Positioning for Turns

One of the most commonly mistested topics, precisely because the two directions require opposite positioning — and it's easy to default to whichever habit you learned first.

Left turn (the "near-side" turn — you're not crossing oncoming traffic): position as close to the left edge of your lane as possible on approach. You're turning toward the side you're already on, so there's no oncoming traffic to account for — your job is a tight, controlled turn that doesn't swing wide into the next lane.

Right turn (the "far-side" turn — you must cross oncoming traffic): position as close to the centre line as possible on approach, without crossing it. You must not obstruct oncoming traffic while waiting, and your position itself signals your intention — placed correctly, drivers behind can still pass on your left while you wait for a gap.

On a one-way road, the right-turn rule changes — because there's no oncoming traffic to manage at all:

• Left turn: still as close to the left edge as possible.
• Right turn: as close to the right edge of the lane as possible — you're free to use the full right-hand side, since nothing is coming the other way.
  

Why it matters in practice: sitting too far left while waiting to turn right is a common cause of junction near-misses — it signals your intention poorly and blocks traffic behind that wants to go straight or turn left.