A dual carriageway question for you ...

[mjr]

Neither. Exit the side road as in A, so a car turning right at short notice won't strand you mid-carriageway, then move to B to wait to turn into the carriageway, so you don't obstruct those turning in.

There are some of those near the east end of the A17 and that's how they work most of the time.

 

[steve292]

A is how I was taught 32 years ago. You should always cross offside to offside( drivers side) same as you would on any junction not specifically marked otherwise.

 

[Old jon]

A. as ^^ but longer ago than 32 years

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks for your replies. I agree that it seems a badly designed junction and is 'an accident waiting to happen'.

The reason that I asked the question is because my niece has just failed her driving test for the second time at that junction. It is at the end of the road from the test centre in Leighton Buzzard so examiners tend to take the test drive out that way. My niece had gone out that way many times with her instructor who had told her that she should use method B. This would allow drivers turning off the main road to proceed without being held up by her vehicle. My niece queried the advice, saying that there were no signs or road markings to suggest that, it was counter-intuitive, and her car and cars turning the other way would block each other's view of oncoming traffic. @Brandane gives the most obvious reason why B is wrong - because long vehicles couldn't go that way. It is clearly wrong that some vehicles should use one approach and others the alternative.

My niece took to driving very easily. She was very upset to fail the first test. She got only 2 minors. Her 1 major was that she was said to have incorrectly positioned her car on the right turn. She used method B, as taught by her instructor. Wrong! She should have used method A... She told the examiner that she had been taught B. No, no, no - it has to be A!

So, another test booked. Test #2 was with a different examiner. Out by the same junction using the correct method, A. My niece was confident that she had passed. Result - no minors, but failed on one major - incorrect positioning at junction. She should have used method B!!!

When told about the previous test, examiner #2 simply told her that it didn't matter what other examiners said. He was failing her and that was all that mattered.

It appears that there is a serious problem with driving tests in Leighton Buzzard. The test drive will usually go out by that junction. If you guess which way to position your car, you will guess wrong. If you ask the examiner which method they prefer, undoubtably they would see that as a sign that you didn't know what you were doing!

My niece refuses to take another test there, so is considering booking a further test somewhere else.

What a damn farce!

 

[Slick]

Thanks for your replies. I agree that it seems a badly designed junction and is 'an accident waiting to happen'.

The reason that I asked the question is because my niece has just failed her driving test for the second time at that junction. It is at the end of the road from the test centre in Leighton Buzzard so examiners tend to take the test drive out that way. My niece had gone out that way many times with her instructor who had told her that she should use method B. This would allow drivers turning off the main road to proceed without being held up by her vehicle. My niece queried the advice, saying that there were no signs or road markings to suggest that, it was counter-intuitive, and her car and cars turning the other way would block each other's view of oncoming traffic. @Brandane gives the most obvious reason why B is wrong - because long vehicles couldn't go that way. It is clearly wrong that some vehicles should use one approach and others the alternative.

My niece took to driving very easily. She was very upset to fail the first test. She got only 2 minors. Her 1 major was that she was said to have incorrectly positioned her car on the right turn. She used method B, as taught by her instructor. Wrong! She should have used method A... She told the examiner that she had been taught B. No, no, no - it has to be A!

So, another test booked. Test #2 was with a different examiner. Out by the same junction using the correct method, A. My niece was confident that she had passed. Result - no minors, but failed on one major - incorrect positioning at junction. She should have used method B!!!

When told about the previous test, examiner #2 simply told her that it didn't matter what other examiners said. He was failing her and that was all that mattered.

It appears that there is a serious problem with driving tests in Leighton Buzzard. The test drive will usually go out by that junction. If you guess which way to position your car, you will guess wrong. If you ask the examiner which method they prefer, undoubtably they would see that as a sign that you didn't know what you were doing!

My niece refuses to take another test there, so is considering booking a further test somewhere else.

What a damn farce!

If she kept all the paperwork, she could appeal.

 

[furball]

I cross a similar junction daily.
A is the option that puts the drivers in the optimal positions to enable them to see the line of traffic they are aiming to cross.
There is always a numpty who will pull out of the side road and sits in the space where vehicles turning off the main road need to be.

 

[Brandane]

What a damn farce!

Yes, they can be something of a lottery and down to individual examiner's interpretation, which can't be right. Here is my expensive tale of woe.

 

[ColinJ]

If she kept all the paperwork, she could appeal.

Yes, she will appeal but apparently test judgements are never reversed. All she can hope for is to get her next test free.

Yes, they can be something of a lottery and down to individual examiner's interpretation, which can't be right. Here is my expensive tale of woe.

Ouch. I missed that post at the time. Another farcical result!

 

[Slick]

Yes, she will appeal but apparently test judgements are never reversed. All she can hope for is to get her next test free.


Ouch. I missed that post at the time. Another farcical result!

It must be one or the other, although exact position is just he said she said. I wish her luck with her appeal.

 

[toffee]

This is how Milton Keynes has dealt with some of these

 

[Drago]

I'd choose whichever position gives me the greatest visibility, and the best chance to swiftly and efficiently establish myself on the new road, and anything else be damned.

 

[bpsmith]

Most of the time there are signs stating no U turns, so you’d then either do it illegally or keep driving in the opposite direction.

 

[Slick]

Most of the time there are signs stating no U turns, so you’d then either do it illegally or keep driving in the opposite direction.

Not all the time. A common enough tactic employed by an lgv driver.

 

[bpsmith]

Not all the time. A common enough tactic employed by an lgv driver.

Absolutely. Just speaking from experience of my local area only. There’s either no U turn signs or they have slowly filled in many of the crossing points and forced local drivers to continue on B roads to get to the diminished number of crossings.

 

[ColinJ]

This is how Milton Keynes has dealt with some of these View attachment 392505

That makes sense. It is clear who can do what.

I'd choose whichever position gives me the greatest visibility, and the best chance to swiftly and efficiently establish myself on the new road, and anything else be damned.

That's ok once you have passed the test, but when an examiner can fail you for doing exactly that (and what another examiner insisted that you should do) then you can't do that ...

I'm just amazed that it is down to a matter of personal interpretation by examiners. I thought that there would be a very rigid set of rules for them to enforce.

I would love to know just how many people are failing tests there purely on which side of the refuge between the 2 carriageways they choose to use. There ought to be some mechanism to oblige examiners to stick to one approach.