This article is more about the interpretation of what seems every day signs, and the way you can anticipate things on the road better and make your driving much safer.
Directional road signs relating to the ' A ' / Major route roads are coloured green. If you are turning into another ' A ' road the direction signs will be green, but if you are turning into a ' B ' road it will be white or brown for local places and specific places of interest.
A blue sign would indicate that you are turning directly onto a Motorway. Example - M6 white in blue, on a directional green, white or brown sign for local places, indicates that turning in that direction will eventually take you onto the motorway.
Take a look at the roads coming into a roundabout, particularly from major routes and motorways. If people are coming into your roundabout directly from a Motorway, be wary, they may not have come down to a slower mode of driving, therefore arriving into your path too fast. Large roundabouts over or under motorways, are a classic places for this to happen.
Be particularly concerned if it is also wet. In everything I mention, add wet to what ever the scenario is, and much earlier recognition and braking will be required.
Look at the photo's shown of the clues that warn you of a major junction or roundabout. In the distance you will see a group of lamp posts, it indicates that a major junction is coming up, often a roundabout.
Next a large green roundabout sign appears, you must as early as possible start planning which lane you need to be in for your route. Local signs will also be seen, white or brown, that could help with your planning.
The count-down-markers on a Major / ' A ' road, will be green and can only be equidistant apart. Many drivers think they are 100 meters / 100 yards apart. They may well be, but the only place you can absolutely ensure they are 100 meters / yards apart is on the approach to a motorway off-slip.
The reason for this, is that on any other road there is always the possibility of an entrance or junction within the 300 meters / yards distance on the approach to a roundabout, or other hazard.
The distance you see between the first marker and the second marker, and from the second marker to the third, will continue to be spaced out at exactly the same distance, as will the distance from the last count-down-marker to the roundabout, ' Give way ' lines Be very wary at speed, and once again particularly when it is wet, it will make a major difference to your braking.
If you do not know which sign indicates exactly where a roundabout island is, in the immediate above paragraph circumstances, you may well get to know it personally, as your vehicle is embedded in it. To know what it looks like, gives you your longest available braking distance.
As an instructor you learn to explain directions in different ways. To say, “straight on at the roundabout” and they take you literately, replying, “you did say, straight on at the roundabout.” I made my directions very clear at roundabouts saying “follow the signs for Watford, the third exit.” I would get the drivers in their commentary to count off the exits in a roundabout, this ensured we took the correct exit every time, and safely
The island sign is as shown, a black and white chevron board pointing to the left, on top of which is a round blue sign, with a white arrow also pointing left.
Lets look at another simple example, where a small sign, not always registered, and definitely not dealt with in the following fashion.
With a lay-by on the left, you firstly see a small square blue sign, one of the few blue signs not on a motorway. This one in particular, may not be registered by many drivers. It warns you that the lay-by is 450 yards ahead.
Who ever thought of that distance? After passing the distance sign and seeing a vehicle or two in the lay-by, drivers do not think to move away, just reacting when something happens, if they have enough time on their side.
What is worse not even noticing the whole thing, then when something happens, everyone else is to blame. Be an anticipating driver, not a reactionary driver, time will not always be in your favour.
Believe it will happen, using your mirrors and looking far enough ahead to see it is clear, move away from the only danger to you on that stretch of road, especially if they have lights on, or the engine is running, they could move off without warning.
Watch for their wheels should they begin to rotate. If you cannot move away, ease off, taking a flexible gear, then cover the brakes until you are happy, particularly when the lay by is close to the road side.
It is also noticeable that a lay-by often has another lay-by adjacent on the other side of the road. If it was the case that both lay-byes had vehicles in them, if clear towards, and no one behind is thinking of overtaking you, split the danger by going out as you approach the one to your near-side, coming in towards the near-side for the off-side lay-by.
While on the subject of lay-byes on the off-side of the road, with various vehicles there in. Avoid doing an overtake so that you are closer to the off-side lay-by in the middle of what appears otherwise, a safe overtake.
Ask yourself the question, "which way does a driver look when pulling out of a lay-by on your off-side?" They may well have looked in your direction while you had not yet made a move, they would be at fault to some degree, not as much as the responsibility you have to overtake in safe places.
There will be many more signs to talk about and other clues you can take from other vehicles as well. Get out there and have a different perspective on signs you may have seen before, now with a little more knowledge of how to use them and keep safer, good luck.
TAKE CARE OUT THERE, NO ONE ELSE CAN DO IT FOR YOU
DAN MOONIE
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