Motorway driving - part 1
Discussion
These articles have taken some considerable time to put together, as they’re more reliant on pictures and video than my other posts. For those of you who have made use of my text documents previously, I’ve left the video aspect till last, so the text / picture element can be copied and pasted in one piece.
The thinking behind these particular articles is that very few people are ever taught how to drive on motorways. Provisional licence holders are specifically prohibited from motorways, and apart from a small element of the theory test, drivers in the UK aren’t tested on motorway driving. This seems odd to me, as motorways are very different from any other roads that a learner will have encountered, and they’re the fastest roads in the country, which in my view, isn’t somewhere we should be allowing untrained, inexperienced drivers to go.
Most new drivers will, of course, take their first venture onto the motorway in company with a more experienced driver – my dad took me on the motorway for the first time on the day I passed my test, and I’ve since done the same for my eldest stepson. Others will take the Pass Plus course, which is a nice introduction to motorways.
In these particular articles (unlike others I’ve written), I’m going to assume no prior knowledge on the part of the reader. I make no apologies for this – I want it to be helpful for everyone from brand new licence-holders, through to advanced drivers. I’ve tried to include something for everyone, so it should be useful if you only ever use a motorway every other month, or if you do 70,000 miles a year. There will be a section which covers driving at very high speed on the motorway for those who are interested – it has it’s own little introductory passage, so that you don’t read it out of context, even if you skip the other stuff.
Most articles I’ve ever read about motorway driving always seem to start with a very patronising piece about making sure your car is fit for the journey, ensuring you’ve enough fuel, that your tyres are in good condition, that you’ve planned your route, polished your glasses, readied your pipe tobacco and correctly adjusted the position of the tissue box on the back shelf.
I think I’ll skip that bit, to be honest, as it’s a bit egg-suckyish even for a beginners guide, so I’ll assume you know how to read a map and how to put petrol in.
So, in the first instalment, I’ve given a brief introduction to the subject, and then written about how to enter a motorway correctly…
INTRODUCTION
Before I go any further, I’ll start with a description of a motorway, and a quick look at some of the terms I’ll be using.
A motorway is a special road.
That was easy, wasn’t it?
But what’s special about a motorway? Well, let’s expand my description a little. A motorway is a dual carriageway road, usually with two or more lanes in each direction. It is bordered to the nearside by a hard shoulder, and to the offside by a central reservation and barrier. There are small exceptions to these rules, of course, but that description will fit for 99.9% of UK motorways.
Motorways do not have traffic lights, T-junctions or roundabouts, and to enter or leave a motorway, you have to negotiate slip-roads, which usually connect to the nearside of the motorway.
Motorways also have special rules, mostly centred around who can’t use the motorway.
So, if you’re out for a walk, cycling, out on your invalidity scooter, driving a tractor, riding a horse or a moped, or you haven’t passed your driving test, you should stay off the motorway. If you’re one of those road users, and you even consider using the motorway, then you’re clinically insane, and you shouldn’t actually be allowed out of the home for the terminally stupid, but that’s by-the-by. As well as being bloody daft, you’ll also be committing an offence. So there.
There are some other rules about who can and can’t use certain lanes, stopping on the motorway etc, and I’ll cover those as I go along.
To start with, here’s a picture which my production team (me, playing with Photoshop) have made, showing a few of the basic descriptive terms I’ll be using…
As you can see, there is no such thing as a slow lane, middle lane, or fast lane. The correct designations for the lanes start with lane 1, which is the first lane to the right of the hard shoulder. It’s bordered to the left by a solid white-line and red cats-eyes and to the right by a broken white line and white cats-eyes. The only time the line to the left of lane 1 becomes broken is when it’s next to a slip-road, at which point the cats-eyes will be green.
Lane 2 is then the next lane to the right, lane 3 is to the right of lane 2, etc, etc. The right-hand lane is bordered by a broken white line and white cats-eyes to the left, and a solid white line and yellow cats-eyes to the right.
Having given you that information, henceforth, anyone referring to slow lanes, fast lanes etc in this thread will be summarily executed by being ignored to death.
So, if you’re able to keep you vehicle in a lane, with red cats-eyes to the left and yellow ones to the right, you’re part-way to being competent at driving on motorways.
Also labelled in that picture are an ETB (Emergency Telephone Box), marker posts and a gantry sign, all of which I’ll cover a bit later. For now, though, I’m going to move on to (quite predictably really)…
ENTERING THE MOTORWAY
There is a video at the end of this article showing a few motorway entries. Please don’t skip straight to the video (even if you’ve got a short attention span), as it’s as dull as dishwater without having read the accompanying text.
