Turning Left on the Driving Test: Positioning and Priority

Turning right feels almost automatic. Turning left doesn't. You cross the path of oncoming traffic, you have to judge whether there is enough room, and meanwhile cyclists and pedestrians still need your attention. Examiners can tell quickly from a left turn how a candidate thinks. The good news: it is a fixed sequence, and you can practise it until it sits in your hands.

Why a left turn asks more of you

On a right turn you stay on your own side of the road. On a left turn you cross the lane of the oncoming traffic. That means more to keep track of at once: the traffic ahead, the traffic behind, whoever is coming out of the side street and whoever wants to cross on the other side. More at once also means a bigger chance of mistakes, especially when you are nervous.

Position yourself in time

Positioning starts well before the junction. On a road with traffic in both directions you move towards the middle of the carriageway, without crossing the centre line. On a one-way street you drive all the way to the left. Don't leave it until the last moment: if you only change lane right before the junction, you surprise everyone behind you.

Check your mirrors and over your left shoulder first, then signal and move across calmly. An examiner wants to see that you do this deliberately, not that you rush through it.

Signal and slow down

Switch on your indicator before you start positioning, not once you are already in place. Then ease off the accelerator and brake smoothly. The speed at which you take the turn is decided well in advance. If you arrive too fast, you have to brake hard at the junction, and that stands out.

Oncoming traffic usually has priority

When you turn left, you let oncoming vehicles that go straight on or turn right pass first, unless signs or traffic lights say otherwise. That applies even if you are the first to reach the junction. So it is not about who gets there first, but about who crosses whose path.

The normal priority rules also still apply. If traffic is coming from the right where priority to the right applies, you take that into account as well.

Waiting for a gap

If you are ready to turn and traffic is coming towards you, you wait. Stay in the middle of the road with your wheels straight. Don't turn your steering wheel to the left yet: if someone hits you from behind, you would be pushed into the lane of oncoming traffic.

If the wait is long, don't be afraid to stay put. An examiner would rather see a long pause than an unsafe gap. You only go when you are sure the road is clear and nobody has to avoid you.

Don't forget cyclists and pedestrians

The most dangerous moment of a left turn is often not the oncoming traffic, but whatever you see late. A cyclist coming the other way on a cycle path and going straight on. A pedestrian who has just stepped onto the crossing in the side street you are turning into. Pedestrians crossing the road you are turning into have priority.

So always take one last look in the direction you are about to steer, just before you start the turn. Don't forget your left mirror for the blind spot either, especially if a cyclist or moped could be behind you and want to overtake.

The turn itself

You take a left turn wider than a right turn. Drive on until you are past the middle of the junction before you start steering. If you turn too early, you cut the corner and end up in the wrong lane, or drive right in front of an oncoming vehicle that is still on its way.

After the turn you end up on the right-hand side of the new road, in the lane meant for you. Check along the way that you haven't drifted too far to the left. It happens faster than you think, especially at a wide junction.

With traffic lights

A green light doesn't mean you can simply turn. You still give way to oncoming traffic, unless there is a separate arrow that gives you the right to go. If you only see an ordinary green light, drive up to the middle of the junction and wait there until the road is clear. If the light has meanwhile turned amber or red, you may clear the junction, as long as that is safe.

At some junctions there is a separate phase for traffic turning left. In that case always follow the signal for your own lane and don't go by what other road users are doing.

Turning left from a priority road

On a regional road or another priority road, traffic is often faster. You have to judge even better how much time you have, because oncoming vehicles cover a lot of distance in a short time. Take your time to position yourself and clear the road quickly enough that the car behind you doesn't have to brake.

Mistakes that come up often

The most common mistakes on a left turn are positioning too late, cutting the corner and looking too little for cyclists and pedestrians. You also see candidates pulling away while an oncoming vehicle is still close, hoping it will fit. That is almost always a reason to lose points, because the oncoming driver has to brake or swerve.

Another classic is pulling away without looking left and right again because you have been standing still for a while. Check again before you go.

How to practise

Find a few different left turns in your own area: a quiet side street, a junction with traffic lights and a busy junction on a regional road. Drive them several times with your supervisor and ask them to watch three things: when you position yourself, how far you drive on before steering and whether you notice pedestrians and cyclists. Talk it through afterwards, not during the turn itself.

Also look at the practice routes for your exam centre. Each page shows how many left turns the route has and in which streets they are. That way you know in advance where to be extra careful, and you practise exactly the junctions that come up most.