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Question

Difficulty: HardJunctions and Intersections

You intend to turn right from a side road onto a busy dual carriageway. The central reservation dividing the carriageways is narrower than the overall length of your car. Which TWO actions or rules apply when negotiating this junction safely?

  1. Wait at the give-way line until both carriageways are clear enough to complete the entire turn in one continuous manoeuvre.Answer
  2. Do not enter the central reservation if any part of your vehicle will remain protruding into the first carriageway.Answer
  3. C
    Move into the central gap as soon as an oncoming driver flashes their headlights to invite you through.
  4. D
    Focus your attention strictly on vehicles approaching from the right and edge into the nearest lane to force a gap.

Answer

Wait at the give-way line until both carriageways are clear to complete the turn in one continuous manoeuvre, and ensure you do not enter the central reservation if your vehicle will overhang the first carriageway.
According to Highway Code Rule 173, when turning right onto a dual carriageway, you must assess whether the central reservation is wide enough to protect the full length of your vehicle. If the central reservation is too narrow, you cannot treat the carriageways as two separate roads; instead, you must wait at the junction line until you can cross and join both carriageways in one go without stopping in the median and leaving your vehicle overhanging the running lanes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the width of the central reservation relative to the total length of your vehicle before pulling away from the give-way line.
Identify that the central reservation is too narrow to hold your entire vehicle safely without overhang.
Highway Code Rule 173 specifies that you must determine whether the median is wide enough to protect your vehicle before deciding how to cross.
2
Remain stationary behind the junction give-way line until there is a simultaneous safe gap in traffic flowing from both directions.
Avoid entering the reservation prematurely or obstructing any active running lane.
If the median cannot shelter the full vehicle, stopping in the middle leaves the rear of the car protruding dangerously into high-speed traffic.
3
Drive across the first carriageway and join the second carriageway in a single, uninterrupted turn.
Safely enter the correct lane of the dual carriageway without causing other road users to brake or swerve.
Completing the manoeuvre in one continuous movement eliminates the risk of becoming trapped across live lanes.

Key Concept

Highway Code Rule 173: Crossing and turning right onto dual carriageways with narrow central reservations.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Junctions and Intersections

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