Failure to follow the rules of the road claimed more than one human life in accidents. To prevent this from happening, you need to repeat them from time to time and monitor the changes made. Often traffic accidents occur at intersections. Someone turned wrong, someone didn’t switch on time, someone didn’t miss - and this was the result of an accident. An accident does not give anyone pleasure, so you need to know how to crossroads as a believer in prayer.
First things first, when approaching a road intersection, the driver determines whether it is a regulated intersection or not. And already on this basis, its subsequent actions are determined.
Regulated intersection
The rules are clearly worded about regulated and unregulated forks. So, a regulated intersection is a road intersection at which the sequence of traffic is established by means of a traffic light or traffic controller. In turn, an unregulated intersection is a fork in the roads where there is no traffic controller and traffic light, or the last one with a yellow flashing signal. At such a crossroads, the order of passage is determined by signs, markings and traffic rules.
Now let us consider in more detail the situations that the passage of regulated intersections promises.
Signs at the regulated intersections
If there is a traffic controller or traffic light, information from signs installed at the intersection is not taken into account. They are located on strips at some distance from the intersection of roads.
It is worth noting that a traffic light flashing a yellow signal is not a means of regulation, so this intersection is considered unregulated under the given circumstances. The sequence of movement is determined by the established signs. When the traffic light is operating in the proper mode, it is not necessary to pay attention to the signs.
Car traffic
Traffic at an adjustable intersection is determined by the main and additional traffic signals or the traffic controller, as well as information signs. Each driver clearly remembers that properly working traffic lights operate in one mode. That is, if the main allowing green signal is lit on one road, the prohibitory red signal is on the other.
The traffic controller at the intersection determines the movement of gestures. At a certain set of circumstances, the regulated intersection has a traffic light, and also an employee of the road service is on it. For this case, the rules recommend moving in accordance with the gestures of the traffic controller, despite the signals.
Crossroads with traffic light
The passage of the regulated intersections at which there is a working traffic light is determined solely by its signals. So, having approached the intersection of roads, you found that it is adjustable. That is, the sequence of movement is determined using a traffic light. It should work in red - yellow - green mode.
There is no definition of a primary or secondary road at a regulated intersection. It is impossible to move along the main road into the green light of the traffic light.
First of all, when approaching a regulated intersection, you need to take the right lane. To inform about the direction of a row at a considerable distance from the intersection, a sign is set. An adjustable intersection, the driver has the right to drive strictly in a certain lane. Signs about the direction of the rows are arranged so that there is an opportunity to readjust to the necessary. In the case when there is no sign, the driver of the vehicle, in accordance with the Rules of the road, must occupy the rightmost (left) position, depending on the direction of movement. So, there are several scenarios:
- Need to turn right. It is necessary to get up about fifty centimeters from the curb. Thus, single-track vehicles cannot squeeze to the right of you, that is, no one can stop you from turning.
- Need to turn left. Your car should be stopped to the right of the lane that separates your direction and the oncoming one. If the dividing strip is not visible, for example, covered with snow, then you need to stop to the right of the conditionally divided into two parts of the road. If there are tram tracks, it is allowed to occupy them if they are in the same direction and, most importantly, if you do not obstruct the tram. When turning, it is allowed to occupy tram tracks.
- The need to move straight. In the absence of a sign indicating the direction of movement in this lane, the car should not be placed in the middle, but on the right or left. By installing your vehicle in the center, you will create a kind of "Christmas tree", that is, the driver behind you needs, for example, to the right, and the next one to the left and so on, which will create traffic jams.
Straight ahead
Driving through the regulated intersection is straightforward enough. In front of the driver, a green traffic light lights up, and he begins to move, not giving way to anyone, according to the Rules of the road. However, as you know, any rule has its exceptions.
Before starting a movement, you should directly give in:
- Vehicles that began their maneuver and did not have time to finish before the signal prohibiting them.
- Vehicles with flashing lights and sound signals.
- I tram. Due to the location of the tram tracks on the carriageway, in some cases it will be necessary to wait until it makes a right turn. Accordingly, this also applies to counter-directional rail vehicles turning left.
Right turn
With right-hand traffic, turning to the right takes the first place among the others in terms of safety, since it does not intersect with other transport directions (in some cases, only a merger is possible). However, right turns at regulated intersections have their own nuances.
Nuances:
- Pedestrians. At the same time as allowing the driver, the same signal for the pedestrian may light up. Here traffic rules say that a car is obliged to give in to a person. In these circumstances, the driver of a power-driven vehicle does not have the right to start, continue or resume driving, provided that this will prevent the pedestrian from moving in the direction he needs or change speed. If the car does not interfere with the movement of the pedestrian and he moves at the same speed along the desired trajectory, then the course of transport is allowed. If you can’t part, without harm to the pedestrian, the driver must let the person pass. If it is necessary to stop the driver, the vehicle should not worry, because according to the SDA, in any case, he will complete the turn, even if the inhibit signal lights up, since he began his maneuver at the allowing one.
- Power vehicles from the opposite direction, turning left. According to the rules of the road, the driver making the right turn takes precedence, so he starts the maneuver first.
