Automatic Driving Lessons Raheny- Turning Left T Junction
Welcome back to our Learner Driver Classroom. I hope you liked the previous 2 videos and they are only going to get better from here. In our first video, we talked about turning left from a major onto a minor road. In our second video we explained turning right from a major road onto a minor road. These can be challenging, so be patient with yourself and take notes from the previous videos and try to implement the steps.
In our next video, we explain turning left at a T junction. As always, we use MSPSL on approach. The main difference here when we get to the junction is the observation. When we get to the junction this is when we need to look right and left. We do this because the traffic on the road we want to join has right of way. If we look to the right and we see another road user, we must stop!
There is two types of T junction.
- Open junction
- Closed junction
The term “open junction” is used to describe a junction when we can see right and left on approach. It wouldn’t happen too often, especially in built up areas and it is when there would be a small green area or field on both sides of the road. This makes it really easy for us to see right and left long before we reach the junction. If we know the way the clear, we are ok to continue on slowly, in 2nd gear after looking right and left.
A closed junction is what we normally see in built up areas and housing estates. What we mean by the term closed junctions is that visibility is poor and we can not see left or right on approach. In this scenario we have to be very cautious when we try to join the new road. I explain in the video below how to do this. If we approach a closed junction, we don’t want to fly out here in 2nd gear. It is too fast and if you see a car at the last moment, its a very abrupt stop. In the way I explain on the video is that we control the speed of the car with the brake, if, when we get to the top of the road we still cant see, we clutch in, position the car around the bend into the left, roll the car into first gear as we look right and left and if it is safe to do so, only then can we continue on. If we see a car coming, its really easy all you have to do is press harder on the brake. It is very hard to explain in words so watch the video below.
Another big difference with approaching T junctions compared to standard right and left turns is road markings and road signs. When we reach the junction there could be a stop sign, a yield sign or no sign. There could also be road markings such as a stop line, a broken white line for a yield line or no road markings at all. This can get very confusing. There could be a stop sign with no line or there could be a stop line with no sign so learning your road markings is very important. You could also see the new speed limit sign for the new road you will be joining. ( I usually cover this in EDT 4)
So that’s it. watch the video above a few times and visualize yourself doing it even before you start driving. It can be tricky at first dropping the car into first but once you get the hang of it, it will be easy.
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Many thanks
Anthony Doran
