Emerging left - Rolling first gear and judging traffic speeds

Approaching the junction - Speed and gear

For a reason that remains unknown to the author, some driving instructors encourage their customers to emerge from junctions in second gear as a matter of course - why they do this is a mystery! The reason for the confusion is that, when driving themselves, most driving instructors (and drivers) emerge from most junctions, or at least most junctions in town, in first gear - you almost certainly did during Part-Two of your exam.

I suspect that the reason for allowing learners to 'grab second gear and hope that the road is clear' is because many instructors find it difficult to teach a 'rolling first gear' approach. The good news is that teaching a 'rolling first' is easy if you follow the simple step-by-step approach outlined below and start practise away from a junction as explained in the video.

Step 1:

Make sure that your learner fully understands the concept of open and closed junctions (zones of vision).

Step 2:

Use the 'six-car length rule' to help beginners to understand about speed and gear on approach; that is, if you can be sure that the new road is clear and can make your decision to emerge six car lengths back from the Give-Way line then second gear is fine, otherwise, use first gear (and possibly stop).

Step 3:

Introduce the concept of a 'controlled roll'. This means that the car is technically coasting but is going so slowly that it is fully under control.

To achieve this the car should feel as though it is going to stop approximately one car-length short of the line (or mouth of the junction if there are no markings). At this point the pressure on the brake pedal needs to be eased to prevent the car stopping short if the speed is right. Note: Stopping short is much easier to sort out than overshooting.

Step 4:

Teach learners to press the clutch down approximately two or three car lengths back (depending upon the current gear) and slide first gear in at about one car length, keeping the clutch down until full observation has been made.

At busier junctions the 'Give-Way triangle' (painted on the road surface) can be a good marker point for easing off the brake and selecting first gear in the early stages of learning. However, take care when using the triangle, white lines or other features because there is a danger that the learner's observation will 'drop' and that they will be distracted from the most important safety check, namely assessing traffic movement on the road that they are entering.

Judging other traffic

You can help with judgement at T-junctions, roundabouts and other situations by training learners to look for gaps and to focus on the car that they will follow as they emerge, as opposed to which car they will pull out in front of. Psychologically, it is much less threatening to follow another vehicle than to pull out in front of one.

Some learners like to stop at every junction, or to sit and wait for a totally clear road "Just to be safe..." If this is the case, ask questions to explore the risks of waiting unnecessarily. For example, the dangers of being bumped from behind. Notice the deliberate use of language here; If part of you discussion involves an explanation, the thought of being 'bumped' from behind is less likely to create anxiety than the thought of being 'smashed into'.

Most learners will be able to draw on their experience as a pedestrian when it comes to judging traffic speed, however there will be always some that just don't seem to get it – maybe they are nervous pedestrians. With these learners offer whatever help is required, perhaps doing the arithmetic to work out how far away cars need to be at any given speed to allow space to emerge safely (see 'time-gap below).

You might also need to help some learners to get into a position where they can see the other traffic if they stop too soon. Find out why they are stopping too early, can they judge the position of the car in relationship to the mouth of the junction? To correct early stops and/or cope with parked cars learners need to be able to 'creep and peep' in some situations, creeping forwards using clutch-control while making all around observation.

Try a time gap

If your learner finds it difficult to judge speed and distance you can use a 'time-gap'. An early stage learner will need a ten second gap (approximately) to pull into a stream of traffic, reducing to about six seconds as their skills develop. You can measure the gap in the same way that you would when using the 'Two-Second-Rule'. Watch traffic pass a fixed point and then count the seconds until it arrives, adjust the point until you have a large enough gap - your learner will soon learn to visualise the correct 'size' of gap.

Note: After you have passed Part-Three you will find this method useful for dealing with 'difficult' academic learners. You'll understand what I mean by this when you teach your first doctor, university lecturer or accountant! With guidance these learners will often be able to do the calculation for themselves.

Next: Emerging left issues...