will encounter a crossroad type junction where there are more roads coming together. These are usually controlled by traffic lights, but not always. In these situations instead of counting to three, simply count up to four or five to make sure that you check every road.
The key points are:
– Use your Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre routine on the approach to the crossroad.
– At crossroads, there will be at least one extra road to check.
– Use the 1, 2, 3 method to help you to remember to check each road.
– When emerging left, traffic opposite might not give way to you.
– There could be a higher risk of pedestrians crossing the road, be prepared to give way to pedestrians who were crossing the road that you were turning into.
– When turning left from a main road to a side road, be especially careful at unmarked junctions.”
