Ar rant (with apologies) - driving in snow.

michaelvintner

Sgt_Pepper wrote: »

Build up your speed on the hard shoulder, indicate and join when safe to do so.

Ditto, on the rare occassion I have actually been anywhere near the hard shoulder I have normally been up to at least 50 before I had a safe chance to rejoin the motorway.

pinkteapot

laughingboy wrote: »

What about the plonkers driving with no lights on?

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/02/06/article-2096586-119B9635000005DC-840_964x558.jpg

On the other hand, driving yesterday afternoon with good visibility (no mist/fog at all), lots of people had fog lights on.

Since when did snow on the side of the road mean you should put your fog lights on?

cyclonebri1

pinkteapot wrote: »

On the other hand, driving yesterday afternoon with good visibility (no mist/fog at all), lots of people had fog lights on.

Since when did snow on the side of the road mean you should put your fog lights on?

Since chavs wiv cars wiv snow lights wos invented innit?;)

fattybumble85

scooby75 wrote: »

If you are on a slip road and there is danger entering the motorway and coming to a stop then use the hard shoulder if you have to and is safe to do so. Its there for emergencies, and preventing an accident is as good as. At least that's what the police I work with tell me.

This is exactly what my pass plus instructor told me. If you cannot get into lane at the end of the slip road you carry on using the hard shoulder until you can. Its for emergencies - I quote "if driving down a slip road at 50mph and finding yourself unable to get into lane isn't an emergency, what's the alternative?" slamming on the brakes?! Really?!
Obviously you move over as soon as you can, not carry on driving there for miles! Though I think if the traffic was crawling and nearly stationery you would wait on the slip road and move (or nudge your way) into the lane rather than start speeding down the hard shoulder!

I've also been taught that if you're able you should move across lanes when slip roads are approaching to let people on, especially on my local dual carriageway where there is no slip road and most people are arrogant twonks and cant possibly let anyone else on their road!

pinkteapot

fattybumble85 wrote: »

This is exactly what my pass plus instructor told me. If you cannot get into lane at the end of the slip road you carry on using the hard shoulder until you can. Its for emergencies - I quote "if driving down a slip road at 50mph and finding yourself unable to get into lane isn't an emergency, what's the alternative?" slamming on the brakes?! Really?!
Obviously you move over as soon as you can, not carry on driving there for miles! Though I think if the traffic was crawling and nearly stationery you would wait on the slip road and move (or nudge your way) into the lane rather than start speeding down the hard shoulder!

But when would this actually happen in real life?

You covered the case where the motorway is crawling due to a traffic jam. Cars go down the slip road at a crawl and filter in.

If the motorway traffic is moving, whether the inside lane is doing 40, 50, 60 or 70mph, you should be able to match their speed and then slot in. Unless people are literally driving bumper to bumper.

The only exception may be extremely short slip roads, as you sometimes get on A-roads, but motorway slip roads tend to be a decent length.

mikey72

We've got one.

Tight curve back on itself, and an uphill gradient, on a short sliproad.

You can get down to 20mph in a truck on it.
So if you can't get in safely, the slip road is used to accelerate.

Or you could do what some posters would suggest, stop, and then try a hill start. :rotfl:

fattybumble85

pinkteapot wrote: »

But when would this actually happen in real life?

You covered the case where the motorway is crawling due to a traffic jam. Cars go down the slip road at a crawl and filter in.

If the motorway traffic is moving, whether the inside lane is doing 40, 50, 60 or 70mph, you should be able to match their speed and then slot in. Unless people are literally driving bumper to bumper.

The only exception may be extremely short slip roads, as you sometimes get on A-roads, but motorway slip roads tend to be a decent length.

I think you are right, I'm yet to have to do this though I've only been driving for 4 months nor have I ever seen anyone do it, but there may be a time when you can't see a gap coming up and I know I would much rather use the hard shoulder rather than slam on my brakes and have the cars behind me smack into the back!
I was told this before I went on the motorway for the first time and when he asked why I was scared I told him it was because I worried about being able to come onto the motorway - I believe my words were "but what if no-one lets me in?!". Knowing what to do if I made a mistake judging the traffic or couldn't see a gap, that I could just carry on in the slip road without panicking and trying to barge my way into lane makes me feel more at ease when using motorways. Thats my take on it anyway!

jase1

pinkteapot wrote: »

But when would this actually happen in real life?

The time it would happen is when the bl88dy idiot in front of you has decided to stop dead at the end of the slip road.

I would say that it's very, very unlikely that an even half-awake, reasonably competent driver wouldn't get themselves into the position where they are faced with "stop or use hard shoulder" in a situation where the cars on the motorway are moving and no-one has done the above in front of them. Maybe once in a lifetime.

But stopping on a motorway slip road when traffic is running at high speed is something I'd put in the "avoid at all costs" box. Call me old fashioned....

EDIT: yes, I have seen the kind of road mikey is talking about. However, the few of these I've seen (the worst two being the A66-A19 northbound junction in Middlesbrough, and a junction on the A60 I think in Bathgate, where there's a turn-off immediately afterwards for good measure!) have actual "Give-Way" signs and road-paint, so are different animals altogether. Don't like either junction and avoid them in rush-hour if possible

mikey72

jase1 wrote: »

EDIT: yes, I have seen the kind of road mikey is talking about. However, the few of these I've seen (the worst two being the A66-A19 northbound junction in Middlesbrough, and a junction on the A60 I think in Bathgate, where there's a turn-off immediately afterwards for good measure!) have actual "Give-Way" signs and road-paint, so are different animals altogether. Don't like either junction and avoid them in rush-hour if possible

It's a motorway junction. M6 j15 northbound if someone wants to googlemap it.

Any comments I've made on this thread are solely about motorway slip roads, and I think other posters would have to be a different kind of driver to me to even consider stopping on one.