Wrong rule for right turns

Press, 16 August 1976, Page 16

Wrong rule for right turns

Turning to the right from a main road where the speed limit is 80 km/h can be a very hazardous business. As the law stands, a driver who intends to turn should pull hard over to the lefthand side of the main road and, if necessary, stop until the road is clear of traffic in both directions before he makes his turn. When the new traffic regulations come into force next February, right turns on the open road may still be made in this way, but it will also be lawful for the turning vehicle to pull as far as possible to the right, into the centre of the road, and to wait there until the way is clear before making the turn.

The revised regulation has the convenience of being tidy; the rule for turning will be the same for drivers in all speed zones. But the width of many roads may not allow the new version of the right turn to be made with adequate safety for the turning vehicle and for other road users. Where roads have an appreciable crown, where the width of the seal is narrow, or where

the verges are irregular, through traffic passing the turning vehicle on the left may be forced, while travelling at speed, to leave the safe surface. Alternatively, a driver who attempts to avoid the turning vehicle may be forced to brake sharply and run the risk of a “ concertina ” effect if he is leading a line of traffic. Of course, all drivers should be travelling at speeds which do not invite such problems, but the traffic rules should have regard for drivers’ shortcomings. The danger would be reduced if the sealed area of main roads were widened at intersections, and if lanes for turning vehicles were marked, as has already been done on some busy country intersections. But the Ministry of Transport should reconsider, before the amended regulations are effected, whether road safety will be best served by a rule which will create obstructions in the centre of main highways amid traffic travelling at high speed. The theory behind the change in the rule looks reasonable; its practicability on most roads seems to be very doubtful.