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DorWey Driving School  - Meeting Traffic

Dealing with the problems of meeting traffic in narrow roads is one of the more subtle aspects of driving. To carry it out successfully you will need to apply anticipation, timing, good positioning, common sense, psychology, good manners and safe speeds!

Meeting traffic in congested and busy environments can be difficult to read and understand. So all the more reason to be travelling at a safe speed, holding  back and giving yourself time to analyse the problems.

Anticipation, Timing, Good Positioning, Common Sense, Psychology, Good Manners and Safe Speeds!

The main thing is to look and anticipate!

Considering that we are dealing with other human beings, rather than robots, anticipating every eventuality may sometimes be impossible but we should try to do our level best. Anticipating problems and adjusting your position and speed will make your driving safer, more relaxed and more pleasurable. The more you practice these skills the easier it will become. When you look around don't focus on the first problem that you observe Make a note of it but quickly scan for other hazards, cataloguing and prioritising as you do so and not forgetting your mirrors.

As you drive down the road look ahead for problems in the far distance, middle distance and close too. Spotting problems early enough may enable you to slow down without having to stop. If you do have to stop you will be able to pick a safe place, out of the way and well away from the action. As you slow or stop you may see the problem resolving itself before you even get there, allowing you to pick the speed up again. This is obviously far better than arriving too quickly, having to definitely stop and possibly becoming part of the problem.

Turning Out From Behind Parked Vehicles and Obstructions

Turning out involves moving the car safely from your normal driving line and around obstructions such as parked vehicles.

If the meeting traffic situation involves parked vehicles or obstructions on your side of the road don't get too close to them, unless you have to. Getting too close to parked vehicles can cause all kinds of unnecessary problems.

Listed below are some of the problems associated with a late turn out from behind vehicles parked on your side of the road. A late turn out will require more steering and faster steering. A late turn out may create a danger of hitting the rear corner of the parked vehicle. If you are moving around a large vehicle, like a bus, a late turn out will mean that you won't be able to see around it and judge whether it is safe to continue. If you have to stop, a late turn out may cause following drivers to think that you are parked behind the stationary vehicle. This may encourage them to overtake you, leaving you locked into the side of the road as more and more following vehicles move around you. A late turn out will not give adequate warning to approaching drivers that they may need to move over to accommodate you. A late turn out may not give following drivers enough warning that there are problems ahead. A late turn out will make it harder to judge whether or not you have enough space to go through a narrower gap. If safe you should move out a little, early on the approach, so that you can eyeball the gap. If you then assess that there is not enough room you can always dip back out of the way again before you cause a problem to approaching traffic. In the picture the red and black cars are parked and the blue lorry is approaching.     In the picture on the left the green car has stopped in a good position and just before the driver stopped he/she applied a little right steering to aid the exit and inform others of their intentions. The driver is also considering a right signal to warn the driver of the yellow car not to overtake. In the picture on the right the driver made a late and poor decision and is about suffer the consequences. Can you see what the problems will be?   All in all I am sure that you will agree that in most cases there is not much to recommend a late turn out!!

NB. A late turn out may be necessary if there are vehicles or obstructions parked on the other side of the road. If this means that approaching vehicles are also having to move towards the centre, then a late turn out from both directions may be required to avoid a collision. (See diagram below)

A late turn out may also be necessary if you are having to move forwards to allow following vehicles to tuck in behind you - see the picture below.

 

In the picture the four cars nearest the kerb are parked

A late turn out may be necessary if you are approaching a right-hand bend with vehicles parked on the left (see the 'Bends' diagram below).

Driving is a dynamic and complicated business so in some circumstances a late turn out may be necessary. You are the driver. You must plan ahead and make decisions. If there is no immediate or easy solution then slow down, take your time and consider where the best place is to position your vehicle.

Holding back

If there are vehicles parked on the other side of the road and you are having to hold back to allow approaching vehicles to come through on your side - then do hold well back. If you keep moving forwards you will close their exit down. This will cause them to slow down to avoid hitting you. Hold back and they will most likely come through quickly and get out of your way sooner, rather than later!

In this situation don't be tempted to move into small gaps  between the parked vehicles (XXXX in diagram). It will be a difficult position to extract yourself from and probably unnecessary! Use the advice mentioned above and hold well back. Once the advancing vehicles can get past the parked vehicles on their side they can move back over and out of your way.

