actually i think that you can to a certain extent. after driving and riding for a while, you get a 'sixth sense' of what others are going to do. you just know sometimes when someone is going to turn, even before they've indicated or slowed down for example.

when approaching, assess the driver and the position etc of the car in the side road. are they old, do you think that they've seen you, try to make eye contact, then also look at the wheels to spot the first signs of movement. be prepared to avoid a car that may pull out by planning an escape route (that does not mean that you have to come to a stop in a straight line - it is often better to plan to escape down the road that they have just come out of).

that is why it is very important that you conciously understand how countersteering works so that in an emergency you can put it into practice and go where you need to go. you may not make it around the corner, but at least if you have turned in as best that you can to stay on your side of the side and avoid the car that has pulled out on you, probably the worst that would happen would be a lowside slide (where the chances of serious injury are much less than an upright collision with another vehicle).

EDIT: just to add that when approaching a junction with a vehicle waiting to turn, a good little tip is to move around a little within your lane. the movement of the light attracts the attention much better than just riding directly towards them in a straight line

as i said, you need a lot more training than passing a test gives you