Right turns when parked vehicles restrict your view

Parked vehicles can hide approaching traffic, bicycles and pedestrians.

Parked vehicles can hide approaching traffic, bicycles and pedestrians. A restricted view is a reason to create more time, not a reason to guess. Practise the situation with an instructor who can choose a suitable location and level of support.

Understand the situation

Read the signs and road markings before deciding how to approach. Keep the car controlled while you gather the information needed for the turn. The legal priority and the actual ability to see a safe opportunity are different questions: having priority does not remove the need to avoid a collision.

Before you practise

• Identify the area hidden by the parked vehicle
• Reduce workload before reaching the decision point
• Wait if you cannot establish a safe opportunity

A focused practice session

During a supervised route, identify intersections with restricted sight lines without deliberately seeking risky gaps. Discuss where you first noticed the restriction and how it affected your approach. Ask your instructor to explain any positioning adjustment before trying it.

A situation to discuss

A parked delivery vehicle limits your view across the road you intend to enter. The fact that the car in front turned successfully tells you little about the next gap. Stop or wait as required and use instructor guidance to assess the actual view and opportunity. Avoid turning the situation into a contest with traffic behind. You need information about your own movement, not reassurance borrowed from someone else's decision.