Junction Observation - A Major Fault

A new month begins today, and there is no better way to start a month besides fresh tips and statistics. Today it's Phill Godridge's turn to teach us something new.

How to Pass the UK Driving Test - Observation at Junctions

Act properly at road junctions with regard to observation

Last a total of 155,805 UK driving tests were failed simply due to lack of observation at junctions. To put it another way 14.27% of all candidates failed because of this fault. That is a staggering 1 in 7!

So what happened?

The driving test explanation report states: "You should be able to judge the correct speed of approach so that you can enter a junction safely and stop if necessary. Position your vehicle correctly. Use the correct lane. If you are turning right, keep as near to the centre of the road as is safe. Avoid cutting the corner when turning right. If turning left, keep over to the left and do not swing out. Watch out for cyclists and motorcyclists coming up on your left and pedestrians who are crossing. You must take effective observation before moving into a junction and make sure it is safe before proceeding."

The above statement is of course true, and any candidate driving correctly throughout the test will have passed. But this report is concerned with what can and does go wrong all too often.

The main reason why candidates fail due to an observation fault can be summed up in just one word - Familiarity. This can mean either lack of familiarity with a particular junction or more commonly, over-familiarity. If you get used to a junction being clear, you may find that you don't check as often as you should. You can almost guarantee there will be a car approaching when you didn't look. By the time you do see it, it's too late and the fault is already committed.

Another very common situation can be found where cars are parked near to the junction. As you approach the junction you can't see, but all too often the thought is 'I can't see any cars coming, so I'll go'. Ask yourself this: If there was a car coming, would you be able to see it anyway? If you can't see a clear road, you can't go yet.

To correct this fault and remain safe, you must be able to see a clear road to drive into before proceeding. No guesswork. No assumptions. Just facts. If you can't see from where you are, edge forwards slowly until you can see. Wait until you are sure it is safe to proceed, then you can go.

In more unusual cases the road layout may be a bit confusing. One of the roads in my local area fits this description. As you look down the road it appears to head toward a set of traffic lights, but on closer inspection, there is a give way line some sixty metres before the lights as the through road curves in from the right and up to the lights. You are in fact in the side-street and need to yield. Although I deliberately take all of my pupils to this junction for the experience, a couple of them have still been caught out due to bad weather conditions or lack of concentration.

For example, as one pupil headed toward these lights waiting for a direction to be given, the examiner had to apply the brakes in time to stop before the give way line. The result is a failure due to lack of observation, in that case the candidate had not even seen the junction, let alone checked to see if it was clear to proceed. That particular pupil even told me he thought it was unfair to fail him for that, as it was raining and a puddle had covered the road markings! Needless to say, that argument didn't get him very far.

There was a road sign on the left that was not covered by a puddle warning of a give way junction ahead and the basic result could have been very dangerous if the examiner hadn't applied the brakes. There was after all a junction there, he just hadn't seen it. I pointed out that in real life, in his own car, he may have crashed. He got my point.

The only method I know to avoid this kind of error is to take each road in hundred metre stretches. Look down the length of the road and assess the possible hazards. Look at, and take notice of all the road signs, they are there to help. And if in doubt about what lies ahead, ease off your speed and have a better look. I don't know of any failure due to 'excessive' observation at junctions.

The third main cause of this fault is simply bad judgement. To be able to join a roundabout safely without stopping every time takes more than just the knowledge of how a roundabout works. It takes experience and good judgement of the speed and distance of other vehicles. This comes with time and practice. There is no quick fix here.

In simple terms, if you are having trouble assessing spaces on roundabouts; stopping when the junction is clear, or being stopped by your instructor because the approaching car was too close, then you are not ready for a driving test. But the problem is that too many candidates fail the driving test because they are not ready to take it yet. They apply too early without spending enough time practicing and gaining the experience.

I am sure there will be a lot of people who think I'm only saying this to get more money out of the pupil for the extra lessons. But 155805 candidates failed for this fault last year. Were they ready? There is no substitute for actual driving experience. With experience comes judgement, and a higher chance of passing.

Aside from running his driving school in Coventry for the last 14 years, Phill also has a lot of fun with his underwater digital camera. Everyone needs a hobby.

Source: EzineArticles.com.

Hope you learned something valuable.

Have a great March!
Nadav

nadavs