It’s a bit boring even if you have read the text, if I’m being honest, but I’d hate to be accused of not being thorough.
Motorway driving, as with any other type of driving, is based around making driving plans. Planning for a motorway entry starts well before you actually get onto the slip-road itself. Your planning starts on the approach to the motorway junction.
Look at the screenshot from the video below. Ok, I know it’s a bit blurred, but from this distance – several hundred yards from the junction – we’ve already got a good view of the traffic on the motorway. We can see if it’s free-moving or snarled to a standstill (in which case, you might choose to take a different route). On some motorway junctions (usually those with a roundabout junction built over the motorway and downhill slip-roads), we can have a quick look onto the motorway itself, and possibly plan which vehicles we’re going to emerge alongside at the end of the slip road.
Anyway – back to the pic…
As we get a bit closer to the junction, we can see the route board for the roundabout. As the road we’re on is not a motorway, the majority of the route board is white with black markings, but the roundabout exits which lead to the motorway, are indicated with blue signs and white markings…
From here, I’ll assume that you know how to negotiate a roundabout, and in this case, we’ve turned right and taken the 5th exit from the roundabout.
As we leave the roundabout, you can see two blue signs. The smaller one to the left confirms which motorway you’re entering and indicates the start of motorway regulations. The larger one to the right is a more general directional finger-board giving the direction of the motorway and the other motorways which lead from it. In this case, we are entering the M65 in the direction of Preston, from which we can also reach the M61 and the M6. There is also a triangle sign warning that our lane converges ahead (in case you hadn’t already guessed).
There is a bit more information available here too if you’re prepared to look outside the box slightly. Towards the end of the slip-road, we’ll be looking to match our speed to the speed of vehicles in lane 1, to allow a fuss-free entry to the motorway. At the point shown in the picture below, we can actually see the motorway itself going from right to left. It’s not possible to see any cars yet, but larger vehicles would be visible, and that view can greatly assist your planning. In this case, we’re entering on an up-hill entry slip, but on down-hill entries, this view is much better and allows for a nicely planned entry.
So, after exiting the roundabout, we then need to accelerate firmly to enter the motorway. But how fast do we accelerate? And to what speed?
Well, as for acceleration, you can increase your speed as quickly as you like. Full-bore acceleration up a slip road can be fun, but it’s your speed when you’re adjacent to lane 1 that’s important, so it’s best not to overdo it. As I said before, you should be matching your speed to the speed of vehicles in lane 1. If those vehicles are large articulated LGVs, then they’re unlikely to be going much over 60mph, so bear that in mind – if you accelerate up to 100mph on a slip-road, you’ll probably have to brake again to join, so it’d be a waste of time. It’s much better (and kinder to your passengers) to use acceleration sense and join without braking.
In the next picture, we’re reaching the point where the slip-road and motorway meet. We should be paying plenty of attention to what’s happening in lane 1, particularly behind you in lane 1, so there should be plenty of mirror checks (both centre and offside) and some shoulder checks too – there is a nasty blind-spot just over your right shoulder which usually manifests itself when joining a motorway.
We’re looking for a suitable gap to pull into at this point. I don’t generally signal when I’m entering a motorway unless it’s particularly busy, in which case I’ll stick an indicator on more as a way of asking the driver behind me in lane 1 to allow me to enter. 9 times out of 10, I find that a signal isn’t necessary – especially if I’ve matched my speed correctly. It should just be a case of sliding smoothly but positively into lane 1.
In the next picture, we’re reaching the end of the slip-road, and we should have picked our gap in lane 1 and matched our speed correctly. We won’t be moving sideways yet, though, as there is a chevron area (called the bull-nose) to the right, bordered with a solid white line. Crossing this line for an early entry onto the motorway is an offence. It’s also a bit daft, as the traffic on the motorway won’t be expecting you to enter at that point, so wait for the broken lines…
That’s better – we’ve moved sideways into lane 1 smoothly and with a minimum of fuss. We haven’t caused anyone to alter their course or speed and everyone is happy...
However, I like to drive progressively when it’s safe, so at this point, I’m already looking for the opportunity to overtake. A mirror and shoulder check reveals that lane 2 is clear, so from that entry to lane 1, I’m almost immediately moving out into lane 2 to overtake…
Now, one thing I should emphasise here is that I always teach people to take one lane at a time when entering a motorway. It is possible to enter a three lane motorway and keep accelerating until you’re almost immediately in lane 3, but it takes considerable planning and practice, and even if I do enter a motorway in that manner, I’m still considering each lane separately in sequence. Also, each initial move to a lane (to the right) should be accompanied with a shoulder check to eliminate the possibility of something lurking in your blind-spot.
