Turning Right at Junctions

You are driving on the main road and you wish to turn right into a minor road. You would need to identify the junction first so look out for junction signs, gaps in between buildings, give way lines, street lights in the new road and vehicles turning in the road and then once you’ve identified the road it’s a good idea to follow the MSPSL method.

Mirrors. Check the interior mirror to see the speed and position of the vehicles behind you and then check the right door mirror. Here you are checking the right door mirror to see if anyone is trying to overtake you. If it’s clear and no one is trying to overtake you then it’s safe for you to signal.

Signal. You would want to signal right around seven car lengths before the junction. Signalling too early before the turn may make other road users think that you are planning on pulling up on the right and signalling too late will not give enough time for everyone to react. Once you’ve given a correct signal it is time to move into position.

Position. For the position to turn right it is usually best to be closer to the centre white lines if possible. Try to avoid going over the centre white lines as you do not want to affect the oncoming traffic. Once you have the correct position its time to adjust the speed.

Speed. Your speed will vary according to the situation. If there is no oncoming traffic coming your way then you should be able to turn without stopping and second gear is usually the preferred choice for most vehicles. If there is an oncoming vehicle coming and you will meet at the same time then it’s their priority so you’ll need to stop. Ensure when you do stop that the nose of your vehicle is in line with the centre lines of the road you wish to turn in to. When you do stop you’ll need to change down to first gear as you’ll have stopped.

Look. Look ahead and look into the new road and once it is safe you can turn. When you make your turn you’ll need to straighten up and then you should check the interior mirror and the right door mirror and if there is no one trying to overtake you can accelerate to a safe speed.