[Nicky_Byrne_Fan]

Hi guys,

Unfortunately i managed to fail my 3rd driving test today!

The major incident was near the end. I came to this give-way line and had to turn right. The thing is there was loads of parked cars blocking my view - if i'd have moved forward anymore, my front wheels would have been over the give-way line (which i presume woulda been a fail for that). I looked both ways and it was clear, came out and then this car came from nowhere and i went for my breaks, but unfortunately so did the examiner. What would you guys have done at a junction like that?

I am gonna ask my instructor on my next lesson, but just wanted to see if you guys can help.

Thanks for any advice.

[Charmed_Fan_98]

OMG!

I feel your pain, i failed for the exact same reason on my second test [i have my 3rd in two weeks]

from what you have said, that is what i did and what would have done in any situation.

Luck has it that a car comes round the same time you decide to go.
I cant avoid this corner, so hopefully, it does not happen again to me.

But for your question, thats what i do, i cant think of anything to differ

[xDanny]

Peep and creep! That's what you shoulda done

Very slowly moving, looking all the time when coming out.

[newda898]

Surely you'd edge out ever so slowly until you can see that it's clear and then accelerate away?

[Nicky_Byrne_Fan]

It's annoying isn't it!? I'm gonna hate junctions like that because i'm now gonna fear going incase a car suddenly comes round again that i can't see. I'm pretty sure this one was speeding too.

[Nicky_Byrne_Fan]

Originally Posted by newda898

Surely you'd edge out ever so slowly until you can see that it's clear and then accelerate away?

If i'd have edged out any further tho, i would've been over the give-way line - then that woulda been a fail anyway.

[fifilapew]

You should have crept out, driving very slowly using the clutch until you could see if the road was clear, doesn't matter if you went over the give way line.

This is very important in a real life driving situation, as there will be many junctions that have parked cars blocking your view. Creep, creep ,creep!!!

So sorry to hear you failed though Keep at it, you'll get there in the end, in a couple of years you'll be able to come on here and give other learners some advice of your own!

[miafi]

I think its all part of the course of learning to drive. Don't hate junctions just because your view of oncoming traffic is impeded, but edge out and take it slow. You'll know for next time now won't you.

[Nicky_Byrne_Fan]

So if i'd have edged out and was over the give-way line, and saw this car coming and then had to wait for it. Even though i would be blocking traffic on my right, until i'd moved out of the way - that wouldn't have been a fail.

[lordOfTime]

Any oncoming car would be able to anticipate this though, and turn to avoid you keeping at least a 1 metre distance from you. They would treat this as narrow street and lower their speed accordingly.

This should allow you to edge forward slowly but surely until you can check clearly for traffic on both sides, remember Look, Assess, Decide, Act. Don't take the plunge and attempt to leave the junction until you are *sure* traffic is clear.

[Dissonance]

My instructor told me this after I failed a test in similar circumstances - in such a case, speak out loud what you're doing. 'I can't see what's coming because of these parked cars, so I'm going to inch out slowly until I can confirm that the road is clear before continuing.'

[Jimmy Connors]

Originally Posted by lordOfTime

Any oncoming car would be able to anticipate this though, and turn to avoid you keeping at least a 1 metre distance from you. They would treat this as narrow street and lower their speed accordingly.

This should allow you to edge forward slowly but surely until you can check clearly for traffic on both sides, remember Look, Assess, Decide, Act. Don't take the plunge and attempt to leave the junction until you are *sure* traffic is clear.

Sound advice.

You should have crept forward slowly until your view was clear. Oncoming vehicles would have had enough room room to pass (you would not have crept out so much that you would block the road)

[susie-4964]

I agree with the advice given. The give-way line is sort of advisory, i.e. you it's an indicator that you don't have right of way. There's no reason why you can't inch forward carefully across the line until you can see what's coming, but as someone said, it's a great idea to give a commentary on what you're doing, so that the examiner knows you're aware of the problem. Looking at it logically, there's not much else one can do, and obviously charging straight out onto the road without being able to see is NOT the right thing, as the OP has discovered!

[Nicky_Byrne_Fan]

Thanks for all the advice!

Apparently, you can go as far forward as the parked cars are. I.e. - the nose of your car can be in line with the far end of the parked cars.

Can sorta see why now, because any traffic coming from my right is gonna have to drive around the parked cars anyway.

That's right isn't it?

