Wet T-Junction With a School Bus and Fast Motorcycle
At 7:50 a.m. on a wet morning, you approach an uncontrolled T-junction from a minor road. You want to turn right onto the main road. A school bus is stopped on the main road to your left, with its right-side indicator flashing and children nearby. A motorcyclist is approaching from your right at about 50 km/h in a 40 km/h zone. A car opposite you on the main road has its left indicator on, suggesting it will turn into your minor road. There is a pedestrian at the corner, and your view to the right is partly blocked by a parked van. Your front wheels are just behind the stop line. Another driver behind you sounds the horn. The rain is easing but the road is still slick.
1. Who has priority, and in what order should you deal with the bus, motorcycle, opposite car and pedestrian?
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You are on the minor road, so you must give way to traffic on the main road. The motorcyclist from your right is on the main road and has priority even though the speed is above the limit; the speed does not transfer right of way to you. Wait for the motorcycle to pass before considering a turn.
The opposite car's left indicator is only an intention. It may turn across your path, may cancel late, or may pass straight through. Do not assume it will yield. Treat the school bus and children as a separate hazard: keep the stop line clear, watch for a child stepping out, and do not move while the bus is loading or unloading. The pedestrian at the corner must be given way to if crossing. The horn behind you creates no gap. Sequence: stop, scan right, let the motorcycle pass, watch the opposite car, check the bus and pedestrian, then proceed only when clear.
2. The driver behind sounds the horn. What should you do, and what would make you abandon the turn entirely?
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Hold your position and ignore the pressure. A horn does not create a safe gap, and creeping forward past the stop line reduces your escape space and may block the pedestrian or the opposite car. Keep your foot on the brake, continue scanning right and left, and move only when the path is visibly clear.
Abandon the turn if the opposite car commits to turning into your road, if a group of motorcyclists follows the first one, if the bus unloads children into your path, or if the parked van still blocks your view far enough that you cannot judge approaching traffic. In any of those cases, wait for a better gap or choose a safer route rather than forcing the right turn.
3. After the motorcycle passes, the opposite car slows but does not cancel its left indicator. Can you turn right? Explain.
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Not yet. An indicator shows intention, not permission. The car may be waiting for the bus, may turn slowly across your path, or may have left the indicator on by mistake. If it turns into your minor road, your right-turn path will conflict with it.
Watch the front wheels and the car's position, not only the lamp. Proceed only when the car has clearly passed, or has clearly committed to the turn and left you enough space, and when your view to the right is clear. If there is doubt, wait. A missed gap costs seconds; a misjudged turn can cause a collision.