23. Positioning (NS 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3)

Normal Driving. On a single carriageway or single-track road, you are expected to position your vehicle in the centre of your lane (on narrow roads) or about 1 metre from the kerb on wider roads.

It is vital that you do not cut in to the right, (close to the centre line), when driving around right- hand bends. If oncoming traffic is also out of position towards the centre line, the possible consequences are obvious.

Similarly, cutting in left towards the kerb on left-hand bends might result in clipping the kerb or driving over the loose debris which often gathers close to kerbs. This could lead to punctures and a loss of grip.

Lane discipline. Lane discipline means positioning your vehicle centrally in the correct lane at all times whenever you are in a multi-lane situation, such as

• On motorways and dual carriageways
• Multi-lane situations on single carriageway roads
• In one-way streets
• Approaching and driving through larger, busier, multi-lane roundabouts and traffic light junctions

On dual carriageways vehicles are often allowed to park in the left lane and of course there are bus 59s, Plan well ahead and use mirrors frequently to monitor following traffic, especially gaps in the flow.

If an obstruction is seen in the distance check mirrors and change lanes early. Only move back to the == lane when you can see it is clear for some distance ahead. Avoid getting boxed in through poor forward planning.

When passing parked cars do not straddle lanes; move fully into the right lane to deal with obstructions.

It is common nowadays to find one lane suddenly widening to make room for 2, 3 or even 4 lanes on approach to busy junctions like traffic light cross roads and large roundabouts. You must look for road signs which show the traffic direction for each lane and abide by them. Road markings, in the form of white arrows, also give directions. If you find you are in the wrong lane, don’t panic. Use the MSM routine by (go to exercise 8).

Exercise 8: Write down the correct procedure for changing lanes in a multi-lane road
Complete this in your Workbook

If you find yourself in the wrong lane at a busy junction, due to poor road markings or absence of signs, be prepared to continue in the direction of the flow and then find another way back to your original route, if necessary.