Positioning

Red Alert

On my last test in December which I failed, I got a lot of marks for bad positioning, so was just wondering a few things:

I think I lost a good few marks on the 'driving between parked cars' bit. When you have cars parked either side of a road, so that there's essentially only one car width to drive in, what's the right procedure?

I always assumed that the correct place to be is about 2 feet from the left hand side of the road, i.e. just beside but not on top of the double-yellows - is this one right or wrong?

iconnect

Red Alert wrote:

On my last test in December which I failed, I got a lot of marks for bad positioning, so was just wondering a few things:

I think I lost a good few marks on the 'driving between parked cars' bit. When you have cars parked either side of a road, so that there's essentially only one car width to drive in, what's the right procedure?

I always assumed that the correct place to be is about 2 feet from the left hand side of the road, i.e. just beside but not on top of the double-yellows - is this one right or wrong?

The best position when passing parked cars is to allow a car doors width between you and the car on the left.
If you have cars parked either side and the road is narrow try and leave equal space between cars on both sides and at all times drive at a speed that if a car door did open you could stop safely.

www.betterdrive.net

Wishbone Ash

Red Alert wrote:

When you have cars parked either side of a road... ....I always assumed that the correct place to be is about 2 feet from the left hand side of the road

If there are cars on both sides of the road, how could you be 2 feet from the edge of the road?

iconnect

Wishbone Ash wrote:

If there are cars on both sides of the road, how could you be 2 feet from the edge of the road?

Wishbone i think the op is talking about when there are no cars with that statement. As Moderator i hope you dont mind me giving advice to people as i am an Instructor for 11 years.

Wishbone Ash

iconnect wrote:

As Moderator i hope you dont mind me giving advice to people as i am an Instructor for 11 years.

Please feel free. I'll bow to your superior knowledge!

Irish Salfordia

Red Alert wrote:

On my last test in December which I failed, I got a lot of marks for bad positioning, so was just wondering a few things:

I think I lost a good few marks on the 'driving between parked cars' bit. When you have cars parked either side of a road, so that there's essentially only one car width to drive in, what's the right procedure?

I always assumed that the correct place to be is about 2 feet from the left hand side of the road, i.e. just beside but not on top of the double-yellows - is this one right or wrong?

As others have said if possible try and leave a door's width between you and any parked cars. If you cannot leave this distance - slow down. Also be aware that if there are a number of parked cars with gaps in between, stay out and pass as many as you can in safety. Do not slalom in and out around each car if there is no oncoming traffic necessitating this.

GreeBo

Irish Salfordia wrote:

As others have said if possible try and leave a door's width between you and any parked cars. If you cannot leave this distance - slow down. Also be aware that if there are a number of parked cars with gaps in between, stay out and pass as many as you can in safety. Do not slalom in and out around each car if there is no oncoming traffic necessitating this.

Are you sure?
Im pretty sure you are supposed to stay in your lane unless you cannot make progress in it.
Where did you get the "no slalom" bit from?

Macca206

If theres a large road and despite cars being parked on your side of the road 2 cars can pass then what they are looking for is you to move out and take early position and hold that line as you pass the parked cars. What they dont want is you zig zaggin needlessly in and out of parked cars needlessly.

However on a normal road with no parked cars you should position to the left of the road.

GreeBo

Macca206 wrote:

If theres a large road and despite cars being parked on your side of the road 2 cars can pass then what they are looking for is you to move out and take early position and hold that line as you pass the parked cars. What they dont want is you zig zaggin needlessly in and out of parked cars needlessly.

However on a normal road with no parked cars you should position to the left of the road.

ok, but if you are crossing the white line, then what?
I would say you should move in and out when needed.

Macca206

GreeBo wrote:

ok, but if you are crossing the white line, then what?
I would say you should move in and out when needed.

No if theres room for 2 cars to pass without moving in and out then stay out..it gives oncoming cars additional time to be able to position themselves as well.

GreeBo

Macca206 wrote:

No if theres room for 2 cars to pass without moving in and out then stay out..it gives oncoming cars additional time to be able to position themselves as well.

obviously if you are crossing the white line then there is not room for two cars to pass.
Irish Salfordia stated that you should always stay out

Macca206

GreeBo wrote:

obviously if you are crossing the white line then there is not room for two cars to pass.

Says who? I can think of loads of roads that even with cars parked on BOTH sides theres still room for cars on both sides to pass freely.

MrPudding

GreeBo wrote:

obviously if you are crossing the white line then there is not room for two cars to pass.
Irish Salfordia stated that you should always stay out

You should stay out when it is safe to do so. Weaving in and out is pointless. If you stay out you have maximum visibility.

