When I was learning to drive I was taught that that when turning right at, say, crossroads, that when there are cars turning from the opposite direction vehicles should always pass offside to offside, not offside to nearside.
This rule ensures that that forward visibility is maintained so that vehicles approaching the junction are not masked.
In our town there are several traffic light controlled X roads where the lane markings clearly indicate that turning vehicles should line up and pass each other nearside to offside.
This, I think, is potentially dangerous as approaching vehicles driving straight on are hidden by the vehicles ahead waiting to turn across one's own car.
What is the reason for this practice and what do other drivers here think?
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I don't find it a problem, I look under the vehicles blocking my view, or use shop windows or shadows and always lots of caution. Its always the one you don't see that catches you out. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 12 Aug 12 at 09:05
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I think that there are too many that's, and that just ain't right for the chap that's nominated himself as Chief Pedant of the forum. That's it, really; rant over.
;-) X 10
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I was taught the same, but a heck of a lot of people do otherwise where no sign exists to tell you to do otherwise.
While roadmarkings may be 'wrong', the fact so many road users do it anyway means the manouver has to be carried out with a high degree of caution.
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>> not offside to nearside.
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How would you manage to do that - by reversing round the corner? :)
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It's fine if there's only one car turning each way, as was presumably the case in the 1930s or whenever the rule was defined (and Roger was taught }:---) ). But picture it with a queue of vehicles in each direction, as there invariably is in modern traffic, and nearside-to-nearside is the only workable method.
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It really depends on the shape of the junction.
Most junctions don't have very specific road markings. My experience is that in this part of the country, and in London, drivers usually just know when nearside-to-nearside is appropriate. It nearly always is.
What makes me laugh is those citizens who try to do the right thing at mini-roundabouts, where the legal trajectory is quite often simply stupid and impossible. I just ignore the damn things, but keep a weather eye open for sheep who are going to get in the way.
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>> But picture it with a queue of vehicles in each direction, as there invariably is
>> in modern traffic, and nearside-to-nearside is the only workable method.
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Isn't it your offside to their nearside (or your left hand side to their right hand side)?
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OK snail I will bite.
The left side of the car is the nearside and the right side is the off side. As viewed from the drivers seat.
With the caveat of in the UK. I have not heard these terms used elsewhere.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 12 Aug 12 at 15:07
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Well spotted Old Navy. I got my nearsides and my offsides mixed up.
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As a navy man - surely you mean that the port side is the nearside and the starboard is the offside......
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>>your left hand side to their right
>> hand side
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You would be facing in the same direction if that were true - as when two cars park side by side.
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I was taught the same but with one change.
You turn right off-side to off-side except where road markings indicate otherwise.
On a busy junction offside to offside is impossible as there is a queue turning right at each side.
I was also taught that the best course of action at a quiet junction is to let the guy waiting to turn go before you get there avoiding the issue.
Last edited by: IJWS14 on Tue 14 Aug 12 at 09:32
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I remember whilst having driving lessons (which were taken on the outskirts of Manchester) I drove my father to the south of England. Upon return the instructor asked whether I had noticed the north-south divide of offside-to-offside v/s nearside-to-nearside.
I hadn't. I didn't. I'm not sure he was right. Maybe he used to be. But anyway, I'm adding this to the thread just in case it jogs somebody's memory.
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My mother who learned in sixties remembers the o/s to o/s principle. Driving school only insisted with other cars from same school (BSM); otherwise observe and avoid.
We have such junctions here in Northampton but usually associated with filtering traffic lights for at least part of sequence.
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This was c1990. and I've no idea whether the o-to-o or the n-to-n was supposed to be North or South. Maybe he hadn't been to the south for thirty years...
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The nearside to nearside, IIRC, was known as 'The Manchester Turn '
You won't see many offside turns around here.
Ted
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As with most driving matters the two watch words are 'common' and 'sense'.
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>>the two watch words are 'common' and 'sense'.
And the third word [sic] is "assume the other guy hasn't got any".
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When I learned to drive there were hardly any road markings at all, apart from dotted lines, so now most road markings seem odd to me!
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Odd road markings? - Old Navy
