Merging from slip roads into traffic on motorways
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From: Brimstone on 16 Feb 2010 07:59 "Nkosi (ama-ecosse)" <minankosi(a)googlemail.com> wrote in message news:6bf8afbe-0519-460b-8bcb-ecc15e2cc452(a)k19g2000yqc.googlegroups.com... > On 16 Feb, 11:56, Huge <H...(a)nowhere.much.invalid> wrote: >> On 2010-02-16, Tim <timdownie2...(a)obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote: >> >> > Mr Benn wrote: >> >> It's such a simple thing to do. >> >> >> Correct Method: >> >> >> Match your speed on the slip road approximately to the speed of >> >> traffic travelling in lane 1 and then choose an empty slot to move >> >> into. >> >> Incorrect Method: >> >> >> Match your speed on the slip road, drive parallel to a vehicle >> >> already in lane 1 and then try to merge into the side of the vehicle >> >> even though there are gaps in front of and behind the vehicle. >> >> I'd just like to say "Hello" to the driver of the red Subaru who tried >> this >> one on me an the A1(M) a couple of weeks ago. >> >> >> Why are so many drivers getting this wrong? >> >> > Probably because motorway driving isn't part of the driving test. >> >> More likely because so many drivers are aggressive morons. >> >> > You've forgotten "Incorrect method number 2": Slow down until >> > stationary at >> > the end of the sliproad and wait for a large gap in the traffic. >> >> That'll be because it isn't incorrect. If you can't merge you stop at the >> Give Way line at the end of the slip road. >> >> -- >> 219361311 >> email me, if you must, at huge {at} huge (dot) org <dot> uk] > > From the HC > > Driving on the motorway > 259 > Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally > approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining > motorway. You should > > give priority to traffic already on the motorway > check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely > into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane > not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard > shoulder > stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the > motorway > remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of > traffic before considering overtaking > > On the motorway > 260 > When you can see well ahead and the road conditions are good, you > should > > drive at a steady cruising speed which you and your vehicle can handle > safely and is within the speed limit (see Rule 124) > keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front and increase the gap on > wet or icy roads, or in fog (see Rules 126 and 235) > > > and while we are here > > Lane discipline > 264 > You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is > clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you > should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. > Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the > left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking. You MUST NOT > drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do > so by the police, HA traffic officers in uniform or by signs. > > > [Laws MT(E&W)R regs 5, 9 & 16(1)(a), MT(S)R regs 4, 8 & 14(1)(a), and > RTA 1988, sects 35 & 186, as amended by TMA 2004 sect 6] > > So i have gauged the speed of the motorway traffic at 70mph, and have > accelerated accordingly, Numpty Fuckwit in his Audi has noticed that I > am going to emerge in front of him so accelerates to stop me entering > the motorway unless I brake to avoid him and therefore slows me to 50 > mph now I am trying to join the nose to tail traffic behing him at 20 > mph less than the traffic speed. According to the above rules who is > in the wrong? Just about every time I join a motorway in this country > this is the scenario, only the make of car changes from time to time. > Whoever heard of an Audi or BMW driving in the nearside lane of a motorway at 70 mph?
