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Practical Guide: How To Turn Left and Right Into Side Roads

Learning how to turn left and right into side roads requires a lot of understanding and practice on the topic. After the moving off and stop routine has been achieved- this is the next logical subject in a learner drivers programme of tuition.

What is a side road?

A side road is a road leading of a main road. It is commonly known as going from a major road into a minor road. Traffic on the major road have priority over traffic on the minor road.

Why is there a MSPSL routine?

When learning a new exercise in driving- it is much easier to have a routine to follow to begin learning new driving habits. The MSPSL routine is the main manoeuvre for turning into side roads.

Where do we practice this?

The learner will practice this manoeuvre in quiet residential areas. It is not common to start this training in busy environments. Once the basics have been established it is important to progress onto more complex side roads in busier areas, such as town centres.

After the learner has moved off and learnt how to stop again on the left, it is very important to learn how to turn left and right into side roads. This exercise is primarily based around the MSPSL routine. There are lots of things to learn and practice when learning how to turn left and right into side roads. Here is a break down of the manoeuvre.

The Use of the MSPSL routine

The MSPSL routine is a routine to help the learner driver to turn safely applying all the necessary procedures needed to perform this manoeuvre correctly. Here is the routine:

Mirrors: It is important to check the mirrors. The rear view mirror and the corresponding direction mirror. If the learner turns left, they should check the left-wing mirror after checking the rear-view mirror. If the learner driver is turning right, it is important to check the right-wing mirror after the rear-view mirror check. The learner is looking to see if their are any hazards, particularly cyclists, in the left mirror and over-taking vehicles in the right mirror. If a learner sees a hazard, a different course of action may be needed. When learning how to turn left and right into side roads, it is important to practice, practice and practice.

Signal: Once it has seen decided that it is safe tot urn left or right, it is important to communicate an intention of turning. It is important to consider the timing of the signal- so that there is no confusion. The signal should be applied correctly, and in good time: An enough time to allow following road-users to react and slow down in good time.

Position: After the signal has been applied, it is important to position the car correctly. If the learner is turning left, they should remain one metre from the curb, and if the learner is turning right, it is important to position left of the centre white line; or in the case of no road markings, it is important to be able to judge the middle of the road and keep slightly left of it. When learning how to turn left and right into side roads, it is important to practice, practice and practice.

Speed: Once the mirrors, signal and position have been completed, it is important to slow down. Whether you are turning left or right- it is important to slow down to a manageable speed, so that the learner can safely manoeuvre around the corner. A gear change prior to turning may be needed- but this is dependent on the initial speed on the approach to the junction. For example, if the learner is already travelling at approximately 15 MPH, the car may not need a gear change; if the car is already in 2nd gear. It is common practice to turn at 12-13 MPH and in 2nd gear. If the learner driver is turning right and has to give-way to on-coming traffic, it is important to bring the car to a stop at the point of turn, and select 1st gear.

Look: During this manoeuvre- it is vital the learner driver looks at all times at the junction, and the road ahead for any hazards or approaching vehicles. Early checks can aid a learner driver’s response time to any on-coming problems. Other things to check for are: Obstructions, hazards, vehicles and pedestrians. When learning how to turn left and right into side roads, it is important to practice, practice and practice.

How To Turn Left and Right into Side Roads- Other things to consider

There are lots of things to consider when learning how to turn left and right into side roads. These can include: steering, point of turn, breaking technique.

Steering: when steering around a corner, it is important to not cross hands. A technique called ‘push pull’ steering is commonly used, and consists of feeding the wheel through the hands, keeping the palms on the outside rim of the steering wheel. Knowing how much to steer, and when to start steering are also factors to consider. A general rule is 3/4 to 1 whole steer on to the left or right- dependent on the curve of the side road.

Point of Steer: Knowing when to start steering can also be challenging for some learner drivers. When turning left it is commonly practiced to start steering when the car’s bonnet gets to the straight edge of the new road. When turning right- it is commonly practiced to start steering when your bonnet gets inline with the middle of the new road.

Breaking Technique: When learning to slow the car down, it is important to understand the breaking system. A good article on breaking can be found here. Breaking requires initial light breaking, increasing the pressure as you near your point-of-turn. Like most things in driving, practice does make perfection. A tip is: get the car’s speed down to approx 15 MPH, at least 5-6 car lengths away from the junction. This will allow enough time to be able to look and decide your action. If the learner needs to change gear- or even come to a stop, the learner driver will have ample distance to perfect this. When learning how to turn left and right into side roads, the key ingredient is plenty of practice.

Judgement of Turning Left and Right: A learner must be able to judge when to turn into a side road. Usually the learner driver will have priority when turning left- as it is a major road, turning into a minor road. However- when turning right- as the learner is crossing the path of on-coming traffic, who have priority- it is important to be able to judge the traffic flow and give-way in necessary. A learner should only turn if they don’t cause the on-coming vehicle to change their course of driving. A good tip is: If a learner can walk across the road safely, they can drive across the road.