The most common way to fail a driving test or have an accident is to cross a Give Way
line when it’s not safe. This usually happens because the driver hasn’t properly checked
for other traffic, and ends up forcing the other vehicle to steer or brake to avoid them.
In this video we will show how looking twice at Give Way lines will help you to avoid making
dangerous mistakes at junctions. Before we start, please subscribe to our channel - and
if you find this video interesting, click the like button as it really helps other people find us.
There are give way lines everywhere - at t-junctions, roundabouts, and even in car parks. We might
need to cross 50 of them on a driving test - and if we make even a single mistake the
result could be a fail - or even worse, an accident. To ensure we make the correct decision
every time we always look twice before crossing a give way line. This gives us two chances
to spot other traffic, assess their speed and position, and then stop our car if necessary.
We need to check that there is enough space for us to enter the road and get up to speed
without getting in anyone’s way. To do this we must check the speed and position of any
other road users. Motorbikes, cyclists, or even a car hidden by a shadow can be easy
to miss. Having two looks gives us an extra chance to see them. It can be easy to miss
the fact another vehicle is speeding - but when we take a second look we will see how
much nearer it is to us, which will help us know how fast they are going. Of course, it
does take longer to look twice - but the benefit to our safety is worth an extra second or two.
The problem with taking one long look each way, is that if we are still moving it could
allow our car to drift out of position. We can only steer our car when we are looking
ahead, so if we look away from the road for too long we could easily hit a kerb or leave
our lane. Taking two quick looks allows us to look forward and check our position in-between
the early and late look. This is especially important at roundabouts where we need to
steer left gently as we enter the roundabout - not easy if we are looking right for too long.
After completing our mirror check and indicating we approach the junction. We take an early
look both ways as soon as we can, look forward to check our car’s position, and then check
again before we enter the major road. If we drive at a slow enough speed, there is plenty
of time to look both ways twice before crossing the Give Way line.
We often need to stop completely at busy t-junctions as there is more traffic to assess. We must
ensure that we have found a safe gap before entering the traffic flow on the main road.
Roundabouts are even easier to look twice at, as we only need to look to the right as
we approach the give way line. At this open roundabout the extra visibility allows us
to take our first look to the right earlier than usual. This makes it much easier for
us to anticipate the speed of other traffic and enter the roundabout without stopping.
At this open roundabout we take our first look to the right as soon as possible, and
adjust our speed according to what we see. After checking our road position, we take
the second look to double-check what is happening before continuing.
Sometimes we find a ‘closed’ roundabout where our view is blocked and we can see very
little to our right. In this case we need to slow down and approach the roundabout very
carefully. This should ensure we won’t be forced to brake suddenly if another car appears
just before we reach the give way line. Once we are sure it is safe, we can enter the roundabout
and continue driving.
So remember - always look twice at Give Way lines, as
There is less chance of missing something We can judge the speed of other traffic better
We can check our road position is OK, and We can cross the Give Way line safely.
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