It takes a short time to become accustomed to the vehicles that are around you when you first enter a motorway, so try to take a little time to work out their relative speeds and possible intentions, before barrelling straight into lane 3. I’m not saying that you definitely shouldn’t go straight into lane 3 when joining a motorway – but you should carefully consider each lane separately if you do.
A few other notes on motorway entries…
Many slip-roads have two lanes, which allows you to overtake slower moving vehicles prior to entering the motorway – you’ll see me do this on one of the video clips. Now, overtaking on a slip-road is fine, but you must plan to have completed your overtake before the slip-road becomes one lane. This sounds like obvious advice, but I’ve seen countless idiots performing badly-planned overtakes on slip roads, only to end up having to brake hard to enter the motorway. The tendency is to think too much about the overtake, and not enough about the entry until it’s too late. There is also a possibility that you could end up being badly squeezed at the end of the slip-road if you’re not careful.
On a similar theme, if it is a two-lane slip-road, my preference if it’s busy, is to move out to lane 2 on the slip-road nice and early. There are two advantages to this – firstly, it puts you right next to lane 1 early, and gives you a little more time alongside that lane to match your speed correctly.
Secondly, as there are plenty of people who execute badly-planned overtakes on two-lane slip-roads, an early move to lane 2 prevents them from blocking you from entering at the correct point. Keep an eye on your mirrors, and don’t let anyone stuff you.
It is common courtesy if you’re driving along the motorway, to give assistance to joining drivers if it’s safe to do so. If traffic allows, you should try to make allowance for the joining drivers by moving to lane 2 and/or adjusting your speed.
However, as a joining driver, you should never expect people to make these allowances. It’s become all too common these days for drivers to simply expect people on the motorway to make allowances for them. Always remember that the onus is on the joining driver to make the allowances – not on the drivers who are already on the motorway. If, for whatever reason, someone doesn’t or can’t make allowances for you, then make another plan.
Anyway, here’s the video, and the explanatory notes…
Clip 1 is the join which is described in detail above
Clip 2 is a transition from one motorway to another via a roundabout junction. You’ll see that I’m joining into quite heavy traffic, and that the car in front of me on the slip road gives a nice example of how not to do it – watch how they force into a small gap, making the HGV driver brake.
Clip 3 is another motorway-to-motorway join in heavy traffic conditions through a junction which is technically known as a permanent lane gain junction. The lane I’m in (lane 2) becomes a permanent lane on the next motorway, making it lane 1 of 4. The lane to the nearside becomes a more traditional slip-road, and most drivers in the new lane 1 try to accommodate that by moving a lane to the right.
Clip 4 is a nice progressive entry from a downhill, two-lane slip-road. I overtake the car very early on the slip road, and at the same time I formulate a plan to enter lane 1 in front of the HGV.
In clip 5, I’m entering via a two-lane slip-road, and it’s easy to see how I could have stuffed the Mondeo driver. Instead, I took an early lane 2 on the slip-road, but had the Mondeo as a clear part of my plan, allowing us both to join correctly.
Video here…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvC69eZXymU
Next time – driving along the motorway and what to do in an emergency.
The thinking behind these particular articles is that very few people are ever taught how to drive on motorways. Provisional licence holders are specifically prohibited from motorways, and apart from a small element of the theory test, drivers in the UK aren’t tested on motorway driving. This seems odd to me, as motorways are very different from any other roads that a learner will have encountered, and they’re the fastest roads in the country, which in my view, isn’t somewhere we should be allowing untrained, inexperienced drivers to go.
Most new drivers will, of course, take their first venture onto the motorway in company with a more experienced driver – my dad took me on the motorway for the first time on the day I passed my test, and I’ve since done the same for my eldest stepson. Others will take the Pass Plus course, which is a nice introduction to motorways.
In these particular articles (unlike others I’ve written), I’m going to assume no prior knowledge on the part of the reader. I make no apologies for this – I want it to be helpful for everyone from brand new licence-holders, through to advanced drivers. I’ve tried to include something for everyone, so it should be useful if you only ever use a motorway every other month, or if you do 70,000 miles a year. There will be a section which covers driving at very high speed on the motorway for those who are interested – it has it’s own little introductory passage, so that you don’t read it out of context, even if you skip the other stuff.
