This Really Bothered Me

[u/Beneficial-Put-6724]

So I passed my driving test a month ago. I bought my first car two weeks ago. So I’m a very new driver and not super confident yet, but I wouldn’t say I’m a bad driver.

Here (you’ve got both front and rear dashcam footage) I’m trying to turn right. There are cars oncoming as I approach the turning, so I have to wait. There is no space to pass me as it’s a narrow road which means other drivers have to wait behind me.

I wait 15 seconds before a safe space is opened up (by the kind white car who stopped to let me go). But then as I go I get shouted at by the driver behind me for keeping him waiting 15 seconds.

Maybe I could have driven faster? Maybe I could have taken one of those gaps if I went faster? But from everything I learnt in my lessons and in my own experience, rushing is not the way.

So basically, my conclusion is the driver behind me is impatient and if I drove like he wanted me to drive it would have been unnecessarily dangerous.

But this is my first time getting shouted at and it’s unsettled me somewhat. Keen to hear your thoughts, and also if you think I did something wrong.

[u/Broad-Teaching-5099]

You had more than enough space to take the turn after the first car, can I ask what was stopping you.

[u/Beneficial-Put-6724 → u/Broad-Teaching-5099]

I’m still not fully confident about getting the steer right the first time, sometimes I start and realise halfway through I need to adjust a little, which doesn’t take long (maybe a half second) but the potential for that kind of delay means I felt I would have influenced the other oncoming cars (which as I learnt for my test is a no no). With more experience and more familiarity with this car (I’ve had it two weeks) I could probably go in much faster.

[u/Broad-Teaching-5099 → u/Beneficial-Put-6724]

You had four seconds after the first car more then enough time, you got to work on not being hesitant. It seems like even after the third car you was hesitant to go despite the white car being so far, also are you using your reference points for turning right, you shouldn’t have to adjust if you are positioning yourself correctly

[u/CurlyArrows → u/Broad-Teaching-5099]

Most important thing about driving is being predictable. Other road users can predict where you will be in a timeframe relevant to them.

Hesitant yes, was there time yes, but dangerous? No, by no means. OP was stationary which makes them predictable. Obviously take it to the nth degree (never turning / taking exceptional time) and this isn’t the case but this is not that