Moving around parked cars (hazards)

Mizu_Ger

I had my second pretest lesson last night and the instructor (different to the guy I had for the first one) pulled me up on how I was handling manouevering around parked cars.

Basically, he was telling me to move out to the centre of the road when approaching a parked car, even when this involved moving up to halfway onto the opposite side of the road while cars were oncoming (on narrow housing estate roads). He said that not doing this (ie. waiting until there were no oncoming cars until moving around the parked car) would hold up traffic on your side of the road and be marked down by the tester. When moving over like this oncoming cars will naturally keep to the far left to allow you to keep moving.

This sounds a bit aggressive to me, so I was reluctant to do it at first, but he drummed it into me. What do people think?

MrPudding

Mizu_Ger wrote: »

I had my second pretest lesson last night and the instructor (different to the guy I had for the first one) pulled me up on how I was handling manouevering around parked cars.

Basically, he was telling me to move out to the centre of the road when approaching a parked car, even when this involved moving up to halfway onto the opposite side of the road while cars were oncoming (on narrow housing estate roads). He said that not doing this (ie. waiting until there were no oncoming cars until moving around the parked car) would hold up traffic on your side of the road and be marked down by the tester. When moving over like this oncoming cars will naturally keep to the far left to allow you to keep moving.

This sounds a bit aggressive to me, so I was reluctant to do it at first, but he drummed it into me. What do people think?

Seems OK. If there is room to do it that is. I would not move out if the hazard was only on my side and there was already an oncoming car in a section where we would both be stuck.

If there is nothing oncoming i would move right across to protect from a muppet opening thier door without looking. If there was something coming and not enough room for us both to pass then I would wait. If there was something coming and space for both of us I would go.

MrP

Mizu_Ger

MrPudding wrote: »

Seems OK. If there is room to do it that is. I would not move out if the hazard was only on my side and there was already an oncoming car in a section where we would both be stuck.

If there is nothing oncoming i would move right across to protect from a muppet opening thier door without looking. If there was something coming and not enough room for us both to pass then I would wait. If there was something coming and space for both of us I would go.

MrP

Yeah, that's what I am thinking. I'll do it, but a litte conservative. The instructor was adamant. I'll see what he thinks next time.

daveharnett

I'd err on the side of caution there. If there's no oncoming traffic, or there's room for the 2 cars to cross (allowing plenty of room for the parked car) then by all means indicate and move out. Otherwise I'd wait. Better a fault for lack of progress than dangerous driving.

biko

Ask other instructors. You don't have an automatic right to straddle the middle and force oncoming traffic to the side by using half their lane too, afaik.

jmayo

If the obstruction was on your side of the road then you should wait, giving way to the traffic coming the other way.
You do not cross over and bulldoze your way through on their side of road.
It is not good road manners and also you are crossing onto their side of road.
If there is plenty of room and you are not encroaching in front of oncoming traffic you can go ahead.
You have to use your judgement, remaining in control of your vehicle and not been a danger to other road users.

But his comment is just typical of the quality of Irish driving instructors. Almost as good as the one on boards a while back claiming that you should drive in the middle lane of the Naas triple carriageway since it was dangerous to weave in and out passing traffic if on left most lane.
Maybe somebody should tell him we drive on the left in this country and try sampling motorway driving in some developed countries.