[r_mitchell85]

surely your driving instructor would've taught you to creep forward until you can see it's safe to go??

I don't mean to sound harsh, but surely common sense tells you that its a lot safer than just pulling out blindly?

[CoolboyA]

Sorry to hear you failed again. I guess it feels very annoying that it was such a silly thing...

I got taught that the give way line is advisory in these situations. If you cannot see because of parked cars you creep and peep (and use reflections etc) and the parked cars become your new give way line. However, you do not cross this new give way line until you are 100% sure it is safe to do so.

I had a situation like this on my mock test (coming out junction, still traffic on main road) and all I had to do was creep and peep and use the cars as a new give way line. However, I didn't stop and went stright out. Luckily the oncoming car was a fair bit away, but I still should have stopped. Better to be safe than sorry!

[f_196]

Originally Posted by Dissonance

My instructor told me this after I failed a test in similar circumstances - in such a case, speak out loud what you're doing. 'I can't see what's coming because of these parked cars, so I'm going to inch out slowly until I can confirm that the road is clear before continuing.'

Agree with this. I told my examiner my thought proccess throughout the entire test so she was completely clear why i was acting as i was.

[oldtimer55]

Originally Posted by Nicky_Byrne_Fan

Hi guys,

I looked both ways and it was clear, came out and then this car came from nowhere and i went for my breaks,

This is where you went wrong.You should have stayed in the car.

[Nicky_Byrne_Fan]

Originally Posted by r_mitchell85

surely your driving instructor would've taught you to creep forward until you can see it's safe to go??

I don't mean to sound harsh, but surely common sense tells you that its a lot safer than just pulling out blindly?

Yeah, he has taught me the creeping forward method - but i couldn't remember if i'd ever gone over the give-way line or not.

So i ended up staying behind the give-way line cos i thought going over it was a fail - now i know that i must have gone over it in lessons, as i have been on roads with parked cars on them.

So my mistake was creeping forwards, but not forwards enough

Next time i guess

[Sigurd]

OP, you might want to have a look at the Closed junctions section on this page:

http://www.keithgreen.co.uk/junctions.html

I think that's the sort of situation you're describing, anyway.

You said in your opening post, "I looked both ways and it was clear..." However, from what you say you couldn't actually see if it was clear because you hadn't moved far enough forward; you then moved out and almost caused an accident. Not good. If the car "came from nowhere" that seems to have been just because you hadn't got yourself in a position where you could see it.

Presumably the most important thing that a driving examiner looks for is that the candidate can drive safely and without being a danger to other road users, and unfortunately it seems you failed to show that.

[gemma-the-husky]

a give way line means what it says - just give way. Same way, a stop line means stop - but not forever. If you cant see, you have to ease forward carefully until you can.

its tricky, if you are half way over, waiting to turn into the stream of traffic as you block stuff on your right - ask your instructor whether to do this or not

but note that in a hatched yellow junction (you know, onr that you cant enter unless your exit is clear) - you ARE still allowed in if turning right).

[Hooloovoo]

Originally Posted by gemma-the-husky

its tricky, if you are half way over, waiting to turn into the stream of traffic as you block stuff on your right - ask your instructor whether to do this or not

Blocking stuff to your right means you are failing to give way. That is an offence.

but note that in a hatched yellow junction (you know, onr that you cant enter unless your exit is clear) - you ARE still allowed in if turning right).

Not if your exit isn't clear, even if you ARE turning right.

The only time you're allowed to enter a box junction is if the ONLY thing stopping you from clearing the junction is the opposing flow of traffic, regardless of which way you intend to go.

[stackman]

Thank goodness you failed.

"The car came out of nowhere.."

No it didn't. It came out of the road you were pulling into and you were responible for checking there was nothing coming. If you can't grasp these basics then you shouldn't have been behind the wheel sitting your test.

This is how innocent motorcyclists die.

[Galaxy266]

Originally Posted by oldtimer55

This is where you went wrong.You should have stayed in the car.

:

[nessyfencer]

Originally Posted by Hooloovoo

Not if your exit isn't clear, even if you ARE turning right.

The only time you're allowed to enter a box junction is if the ONLY thing stopping you from clearing the junction is the opposing flow of traffic, regardless of which way you intend to go.

Except that after the event, there's no way of telling whether or not your exit was blocked when you entered the box, or the oncoming traffic has been sufficiently plentiful to block it while you legally entered