Slip roads onto dual carriageways.....

Din85

I bet your all perfect drivers !

I'm not.... And neither is anybody else, I was entering a 70mph duel carridgeway this afternoon on a long slip road, there was a 7.5 tonne lorry in front of me, I slowed towards the 90 degree bend before the slip road to give him a chance to get up speed and get some good distance between us, all was going well, I got on the slip... Checked my mirror, all cars had moved from the 1st lane to the second, checked ahead (all good still), out of habit looked over my shoulder to check my blind spot, looked back ahead...... Mr lorry had slowed to a crawl very quickly indeed, hit the breaks and got the distance between us back, luckily the 1st lane was still clear so I joined with out issue, let the lorry pull out in front of me, then when I had the opportunity I joined the 2nd lane to overtake said lorry..... Then he beeped me ?

Meh, this kind of thing happens all the time, I wasn't annoyed, though quite why he slowed up from approx 50 mph to 30 odd that quickly I don't know and never will.

It's not as bad as the lorry that almost hit me moving over in to the second lane right as I was over taking (in a 90k car that was not mine) because some dimwit in a micra pulled out from the slip road while continuing to text on her mobile with out noticing the articulated lorry next to her... She continued to text while along side me too... That did make me cross.

Just got to keep your wits about you when ever your in a car, I think as someone earlier mentioned, expect the unexpected !

Joe_Horner

Din85 wrote: »

I bet your all perfect drivers !

I'm not.... And neither is anybody else[...]

Totally agree. But the problem with the OP isn't what happened, it's his reaction to it.

Rather than thinking "!!!!!! that was close" and learning for next time, it was "all the other driver's fault" in his eyes and he apparently did well by controlling his urge to berate her in some way. That's a very dangerous and, unfortunately, all too common attitude out there.

Din85

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Totally agree. But the problem with the OP isn't what happened, it's his reaction to it.

Rather than thinking "!!!!!! that was close and learning for next time,

Yeah that's fair comment, and indeed what we should all do in the same situation.... As you also say, it doesnt happen often though, most people like to blame, especially when taken by surprise by something you did not anticipate.

almillar

Rather than thinking "!!!!!! that was close" and learning for next time, it was "all the other driver's fault"

As I've said, Strider has fault for not looking where he's going, but the woman stopped in the slip road (for no reason) takes most of the blame.

Cornucopia

almillar wrote: »

As I've said, Strider has fault for not looking where he's going, but the woman stopped in the slip road (for no reason) takes most of the blame.

Why do you think she was stopped for no reason. Clearly she wasn't having a picnic, but had failed to join the on-coming traffic and was waiting for a big enough gap to join safely from stationery. (Or thought she was).

In practice, it doesn't matter whether she was stopped for a legitimate reason (as long as she wasn't negligent). If the OP had hit her car, he would have been 100% at fault.

almillar

If the OP had hit her car, he would have been 100% at fault.

The woman stopped in the slip road was driving badly. Strider said it wasn't busy, so she really shouldn't have been stopped there. He should have been looking where he was going of course, but don't let people think it's OK to stop in a slip road.

redux

Strider590 wrote: »

I've just got home after a long day at the orifice, the final 3 miles of my journey involves entering a 40 limit dual carriageway from a minor road with a short(ish) slip road after a 90 degree bend. Said slip road has a car high metal fence with bushes growing behind, you cannot see around the corner at all.

So anyway, I enter this slip road today, peering over my shoulder as I approach the 90 bend, there's 1 car coming and then it's clear, so I cruise around the corner timing my acceleration to pull out behind this car.

Can anyone guess what happens next?

Yep, there's some muppet in an old Fiesta, sat stationary at the very end of the slip road...... I stand on the brakes, a wheels lock up and squeals briefly before the ABS kicks in, I stop with about 2 foot to spare, the driver then drives off slow as you like (about 15 in a 40).

I'm just shaking my head at her stupidity (it's dark and I know she can't see me) and in a rare moment of calm I don't toot, I don't flash, I just change lanes and calmly overtake. BUT she now decides to give chase, flashing and sounding her horn for about half a mile, so i'm contemplating exiting the vehicle and calmly explaining the law to her at the next set of traffic lights. She turns off a few hundred yards before that.......

I'm sure she'd have been all "you we're driving too fast!!" in the loudest screechy voice possible (because of course the loudest is always right). I'm sure i'd have explained the illegal nature of what she had done and pointed her toward the highway code section regarding slip roads and speed matching and i'm sure she'd have been screeching so loud as not to hear me anyway.

To be honest, I see this on a weekly basis and I wonder at what stage did we as a driving nation choose to forget that it's illegal to stop on a slip road? Or more to the point, when did we simply decide to ignore the law and do whatever the f**k we like?

I haven't used my onboard camera for a few months, but it's going back in the car tomorrow morning.....

Irrespective of the rights or wrongs of the other driver, anticipation that other people might do something odd should arise in your thoughts.

If this happens to you on a weekly basis, why does it still take you by surprise?

Cornucopia

almillar wrote: »

The woman stopped in the slip road was driving badly. Strider said it wasn't busy, so she really shouldn't have been stopped there. He should have been looking where he was going of course, but don't let people think it's OK to stop in a slip road.

Assuming that she wasn't stopped for a picnic, it is okay for her to be stopped on a slip-road. There are all sorts of reasons why it might be necessary (including making allowances for the driver to drive safely within their own abilities).

There are a number of basic rules of the road that people seem to forget. Drive to the conditions within the distance you know to be safe. Doesn't get much more basic than that.

almillar

(including making allowances for the driver to drive safely within their own abilities).

Sorry, shouldn't be on the road. It's a slip road, not a give way, you're not meant to stop, and on Strider's evidence, she had no need to. I'm not defending Strider, but why do people suddenly think it's OK to stop on a slip road?!

Nodding_Donkey

But that is just it, it IS a Give Way