Stopping on the hard shoulder

adouglasmhor

I used the on one from Charing Cross for the first ever time in 30 years of driving last month. Not as bad as I had expected but I generally avoid the right had lane between St Georges X and the Royal like the plague.

Did you know people have failed their driving test for mentioning it in the questions?

cyclonebri1

davidjwest wrote: »

I've seen two people in the last two days on the hard shoulder of the A1M to allow their young children have a wee! In one case there was a service station about 2 miles further along the motorway. Has the law changed to allow you to stop for toilet breaks or is it still only for emergency use, ie when you've broken down?

It's extremely dangerous, the number of lorries I see veering onto the hard should when their drivers appear to be asleep is quite surprising.

I'd seriously advise against doing it.

So what are you saying Delboy??

Flyboy152

Lum wrote: »

Ever tried to use M50 J3? I'd describe that as a non-sliproad.
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/badjunctions/50-4221/

As for the situation the OP describes. I suspect the people in question don't know what the (M) means in A1(M) and think they are still on an A road.

Err....no that is a slip road, albeit a very short one, but nonetheless still a slip road

rev_henry

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Err....no that is a slip road, albeit a very short one, but nonetheless still a slip road

I was just thinking that looking at it...

Lum

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Err....no that is a slip road, albeit a very short one, but nonetheless still a slip road

Have you ever used it? The satellite images make it look much better than it really is.

jase1

Catherine_Johnson wrote: »

On most motorway slip roads I've been on, at the junction with the motorway it says GIVE WAY on the slip road.

Errr, no.....

The slip road has a single dotted line, NOT a double one. The double line with triangle is "give way". Not the same thing at all.

The lines essentially indicate the demarcation of the lane -- i.e. the drivers already on the road have right of way. This is subtly different to a give way.

The clear implication of what you are saying is that a slip road is no different to a junction. This is a dangerous and potentially lethal view to have.

On a slip road, you MUST NOT stop unless you have ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE. Looking back at the HC, it states that you "must not" stop on the slip, but only that you "should not" use the hard shoulder.

In other words, it recognises the sliding scale of stupidity on this one. Yes, if you are on a slip road and there is no hard shoulder, you might have to stop. But I would still argue that you've failed in your responsibilities in 99.99% of occasions if you do this -- filing into a space that is a bit too small is stupid; stopping when there is another car bearing down on you at 50mph is suicidal.

Let me put this another way; you see these dotted lines sometimes when a 3-lane motorway section reduces to a 2. Are you suggesting that if someone in the third lane feels they can't get back into lane 2, they should stop dead at the end of lane 3?

LittleMissAspie

pendulum wrote: »

This is an alarming post if you hold a driver's licence.

Joining a motorway from a non-sliproad, you say? Sliproads tend to be the only way on or off a motorway. Give-way junctions, which you may be thinking of, can be found on dual carriageways. Hopefully you know the difference.

There are plenty of non-slip roads on to the A14 which has a 70mph speed limit and is therefore no different to joining a motorway.

adouglasmhor

LittleMissAspie wrote: »

There are plenty of non-slip roads on to the A14 which has a 70mph speed limit and is therefore no different to joining a motorway.

But it is not a motorway.

Flyboy152

Lum wrote: »

Have you ever used it? The satellite images make it look much better than it really is.

Doesn't matter, it is still a slip-road. It is not a 'T'-junction, or a roundabout, it is a slip-road; a very short one.

Flyboy152

jase1 wrote: »

Errr, no.....

The slip road has a single dotted line, NOT a double one. The double line with triangle is "give way". Not the same thing at all.

The lines essentially indicate the demarcation of the lane -- i.e. the drivers already on the road have right of way. This is subtly different to a give way.

The clear implication of what you are saying is that a slip road is no different to a junction. This is a dangerous and potentially lethal view to have.

On a slip road, you MUST NOT stop unless you have ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE. Looking back at the HC, it states that you "must not" stop on the slip, but only that you "should not" use the hard shoulder.

In other words, it recognises the sliding scale of stupidity on this one. Yes, if you are on a slip road and there is no hard shoulder, you might have to stop. But I would still argue that you've failed in your responsibilities in 99.99% of occasions if you do this -- filing into a space that is a bit too small is stupid; stopping when there is another car bearing down on you at 50mph is suicidal.

Let me put this another way; you see these dotted lines sometimes when a 3-lane motorway section reduces to a 2. Are you suggesting that if someone in the third lane feels they can't get back into lane 2, they should stop dead at the end of lane 3?

I was always taught that the on "slip-road," is actually an acceleration lane and the off "slip-road," is a deceleration lane.