Lesson 3.7 | Module 3: Junctions
Judging Safe Gaps
Choose gaps based on time, speed, and safety, not pressure from the car behind.
Main Video
What This Helps With
Gap judgement is the difference between waiting safely and making another driver brake for you.
The Simple Version
If the other road user would need to slow down, swerve, or look worried because of you, the gap is not good enough.
A Useful Gap Test
Ask yourself two questions: can I get out without rushing, and can the other road user keep doing what they are already doing? If either answer is no, wait. A safe gap should feel calm, not like a gamble.
Common Mistakes
- Only judging distance, not speed.
- Going because someone flashes.
- Waiting too long after a safe gap appears.
- Letting pressure from behind decide for you.
What Examiners Care About
They want independent judgement. A flash, wave, or horn does not make a gap safe.
Practise On Your Next Lesson
Ask your instructor to pause after junctions and ask: was that gap safe, tight, or too small? Try to explain your answer using speed, distance, and how much time you had.
Ask Your Instructor
"Would that gap have made the other driver react?"
Quick Self-Check
- Did I judge speed as well as distance?
- Did I ignore pressure from behind?
- Did I commit once the gap was safe?