Helpful Hints and Tips

Don't travel too fast! Meeting Traffic situations can be very difficult to understand and our ways of communicating with other road users are very limited! You must accept that other people will make mistakes and you may make mistakes so maintain your separation distances, keep speeds low and don't be afraid to stop when necessary! It is likely that there will be pedestrians and cyclists in the mix, behaving very unpredictably and being very close to your vehicle! Your vehicle will, on average,  weigh in at about one tonne; you must consider the consequences of getting it wrong!

Anticipate and keep your speeds at a safe and sensible level - and be prepared to stop!

If vehicles are parked close together you should  think about the possibility of children dashing out from between them. You may not be able to see a small child until it is actually out in the road in front of you. Will you have enough time and space to be able to react and stop without hitting them? (Hint, look for legs behind cars. Look for groups of children playing; ice cream vans, bouncing balls, children on bicycles and anything else that may be a clue to imminent danger.)

If you have just turned into a road consider for the first moments that you are a 'guest' in that road. In most cases it will be for you to fit into what others are doing. Be prepared to hold back and look out for pedestrians crossing the road. Look at the diagram below.

The L driver turning left is keeping tucked into the left so he/she can see up the road before fully entering.

 The driver turning right has deliberately gone past the normal turning point so she/he can look into the road before carrying out the turn.   

By doing this both drivers have been able to stop in a safe position where they are not adversely affecting the driver coming towards them down the minor road.

If you see that a driver facing you, further down the road, has been waiting for a long time as vehicles go through, then you should consider holding back to allow them the opportunity to move forwards. This is especially true if there is a large gap between you and the vehicle you are following. (It is always a good idea to consider how you would feel if you were in the other car.) 

If drivers do hold back for you don't forget to give a 'thank you salute' by raising the palm of your left hand but keeping your thumb crooked around the steering wheel. (A right hand salute may not be seen because of the window frame.)

If vehicles are parked both sides of the road and another vehicle is coming towards you, also occupying the centre of the road, then neither of you has the priority. Therefore look for passing places on both sides of the road. Ideally choose one that is equal distance between the two of you. Local knowledge is important here. Try to remember where any junctions are located because these will probably offer areas in which to pass.

If it is a 50-50 situation, where there is no apparent priority - why not hold back? If you carry on moving forwards you just may dig yourself into a hole which could require a lot of tricky manoeuvring - including reversing - to get out of!  

If you are in a 'meeting traffic' situation and you are travelling down a hill it is considered good driving etiquette to give way to the vehicle coming up the hill - especially if it is large vehicle such as a bus or lorry.

Try to time your arrival so that you don't actually have to stop. Slow down well back - let the problem clear itself - and then (if safe) pick up speed again.

Look out for 'body language'. If you see a driver coming towards you - in a meeting traffic situation - dipping slightly over to their left, this may well be an invitation for you to go forwards. You too can use this 'body-language' method of signalling. If you wish to invite approaching drivers through, do a deliberate and noticeable shift to your left but before you do so make sure that you can definitely get out of their way and check your nearside door mirror for cyclists etc. If you feel that a signal to the left will help, then apply it but don't leave it running too long otherwise following drivers may think that you are parking and try to overtake you.

When you stop make sure you adjust the steering to the right, just before you do stop. If you stop with the front of the car very slightly angled to the right and wheels pointing to the right, not only will following drivers be able to anticipate that you are just waiting - rather than parked - but your exit will be easier. Keep your eye on the mirrors. If it looks like a following driver is making moves to overtake you - a brief signal right should clarify the situation. Once it is clear, and before you move forwards again, check your mirrors and blind spots. Think especially about pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists squeezing through!

Bends.

When approaching parked vehicles located on a right-hand bend - keep over to the left as long as possible so that you can see further round the bend and then if anything comes towards you, you will not be in the way.

When approaching parked vehicles located on a left-hand bend - keep over to the right a little, so that you can see further round the bend, you can always dip back over to the left if necessary. 

    In the pictures the black silhouetted car is in the wrong position with poor views giving little advance information.

Remember the closer that you get to other vehicles - the slower you should be going! If it is looking even the slightest bit dangerous or damaging, then - STOP THE CAR! It is that simple.

Finally, remember that there are many grey areas in driving and as a driver you will have to anticipate and adapt. Use the advice given above but consider other factors. For example, if you are going to wait behind parked vehicles for other vehicles to come towards you and there is a junction on your left, where will you wait? If it can be avoided you don't want to block the junction. If the oncoming vehicles intend turning into that junction they may not be able to clear the road because you will be in the way! This is the kind of impasse that intelligent forward planning will help you avoid.

You will come across many other situations which will demand some thought and adjustment of speed and position to meet the circumstances.

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