From: Mortimer on 16 Feb 2010 08:05 "Huge" <Huge(a)nowhere.much.invalid> wrote in message news:7tvffvFc6vU4(a)mid.individual.net... > On 2010-02-16, Tim <timdownie2003(a)obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote: >> You've forgotten "Incorrect method number 2": Slow down until stationary >> at >> the end of the sliproad and wait for a large gap in the traffic. > > That'll be because it isn't incorrect. If you can't merge you stop at the > Give Way line at the end of the slip road. It's not wrong to do it this way, but on a busy motorway it's a sure-fire way of having to sit there for minutes on end until either a large enough gap appears or else a kind driver in Lane 1 moves over to let you in. I got into this situation on the A1 near Doncaster when I turn off at one of the services on the northbound carriageway and then wanted to rejoin the A1. I saw that there was a very short entry slip road and very dense traffic with no gaps, so I stopped as soon as I'd turned left and was parallel with the traffic. I was sat there for 7 minutes before there was a big enough gap for me to be able to accelerate safely along the slip road and get up to the speed of the traffic that I was joining. Not one single car moved over to let me in :-( And this was in a car with good acceleration. If I'd had a less powerful car I wouldn't have been able to get up to 70 safely in the gap that I was able to get into. If you are going to stop on the slip road because there isn't a gap to slot into, you should do so as far up the slip road as possible, to give to maximum room to accelerate up to speed before you run out of road and have to join the motorway. The worst situation is when you have to abort the acceleration because the situation has changed: I once saw a big enough gap to be able to move into and started to move over from the slip road (with my indicator on), only to find that a driver in Lane 2 was moving back into Lane 1 into "my" gap without even indicating. At least with a motorway there's usually/always a hard shoulder beyond the slip road so in extreme cases you can accelerate along that if you've had to stop at the far end of the slip road.
From: FrengaX on 16 Feb 2010 08:08 On Feb 16, 11:41 am, Halmyre <flashgordonreced...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > On 16 Feb, 11:30, "Tim" <timdownie2...(a)obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > > > > > > Mr Benn wrote: > > > It's such a simple thing to do. > > > > Correct Method: > > > > Match your speed on the slip road approximately to the speed of > > > traffic travelling in lane 1 and then choose an empty slot to move > > > into. > > > Incorrect Method: > > > > Match your speed on the slip road, drive parallel to a vehicle > > > already in lane 1 and then try to merge into the side of the vehicle > > > even though there are gaps in front of and behind the vehicle. > > > > Why are so many drivers getting this wrong? > > > Probably because motorway driving isn't part of the driving test. > > > You've forgotten "Incorrect method number 2": Slow down until stationary at > > the end of the sliproad and wait for a large gap in the traffic. > > > The technique of merging with a high speed flow of traffic is alien > > territory for many new drivers who haven't done passplus. Not too > > surprising that some folk get it wrong. > > > Tim > > There's also incorrect method number three - simply drive onto the > motorway assuming that other cars will change lanes to accommodate > you. Bonus points if you then immediately cross all three lanes and > latch on to the rear bumper of the car in front of you. Or another one I have observed on a particular slip road (downhill onto a dual-carriageway A road) on more than one occasion: Get onto slip road doing about 40 (which was the speed limit up until that point where it turns to NSL) Apply brakes !!!! even though there is nothing in front, and you haven't even got to the point where the slip road starts to join the dual-carriageway. Arrive at the merge point now doing 30-35mph, where the traffic you're joining is doing never less than 65.
From: damduck-egg on 16 Feb 2010 08:28 On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:47:04 -0000, "Mr Benn" <nospam(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > >. >> >> >What does the broke line mean? Give way is the answer. Traffiic already >> >on >> >the motorway has priority. >> >> Thats all very well in theory but do want to be coming down the inside >> lane >> when some pensioner stopped at the line decides its time to test her 1.0 >> Micra automatics 0-60 time as she accelerates up to motorway speeds? >> > >I bet that's the first time the words "Micra", ""accelerate" and >"motorway speeds" have been seen in close proximity. >--------- > >Bumper cars shouldn't be allowed on motorways. > On the other hand it shows how far we have come over the past 45 years. B series powered MGB GT's have around the same 0 to 60. I suppose the Micra driver equivalent back then would be something like an Austin 1100 with a 0 to 60 at around 21 seconds and surprisingly the base Cortina as used by many lowly reps was fractionally slower when first introduced. G.Harman
From: Chris Bartram on 16 Feb 2010 12:00
On 16/02/2010 11:56, Huge wrote: >>> Why are so many drivers getting this wrong? >> >> Probably because motorway driving isn't part of the driving test. > > More likely because so many drivers are aggressive morons. > I just think they're a bit thick, to be honest. It's the same in congestion, with the dreaded zip merge. |