Most articles I’ve ever read about motorway driving always seem to start with a very patronising piece about making sure your car is fit for the journey, ensuring you’ve enough fuel, that your tyres are in good condition, that you’ve planned your route, polished your glasses, readied your pipe tobacco and correctly adjusted the position of the tissue box on the back shelf.
I think I’ll skip that bit, to be honest, as it’s a bit egg-suckyish even for a beginners guide, so I’ll assume you know how to read a map and how to put petrol in.
So, in the first instalment, I’ve given a brief introduction to the subject, and then written about how to enter a motorway correctly…
INTRODUCTION
Before I go any further, I’ll start with a description of a motorway, and a quick look at some of the terms I’ll be using.
A motorway is a special road.
That was easy, wasn’t it?
But what’s special about a motorway? Well, let’s expand my description a little. A motorway is a dual carriageway road, usually with two or more lanes in each direction. It is bordered to the nearside by a hard shoulder, and to the offside by a central reservation and barrier. There are small exceptions to these rules, of course, but that description will fit for 99.9% of UK motorways.
Motorways do not have traffic lights, T-junctions or roundabouts, and to enter or leave a motorway, you have to negotiate slip-roads, which usually connect to the nearside of the motorway.
Motorways also have special rules, mostly centred around who can’t use the motorway.
So, if you’re out for a walk, cycling, out on your invalidity scooter, driving a tractor, riding a horse or a moped, or you haven’t passed your driving test, you should stay off the motorway. If you’re one of those road users, and you even consider using the motorway, then you’re clinically insane, and you shouldn’t actually be allowed out of the home for the terminally stupid, but that’s by-the-by. As well as being bloody daft, you’ll also be committing an offence. So there.
There are some other rules about who can and can’t use certain lanes, stopping on the motorway etc, and I’ll cover those as I go along.
To start with, here’s a picture which my production team (me, playing with Photoshop) have made, showing a few of the basic descriptive terms I’ll be using…
As you can see, there is no such thing as a slow lane, middle lane, or fast lane. The correct designations for the lanes start with lane 1, which is the first lane to the right of the hard shoulder. It’s bordered to the left by a solid white-line and red cats-eyes and to the right by a broken white line and white cats-eyes. The only time the line to the left of lane 1 becomes broken is when it’s next to a slip-road, at which point the cats-eyes will be green.
Lane 2 is then the next lane to the right, lane 3 is to the right of lane 2, etc, etc. The right-hand lane is bordered by a broken white line and white cats-eyes to the left, and a solid white line and yellow cats-eyes to the right.
Having given you that information, henceforth, anyone referring to slow lanes, fast lanes etc in this thread will be summarily executed by being ignored to death.
So, if you’re able to keep you vehicle in a lane, with red cats-eyes to the left and yellow ones to the right, you’re part-way to being competent at driving on motorways.
Also labelled in that picture are an ETB (Emergency Telephone Box), marker posts and a gantry sign, all of which I’ll cover a bit later. For now, though, I’m going to move on to (quite predictably really)…
ENTERING THE MOTORWAY
There is a video at the end of this article showing a few motorway entries. Please don’t skip straight to the video (even if you’ve got a short attention span), as it’s as dull as dishwater without having read the accompanying text.
It’s a bit boring even if you have read the text, if I’m being honest, but I’d hate to be accused of not being thorough.
Motorway driving, as with any other type of driving, is based around making driving plans. Planning for a motorway entry starts well before you actually get onto the slip-road itself. Your planning starts on the approach to the motorway junction.
Look at the screenshot from the video below. Ok, I know it’s a bit blurred, but from this distance – several hundred yards from the junction – we’ve already got a good view of the traffic on the motorway. We can see if it’s free-moving or snarled to a standstill (in which case, you might choose to take a different route). On some motorway junctions (usually those with a roundabout junction built over the motorway and downhill slip-roads), we can have a quick look onto the motorway itself, and possibly plan which vehicles we’re going to emerge alongside at the end of the slip road.
Anyway – back to the pic…
As we get a bit closer to the junction, we can see the route board for the roundabout. As the road we’re on is not a motorway, the majority of the route board is white with black markings, but the roundabout exits which lead to the motorway, are indicated with blue signs and white markings…
From here, I’ll assume that you know how to negotiate a roundabout, and in this case, we’ve turned right and taken the 5th exit from the roundabout.
