Driving - lane change and is there a good online resource?

Question

im based in the uk - hence drive on the left side of the road - can someone provide some guidelines or point to a good online resource explaining the best way to handle lane changes - on all roads not just motorways. often i find myself holding up traffic while trying to get into another lane - i.e. changing lanes too late and im not sure as to how fast i should be going when changing lanes (assuming im on a normal city road).

any tips and guidance would be welcome.

thanks

Answer 1

I agree with the others, take lessons or stop driving, your a menace.

Answer 2

Take some driving lessons, or stop driving.

Answer 3

Did you take a test? Take your cue from what other people are doing.

Answer 4

Best advice is to make sure you are not going too slow.  If someone cuts you up then obviously slow down and stop if necessary but its always to keep up with the traffic and nothing will cut you up.  If you think you are changing too late then always signal a earlier and get in whn it's safe to do so.

Check all your mirrors and blind spots before you do.  If you struggle why not try an advancd driving course.  After taking my PCV test I truly believe everyone should be put through the standards for car driving because they are much more rigorous.

If you are a new driver, don't worry you'll pick it up.

Answer 5

You cannot overtake on the left, except on one-way systems.  On other routes don't hog the outer lane(s),  overtake and get into the most left hand lane.  

In slow/gridlock traffic stay in your lane. If you are at a crawl and want to change lane, wait till you think you have half a chance, keep up with the car in front of you, check your mirror, look over your shoulder for the blindspot and cyclists/motorbikes that may filter through when your at a crawl, indicate, and if clear manouvre tightish up the rear of the vehicle in the lane you are going to, if you haven't got a full gap, indicate and just move to the right of your current lane and see if the car behind flashes you or drops back to let you in.

Answer 6

5 steps to safe overtaking are:

Information- Give and recieve. Take into consideration, visibility ahead, is it adequate. Is there a gap you can pull into ahead. Are there any cars approaching from behind you. How fast is the car you are trying to over take going? How fast are you going. Do you need to make an indicator signal or a headlight flash to make a driver aware of your presence?

Position- Once you are satisfied with the information you have recieved, re-check your mirrors, make any necessary signals and move out the right

Speed- You need to make the overtake manoeuvre as quickly as possible, as you are in a vulnerable position.

Gear- Before the overtake, you should have the correct gear selected to maximise the cars performance, you should try and avoid making a gear change during the overtake.

Acceleration- Adjust your speed to complete the manoeuvre.

This applies mostly to overtaking on single lane carriageways. Some of it applies to dual carriageways and motorways.

But the most important thing is to check no-one is overtaking you and don't cut in to close to the car you've just overtaken. You should wait until you can see the car in your rear view mirror, before signalling to pull in.

You should be going fast enough so not to make people approaching from behind change their speed at all. Just be observant, plan well ahead and you'll be fine!

Answer 7

It will cost you, but as you seem a nervous driver I suggest you book an "advanced driver course". This can help you in a number of ways, by making you more aware of what is going on around you, and, hopefully increasing your confidence behind the wheel. The courses are not all "high speed handling" as is commonly assumed, but are tailored to your specific needs. One plus is you should qualify for cheaper insurance once you have completed a course. Being a bus driver, beefcake has it about right, as any extra tuition will help. By setting the 'inside edge' of your door mirrors to show the only rear corners of your car, and not the sides, gives you as wide a field of vision as posible. A cheap modification you can make is with stick on extra "wide angle" mirrors to eliminate "blind spots", As an HGV driver I am sat above the majority of traffic, and have a good view of what is going on around me, (2 large "normal" & 2 "wide angle" mirrors) and can hopefully anticipate what other drivers are going to do - try driving an 18 metre 'wagon & drag ' through any town it can be 'fun'. LOL