- Turn radius. When making a maneuver, it is necessary to carefully ensure that when leaving the intersection you are not in the oncoming lane. This is easy enough to do if the turn is not performed at high speed.
Left turn
The most difficult and dangerous for novice drivers - turn left at the regulated intersection. Nevertheless, having understood the rules, you will pass it with ease and tranquility.
First you decide who you want to skip. From the above situations, when moving directly and to the right, we conclude that it is precisely these areas that you are inferior to. Also do not forget about pedestrians, which you must pass.
The turn takes place simultaneously with the oncoming flow, moving to the left. That is, during the maneuver, the cars at the intersection “touch” with the right sides. Thus, the throughput of the regulated road crossing increases. But it is worth noting that this has a negative impact on security. Especially if there are large vehicles in the middle of the road that limit the view and do not allow you to notice cars approaching and moving in a straight direction in time. In order not to become an activator of a traffic accident when turning left, you need to remember the rules:
- We do not begin to move immediately after the enabling signal, but let us safely complete the maneuver for the cars remaining at the intersection. Then we begin the movement to the center of the intersection. After that, we pass cars from other directions. If there is no transport and your movement does not interfere with pedestrians, then the maneuver is allowed to be performed without stopping. To make it easier to move and determine where to stop for cars to pass, you need to draw a mentally straight line from the upper left corner of the intersection of roads to the lower right. And then go according to this diagonal.
- Control of the opposite direction and traffic signals. Care must be taken when stopping at the center of the intersection. Sometimes you can end the maneuver in the "break" of the oncoming stream. Or when the traffic lights begin to change, the oncoming traffic will stop and you will end your movement.
- Just like with the right turn, at the end of the maneuver you need to be careful and not be in the oncoming lane. Given this rule, and in the presence of several lanes in the passing direction, the turn is allowed to end in any. However, if there are several rows on the road from which it is allowed to turn left, then it is advisable to move "from lane to lane." That is, if you started moving left from the first left lane, then you should end the turn in it. With this movement, you will not become the culprit of an accident at a regulated intersection.
U-turn
In general, according to the SDA, the rules for turning at a regulated intersection are similar to turning left, but there are slight differences. So, when you change the direction of travel to the opposite, you do not cross the path for pedestrians on your vehicle.
The traffic rules do not clearly stipulate which of the lanes you need to complete the U-turn. Therefore, if you have a choice, then choose the most convenient for you. However, it is clearly indicated that the U-turn at the regulated intersection is carried out only from the extreme left lane and no other.
Before a U-turn, it is imperative to skip vehicles that move from the oncoming direction directly or to the right.
Regulated intersection and tram
According to the Rules of the Road, when driving through a regulated intersection, at which the authorization signal for both your car and the tram is lit at the same time, the latter has an advantage.
Exceptions:
- Departure from the tram depot.
- tram moving on an additional enable signal.
In all other cases, regardless of the direction of movement, rail transport has an advantage over automobiles.
Transition
A person, making the transition of a regulated intersection, must be guided by the signals of the traffic controller, pedestrian traffic light, and in the absence of it - transport.
With a pedestrian traffic light, everything is very clear: red - stand, green - go. The traffic controller, knowing that not all people are familiar with traffic rules, often makes a sign with his hand to the side. In this direction, you can cross the regulated intersection.
The rules do not contain clear information on how a person should navigate the traffic light. Therefore, in this situation, everything remains at the discretion of the pedestrian. You can start moving when red is on for everyone, or when the enable signal lights up in the right direction. In any case, extreme vigilance is necessary, as switching to a traffic light is a rather controversial situation.
How to drive through intersections during traffic jams
Congestion on the roads is an unpleasant event. Each of the novice drivers is afraid to become its initiator. Therefore, do not start driving if you see that a congestion has formed behind the intersection and you, having gone to the traffic light, will not have time to finish the maneuver, since being in the center of the intersection of roads, become an obstacle for the rest of the traffic participants to travel. Start moving only after you see that behind the intersection there is enough space for your car.
Traffic Signals
As mentioned earlier, the presence of the traffic controller indicates that the intersection is regulated. Therefore, you need to navigate exclusively by its signals.
Gestures of the traffic controller show the sequence of movement. Some drivers do not understand these signals or cannot remember. Therefore, such expressions appeared: "if the stick looks into the mouth - make a right turn. If the stick looks to the left - you go like a queen. If the stick looks to the right - you have no right to go. If the cop is standing with its back, then do not move, and stop." Remembering them is not difficult, and understanding the traffic controller will become easier.
Help for a novice driver
When driving straight ahead, novice drivers sometimes create an emergency, starting to slow down sharply, seeing that on the right someone is starting to go to an additional permission light signal. This is a gross mistake, because being at the intersection, and heading straight for the main traffic light, you have the advantage.
When turning right, after leaving the intersection, as already mentioned, you should be careful in choosing the lane, as there is the possibility of being in the oncoming lane. Therefore, they came up with such an expression "from the extreme right to the extreme right." It is very simple to remember and execute.
When turning left, never lose sight of the oncoming direction, especially when the traffic lights have already changed to prohibiting. Because there are not rare cases of the appearance of "reaching" vehicles.