MrP

GreeBo

Macca206 wrote:

Says who? I can think of loads of roads that even with cars parked on BOTH sides theres still room for cars on both sides to pass freely.

Says me.
If a road has cars parked on both sides forcing traffic to cross the centreline then there isnt room for two cars to pass each other....at least in my dimension.

MrPudding

GreeBo wrote:

Says me.
If a road has cars parked on both sides forcing traffic to cross the centreline then there isnt room for two cars to pass each other....at least in my dimension.

There are plently of roads where you can have cars parked on both sides and still have room for two cars to pass each other, whilst staying in their own lane.

However, there could be very few where two cars could pass whilst leaving an open doors width to the parked car on the same side.

If I am on one of these roads, and there is nothing coming the other way I will still cross the line, assuming it is safe to do so, and I will stay there until either I have passed all the parked cars or there is another reason for me to return to my own side.

Being on the offside does not mean instant death, and it is perfectly reasonable to be there.

MrP

GreeBo

MrPudding wrote:

There are plently of roads where you can have cars parked on both sides and still have room for two cars to pass each other, whilst staying in their own lane.

Yep, but if you look at my post you will see that I was explicitly asking about situations where you are on the offside.
If you stay on the offside you could easily get whacked by someone turning left from your right who doesnt look in your direction and is hidden from your view by the parked cars.

MrPudding

OK, but if you stay on your own side you could easily get whacked by someone turning right on you side who cuts the corner who you can't see because of the parked cars on your side.

Seriously, why do you even bother driving if it is so dangerous.

MrP

GreeBo

MrPudding wrote:

OK, but if you stay on your own side you could easily get whacked by someone turning right on you side who cuts the corner who you can't see because of the parked cars on your side.

Nope, someone turning right will naturally check oncoming traffic in the lane they are cutting across.
In my example they other car doesnt check because they dont expect traffic to be driving up the wrong side of the road and they are not crossing any other lane.

MrPudding

OK, I know I have tried to explain stuff like this to you before, but I am a glutton for punishment, so I will try again.

If you read my post you will find the following:

MrPudding wrote:

....and there is nothing coming the other way I will still cross the line, assuming it is safe to do so,

....and I will stay there until either I have passed all the parked cars or there is another reason for me to return to my own side.

Do you understand what this means? If there was a risk of me being hit by someone turning left it would not be safe to be on the offside, therefore I would not be there. When I ride or drive I do not base my perceived safety for a manoeuvre simply on what I can see, I also base it on what I reckon I cannot see.

If I believe that there is a junction or entry from which a car could emerge into my path, and I am unable to confirm that it is clear, I will assume that it is not and position myself accordingly in order preserve my bubble of safety and give me the best view possible.

MrP

GreeBo

MrPudding wrote:

If there was a risk of me being hit by someone turning left it would not be safe to be on the offside, therefore I would not be there. When I ride or drive I do not base my perceived safety for a manoeuvre simply on what I can see, I also base it on what I reckon I cannot see.

If I believe that there is a junction or entry from which a car could emerge into my path, and I am unable to confirm that it is clear, I will assume that it is not and position myself accordingly in order preserve my bubble of safety and give me the best view possible.

MrP

So your idea of staying on the offside only really works on roads that you know, since, by definition you cant see a junction that you cant see.
I am merely trying to point out that it is safer to spend as little time as possible on the offside.
If you want to get all agro instead of having a discussion feel free.

MrPudding

GreeBo wrote:

So your idea of staying on the offside only really works on roads that you know, since, by definition you cant see a junction that you cant see.
I am merely trying to point out that it is safer to spend as little time as possible on the offside.
If you want to get all agro instead of having a discussion feel free.

I am not going all agro. I might be wrong but I am pretty sure we had a discussion before about using the offside, I could do a search but can't be bothered. I do remember getting pretty frustrated about the whole thing back then.

It is very rarely that there will be a junction that you cannot see. You will notice a gap in the parked cars or the buildings running along the road. You will see lamposts, trees or buildings ahead that are at a right angle to the road you are on. Perhaps you can see a taller vehicle moving at a right angle. Signs for shops or attractions saying "50 metres on right" or normal road directional signs.

I think it is would be extremely rare that there would be a junction for which there was no hint.

So, yes, you should spend as little time as possible on the offside but if ti is safe to be there then there is no problem with being there. If you are passing a load of stationary, or even moving traffic, there is little point in constantly moving in and out if the entire manouvre can be completed in one go.

MrP