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IV30 5GP
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Exercise 7
This is an exercise which can be given in either phase 1 or phase 2. We will first of all deal with it in phase 1 but before doing so I would like to mention how this exercise and exercise 9 (Approaching road junctions, turning left and right from minor roads into major roads.) will vary in the way you will teach them in the part 3 examination from the way you will teach them to a real pupil. In the part 3 examination you will not be choosing the route, the examiner will be doing that so you will have to cope with both right and left turns immediately. The examiner will be concerned mainly with the exercise he has given you. That is, if you have been asked to teach turning from major to minor then he will not expect you to teach emerging. However if he commits faults he will expect to be corrected. Conversely if you have been asked to teach emerging he will not expect you to teach him how to negotiate corners turning right and left from major roads into minor roads. With a real pupil you would of course give both briefings simultaneously. After giving a demonstration of both exercises to both the left and right you would let your pupil practice. During the practice the route would be suitable for the pupil's ability and may be restricted to left turns for a while until the pupil's ability improved.
The examiner will introduce the exercise similar to the following, "I would like you to imagine I have been having driving lessons in a car like this so I am conversant with the controls. This week my instructor was going to teach me how to approach road junctions, that is turning left and right from major roads into minor roads. Will you teach me that as if I have never had it explained to me before and if I have any faults in my driving will you correct them?"
Firstly, after making the usual introduction, you will have to gain a measure of his previous experience by asking a few questions such as: Have you driven in light traffic before? You must have negotiated some corners during your lessons, has your instructor talked you through them? Are you familiar with the MSM procedure? From the answers you receive you will form a mental picture of his ability, when he begins to drive you will form a better picture and you can adjust the level of your instruction accordingly.
Your objective is to outline briefly a procedure which will be suitable to follow for any corner he is likely to negotiate. As you know drivers have to weigh up every corner, taking into account the gradients, visibility, sharpness and traffic conditions both vehicular and pedestrian. You will develop the pupil's judgement as he gains practical experience so do not try to give too much information which will be time consuming and probably boring. You will need a diagram as a training aid.
Begin by drawing the pupil's attention to the car on the approach to the left turn and say. I would like you to imagine we are driving this car and it is our intention to turn left. The first thing is to try and assess the corner, is it sharp, is it narrow, is it busy. You may not be able to answer all those questions until you are nearer and able to get more information. Two things are certain we shall have to reduce speed and change direction so we use the MSM procedure. Check all three mirrors, if it is safe signal your intention to turn left. Next comes position. What we mean by position is placing the car two to three feet from the kerb and maintaining that position all the way up to the corner and around the corner. There must be no swinging wide either before or after the corner, that could be dangerous. Once we are in position we then deal with the speed and look. From here to the corner we are making a continuous assessment and reducing speed to suit the circumstances so that we can comfortably turn the steering and maintain the correct course. After we have adjusted the speed correctly we will then know which will be the correct gear to use and we shall change directly into it. For most corners we will probably use second gear but there will be occasions when we shall use perhaps third or first depending on the circumstances. I will be helping you to make the correct choice in the early stages. Having engaged the correct gear we will then return both hands to the steering wheel. We checked the mirrors before we signalled and reduced speed, we must now check them again before we change direction. pay special attention to the nearside mirror because we do not wish to trap anyone between the car and the kerb. As soon as your front wheels have passed the first curved kerbstone, (that is when the windscreen pillar is level with it), apply the steering keeping close to the kerb. Once you are round the corner straighten up, check the mirrors and if safe, accelerate away. Invite and deal with questions on the left turn.
Next deal with the right turn. Begin by saying now we are driving this car and it is our intention to turn right into this side road on the right. As before we try to make an early assessment of the junction then check the mirrors. If safe to signal, give the signal and if safe take up a position just left of the centre of the road. Once you are in position you must maintain it, because vehicles can pass on your nearside. If you were to wander over the centre of the road you could come into contact with oncoming vehicles. Now comes the speed and look. Look not only at the junction but also for oncoming traffic beyond the junction. If any vehicles are approaching from the opposite direction, try and adjust your speed so that you will arrive at the junction after they have passed through. Once you have adjusted the speed correctly, select the appropriate gear and return your hand to the steering wheel. Make your final checks before turning, look at the road ahead, look into the side road and finally in the mirrors, having particular regard for the offside mirror. When it is safe, begin to steer into the new road keeping to your own side. Do not begin to turn until the front of your car is level with the centre of the road you are entering.
You will not always be able to adjust your speed so that you arrive at the junction after all the oncoming traffic has passed through. If that is the case then you must never turn across the path of a closely approaching vehicle if it would cause the driver to reduce speed or swerve. In those circumstances you must wait until it is safe. Remember if an oncoming vehicle is less than four or five seconds away from the junction there will not be sufficient time for you to complete the turn safely, so wait. Finally if pedestrians are crossing the mouth of the road you are entering, whether it be left or right, you must give way to them. Invite and deal with any questions. You can now ask him to prepare for moving off.
The examiner will tell you which direction he wants you to instruct him to turn. When you receive the instruction you check the dual mirror before you repeat the instruction to him. In this way you will know what he is about to see when he checks his mirrors. Keeping your eyes on both the pupil and the road ahead, repeat the instruction to turn and begin your talk through. Help him to cultivate good judgement by giving reasons for the various actions which may break the MSM sequence. For example, if you are approaching a right turn and there is an obstruction on the right and taking up the correct position could obstruct oncoming traffic. In these circumstances the pupil will have to delay positioning until he has passed the obstruction, so he may have to reduce speed before positioning. He must be taught to differentiate, because if he was to reduce speed before positioning in a dual carriageway he would find himself in a serious predicament. Signals are another item that sometimes have to be given out of sequence such as when taking the second turning on the left and a driver can be seen to be trying to emerge from the first turning. It is your job to enlighten your pupils and create good judgement and correct attitudes.
As you approach any hazard always maintain a view of both the pupil and the road ahead, only by doing this will you notice any faults which the pupil commits. If you do not see the fault you will have no chance of correcting it. Remember the adage, prevention is better than cure. If your pupil needs assistance do not be backward at coming forward, step in and talk him through. In the early stages, if the pupil is approaching too fast, it is better if you mention the control emphatically such as brake, more brake, rather than saying slow down. As the lesson progresses the pupil will gradually improve and he will need to rely upon you less and less. Maintain your vigilance and allow the pupil to make decisions for himself but never trust them to do things correctly. Step in with help the moment you see a need for it.
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