Ar rant (with apologies) - driving in snow.

alastairq

golly gosh [acceptable in the exclamation filter??]

Lots of 'would you do this?' and 'are you daft enough to do that?'

For those who are adamant that whatever procedure they are advocating, happens to be 'what they were taught'......well, consider exactly what is taught, when 'learning to pass a driving test?'

For that is what one undergoes when 'learning'....it's called 'licence acquisition'....the test being a 'demonstration of competence'....the level of competence being set at a fairly basic one...[Cat C and D have a higher standard].

The idea of 'learning to drive' is a false generalisation.

[If 'teaching' someone to drive, at what point does one say, the student can now drive? No matter how 'advanced' a driver considers themselves, no matter what standard of training is undergone, 'learning to drive' is a continual process for all, without exception......where it all goes wrong , is where folk don't think they have anything more to learn]

Regarding large vehicle drivers not moving to the right on approaching an entry road?

Often this is actually inadvisable...[for the large vehicle]

The reason being, if one moves one's large vehicle into the 2nd lane, one can well end up 'trapped... since a large vehicle is severely limited in terms of overall speed, or ability to increase speed.

Nothing worse than having cars, etc, on one's 'blind side', for any significant distance.


Then there's the issue of 'slower vehicles' on motorways, etc?

And the inate urge to get them to go faster, simply because an individual driver wishes to do so, and the slow vehicle is 'in the way'?

Said slower driver gets vilified roundly, usually as being 'incompetent'......

well, the 'incompetence' lies with all the other drivers [if cap fits, etc] who fail to cope with slower vehicle, comfortably and successfully.

So next time one comes across a slow[er] vehicle on a motorway, look to your own competence, not theirs.


perhaps that slower driver actually has realised something you haven't?

alastairq

No, I would "wait" on the slip road, which is not the same as "stop" on the slip road.

If you cannot find a safe gap, you have 3 options:-

1. Use an unsafe gap - Offence - Driving without due care / dangerous driving

2. Use the Hard Shoulder - Offence - using Hard Shoulder in a non-emergency situation.

3. Wait at the give way point - Not an offence.

You need to look up.

All of which takes confidence and competence to carry out... something sadly lacking [even though they wont admit it] by too many drivers.

Too much fear of 'urban myth'...?

I see too many drivers hurtle down a motorway access [entry] road at 70mph, which leave them but one option if no gap exists....plus, very little time to actually assess the traffic situation....of course, most drivers wear their underpants outside their trousers, don't they?

Why not start down the access road at a substantially lower speed, giving the driver more time to assess, and more options with regards to vehicle speed, etc?

Sorry, that idea wont suit the ethos of most out there behind the wheel, so just forget it, bash on as usual,and hope everyone else gets one out of the driving hole we've gotten into?


Me?

I don't have these problems......dunno what all the fuss is about....?

mikey72

real1314 wrote: »

No, I would "wait" on the slip road, which is not the same as "stop" on the slip road............:cool:

If you want to "wait", stopped at the end of a 70mph slip road, then try to pull off in first gear, into a stream of traffic doing 70mph, I wish you well.

Me, I'd happily pass you on the left, enter the motorway off the hard shoulder, and hopefully be clear of your accident.

And I reckon I'd easily class not hitting the back of someone "waiting" in the middle of the sliproad an emergency.

Sgt_Pepper_2

mikey72 wrote: »

If you want to "wait", stopped at the end of a 70mph slip road, then try to pull off in first gear, into a stream of traffic doing 70mph, I wish you well.

Me, I'd happily pass you on the left, enter the motorway off the hard shoulder, and hopefully be clear of your accident.

And I reckon I'd easily class not hitting the back of someone "waiting" in the middle of the sliproad an emergency.

Tell that to the magistrates, see if they buy it.

alastairq

And I reckon I'd easily class not hitting the back of someone "waiting" in the middle of the sliproad an emergency.

the 'emergency' being of your own making....for failing to exercise 'due care and attention'....

stopped at the end of a 70mph slip road,

firstly, that '70mph' [ as low as 40mph for certain classes of LGV!] is not a target, it is the maximum permitted [lawful] speed.

In fact, the maximum permitted speed on any road, is that which bears due regard for road and traffic conditions.

Any speed above that speed, regardless of how much higher the speed limit is.... constitutes careless [or even, dangerous] driving.

As for

into a stream of traffic doing 70mph,

?

I suggest that in fact, your 'stream of traffic' won't be doing 70 mph!..More likely a range of speeds including 50, 56, 60 or even less, mph.... because motorway traffic doesn't just consist of cars travelling at high speeds, but in reality consists of a mixture of vehicle types,most of which probably cannot, or don't want to, travel at 70mph!


I suggest the 70 mph speed is your own personal desire or whim.....and you look for any excuse for an inability to cope with those who may be doing the job 'properly', because it is inconvenient for you.

so, who is the better driver?

Who is the one advocating dramatic [and unlawful] action because they cannot cope?

real1314

mikey72 wrote: »

If you want to "wait", stopped at the end of a 70mph slip road, then try to pull off in first gear, into a stream of traffic doing 70mph, I wish you well.

Me, I'd happily pass you on the left, enter the motorway off the hard shoulder, and hopefully be clear of your accident.

And I reckon I'd easily class not hitting the back of someone "waiting" in the middle of the sliproad an emergency.

And in doing so would have ignored 2 different items listed on the page you pulled your quote from. 1. Joining the motorway - you must not use the hard shoulder ; 2. You must not drive on the hard shoulder.

In theory, my approach would work - eventually there would be a suitable gap in the traffic - perhaps it would be at 2am, but it would happen. If a plod asks why I was waiting I would say that the other options were to: 1 - Drive on the hard shoulder or 2 - Cause an accident.

The fact that you were unable t stop in time to avoid hitting my vehicle suggests you drive too close or too fast for situations.

You're a bad driver, as proven by your own statements. :cool:

mikey72

I'll take my chances with a magistrate, but if you want to stop, you can take your chances with the emergency services of your choosing.
Don't worry, I won't be too close to stop, I choose not to, and hopefully whatever hits you will be big enough to survive the impact.

And if you really have to stop, because you can't merge at 40mph, that says enough.

Obukit

mikey72 wrote: »

And if you really have to stop, because you can't merge at 40mph, that says enough.

I think the point that is being made is that 99.99% of the time, you won't need to stop, you observe the road and find a suitable gap. However, you shouldn't expect others to make a gap for you, and berate them if they don't. First lesson of advance driver training - always have an escape plan - in this case being able to legally merge onto a motorway if no gap is forthcoming.

mikey72

Obukit wrote: »

I think the point that is being made is that 99.99% of the time, you won't need to stop, you observe the road and find a suitable gap. However, you shouldn't expect others to make a gap for you, and berate them if they don't. First lesson of advance driver training - always have an escape plan - in this case being able to legally merge onto a motorway if no gap is forthcoming.

Indeed I do, and it's not stopping on the sliproad.

Crabman

real1314 wrote: »

If a plod asks why I was waiting I would say that the other options were to: 1 - Drive on the hard shoulder or 2 - Cause an accident.

Solution: drive on the hard shoulder in order to prevent an accident. :cool:

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows you use the hard shoulder to merge with lane 1 if it isn't possible to merge from the slip road.