A one-way street is a road that only allows vehicles to move in one direction. You may
have to drive on a one-way system on your driving test, and your driving examiner will
be looking to see that you can follow any traffic signs and choose the correct lane.
In this video, we will explain why we have one-way systems, their rules and restrictions
and how to negotiate them. Before we get started, make sure you subscribe to our channel and
click the bell so you are alerted when we upload a new video. Also, we love to read
your comments - so please scroll down and let us know what you think!
One-way roads and systems are in most towns and cities across the United Kingdom, and
you may encounter them on your driving test. One-way systems might seem confusing at first,
but as long as you know the traffic signs that are used then you will be able to drive
them safely. One-way systems are used for lots of different reasons depending on the
town or city they are in. Sometimes they are used if the street is too narrow for traffic
in both directions. In other places, they can be used to increase the flow of traffic,
and reduce congestion. They can even make it easier for pedestrians to cross the street
in busy areas, as they only have to look one way. As seen here in Bury St Edmunds, the
one-way streets help to calm traffic in historic areas of the town.
Knowing the rules and restrictions regarding one-way streets is vital to ensure we drive
them safely. Let’s have a look at the traffic signs we might see:
This sign means 'one-way traffic', and will be used to indicate that we are on a one-way
road. The white arrow will point in the correct direction of travel. These signs will often
be positioned at the entry to the one-way system or road and will also be placed intermittently
along the road as a reminder.
These signs order us to either turn left or turn right. Any traffic joining a one-way
road will see this sign to show the direction they must turn, to ensure they drive along
the one-way road in the correct direction.
This sign warns us that we will be meeting two-way traffic ahead. One-way roads often
end with a junction joining a two-way traffic road. It is important to look out for this
sign, as it shows we have reached the end of the one-way road and will need to join
the two-way traffic beyond the sign safely.
These signs order us not to turn left or right. If we are in a one-way system we might see
one of these signs to ensure we don’t go the wrong way.
This sign is an order, and says ‘no entry’. We will see this sign at the exit of a one-way
road and is there to prevent any vehicles entering the road from the wrong end and driving
against the flow of traffic.
There will often be road markings on one-way roads to help us. These might include lane
markings to show where each lane goes, and also a full width Give Way line at the end
of the road. This is a good reminder that we can use the right lane to turn right, which
will help traffic flow as other traffic can use the left lane to turn left at the same
time.
Sometimes larger one-way roads have multiple lanes, and we will need to choose which lane
to drive in to get to our destination. There will usually be traffic signs and road markings
to help us, and we should get into the correct lane as early as we can. Unlike normal roads,
it is OK to drive in the right lane if we need to - it’s not just for overtaking.
Since other cars could be driving in another lane alongside us, we must always use the
MSM routine to change lanes safely.
Some one-way streets have contraflow lanes. This is where bicycles or buses have a separate
lane that travels in the opposite direction to the general traffic on a one-way street.
The benefit of this is that it can shorten travel times for the buses or cyclists that
use the contraflow lane - as they might find navigating a large one-way system difficult
or time-consuming. This narrow street has a cycle contraflow, and we must look out for
oncoming cyclists and give them space.
Imagine your sat-nav says “take the second road on the left’. We should be aware that
the sat-nav takes into consideration if there are one-way roads on your route. There are
5 one-way roads on the left along this street, but three of them are No Entry from this end
- leaving two that we can enter from our road. The Sat-Nav has directed us to the second
road on the left as it knows we cannot take the other three. In this instance the Sat-Nav
is correct - but be mindful that the map it has may be out of date if the road system
has been changed recently. If there is any doubt, always obey the traffic signs we can
see, and disregard the sat-nav if necessary. As always, it is better to take a detour than
put ourselves in danger.
Your Driving Test route may contain one-way roads or systems, and it is easy to find yourself
in the wrong lane. It is important to know that you won’t fail your driving test for
taking the wrong road. As long as you are driving safely there won’t be any faults
given - so try to stay calm and follow the rules in the Highway Code. If you do need
to change lanes, make sure you use the MSM routine to ensure it is done safely. If there
is too much traffic or not enough time to change lanes safely, just follow the lane
you are in, and the examiner will adjust the route if necessary.
If you found this video interesting, then please visit our channel as there are over
100 more tutorial videos to help you improve your driving. If you would like to help us
make new videos, then please consider becoming a member of our channel. Thanks for watching!