Driving Lesson - Meeting Traffic

Passing stationary hazard with approaching vehicles

Parked vehicle on one side

• Check mirrors
• Assess priority
• Plan early for position and speed

• Can maintain safety line - 1M from parked vehicle
  • Maintain speed

• Unable to maintain safety line – but enough room to get past
  • Slow down
    • "Reduce the Gap – Reduce the Speed"
    • More time to react to: Pedestrians, Car doors

• Not enough room to safely pass parked vehicle
  • Slow down (Be prepared to stop)
    • Adjust speed to avoid both vehicles meeting

Parked vehicles on both sides

• No one has priority
  • Adjust speed to avoid both vehicles meeting
  • Assess speed and position of other vehicle
  • Proceed with caution
• Can be advantageous to give way

Stopping – Hold Back Position

• 2 Car lengths behind obstruction
  • Any closer
    • Lose vision
    • Hard to steer round obstruction
  • Any further away
    • Other vehicles will not be aware of your intentions
      • May move in front of you
• As close to centre line as possible
  • Don't block route of approaching vehicles
    • Increases line of vision
    • Easier to steer round obstruction
    • Shows your intentions to other road users

Overtaking Multiple Obstructions

• Assess situation carefully
  • No one has priority
  • Places to stop (both you and other vehicles)
  • Other vehicles intentions
  • Avoid head to head situations
    • Can be advantageous to give way

Flashing Headlights

• If somebody flashes to you
  • Ensure any signal is meant for you
  • Check it is safe to go
• DO NOT flash instructions to other road users

Tags: Driving Lesson - Meeting Traffic