Neil Brown Driving Tuition
Emerging Left
When emerging from a T junction, you should use the MSPSGL routine to approach the junction safely. You should assess where the junction is and whether it is open or closed (see open and closed junctions).
Check your mirrors to assess the speed and distance of any following traffic. As you are about to emerge to the left, you should look in your main (interior) mirror and then your left door mirror.
As you are emerging from one road into a new road a signal is needed and should be used in plenty of time. Be careful not to confuse other road users by signalling to early.
Normally, you won't have to change your position when emerging to the left.
You will need to reduce your speed, to a safe speed to allow you to decide if it is safe to emerge from the junction. If you decided that the junction is closed (closed junctions are more common) you will need to slow your car down more, slow down to about 5mph or less, if you are still unable to decide if it safe to emerge you might need to stop completely. If you decided that the junction is open (open junctions are less common) and you can see that it is safe to emerge from the junction, you should be able to approach at a higher speed, possibly about 12 to 15mph.
After changing your speed, decide which gear will match this speed. For example, if you have reduced your speed from 30mph to 15mph you will need 2nd gear, if you have reduced your speed from 30mph to 5mph or less you will need 1st gear.
As you are emerging from one road and joining a new road, you must keep looking for any other road users that are already on that road. Remember some road users may be smaller and harder to see (such as bicycles or motorbikes) meaning you must make effective observations in plenty of time.
LADA stands for Look, Assess, Decide and Act. This will help you emerge safely at the junction, you must Look for other road users, Assess their speed and position, Decide if it is safe to emerge from the junction and then Act on this information.