As we leave the roundabout, you can see two blue signs. The smaller one to the left confirms which motorway you’re entering and indicates the start of motorway regulations. The larger one to the right is a more general directional finger-board giving the direction of the motorway and the other motorways which lead from it. In this case, we are entering the M65 in the direction of Preston, from which we can also reach the M61 and the M6. There is also a triangle sign warning that our lane converges ahead (in case you hadn’t already guessed).
There is a bit more information available here too if you’re prepared to look outside the box slightly. Towards the end of the slip-road, we’ll be looking to match our speed to the speed of vehicles in lane 1, to allow a fuss-free entry to the motorway. At the point shown in the picture below, we can actually see the motorway itself going from right to left. It’s not possible to see any cars yet, but larger vehicles would be visible, and that view can greatly assist your planning. In this case, we’re entering on an up-hill entry slip, but on down-hill entries, this view is much better and allows for a nicely planned entry.
So, after exiting the roundabout, we then need to accelerate firmly to enter the motorway. But how fast do we accelerate? And to what speed?
Well, as for acceleration, you can increase your speed as quickly as you like. Full-bore acceleration up a slip road can be fun, but it’s your speed when you’re adjacent to lane 1 that’s important, so it’s best not to overdo it. As I said before, you should be matching your speed to the speed of vehicles in lane 1. If those vehicles are large articulated LGVs, then they’re unlikely to be going much over 60mph, so bear that in mind – if you accelerate up to 100mph on a slip-road, you’ll probably have to brake again to join, so it’d be a waste of time. It’s much better (and kinder to your passengers) to use acceleration sense and join without braking.
In the next picture, we’re reaching the point where the slip-road and motorway meet. We should be paying plenty of attention to what’s happening in lane 1, particularly behind you in lane 1, so there should be plenty of mirror checks (both centre and offside) and some shoulder checks too – there is a nasty blind-spot just over your right shoulder which usually manifests itself when joining a motorway.
We’re looking for a suitable gap to pull into at this point. I don’t generally signal when I’m entering a motorway unless it’s particularly busy, in which case I’ll stick an indicator on more as a way of asking the driver behind me in lane 1 to allow me to enter. 9 times out of 10, I find that a signal isn’t necessary – especially if I’ve matched my speed correctly. It should just be a case of sliding smoothly but positively into lane 1.
In the next picture, we’re reaching the end of the slip-road, and we should have picked our gap in lane 1 and matched our speed correctly. We won’t be moving sideways yet, though, as there is a chevron area (called the bull-nose) to the right, bordered with a solid white line. Crossing this line for an early entry onto the motorway is an offence. It’s also a bit daft, as the traffic on the motorway won’t be expecting you to enter at that point, so wait for the broken lines…
That’s better – we’ve moved sideways into lane 1 smoothly and with a minimum of fuss. We haven’t caused anyone to alter their course or speed and everyone is happy...
However, I like to drive progressively when it’s safe, so at this point, I’m already looking for the opportunity to overtake. A mirror and shoulder check reveals that lane 2 is clear, so from that entry to lane 1, I’m almost immediately moving out into lane 2 to overtake…
Now, one thing I should emphasise here is that I always teach people to take one lane at a time when entering a motorway. It is possible to enter a three lane motorway and keep accelerating until you’re almost immediately in lane 3, but it takes considerable planning and practice, and even if I do enter a motorway in that manner, I’m still considering each lane separately in sequence. Also, each initial move to a lane (to the right) should be accompanied with a shoulder check to eliminate the possibility of something lurking in your blind-spot.
It takes a short time to become accustomed to the vehicles that are around you when you first enter a motorway, so try to take a little time to work out their relative speeds and possible intentions, before barrelling straight into lane 3. I’m not saying that you definitely shouldn’t go straight into lane 3 when joining a motorway – but you should carefully consider each lane separately if you do.
A few other notes on motorway entries…
Many slip-roads have two lanes, which allows you to overtake slower moving vehicles prior to entering the motorway – you’ll see me do this on one of the video clips. Now, overtaking on a slip-road is fine, but you must plan to have completed your overtake before the slip-road becomes one lane. This sounds like obvious advice, but I’ve seen countless idiots performing badly-planned overtakes on slip roads, only to end up having to brake hard to enter the motorway. The tendency is to think too much about the overtake, and not enough about the entry until it’s too late. There is also a possibility that you could end up being badly squeezed at the end of the slip-road if you’re not careful.
On a similar theme, if it is a two-lane slip-road, my preference if it’s busy, is to move out to lane 2 on the slip-road nice and early. There are two advantages to this – firstly, it puts you right next to lane 1 early, and gives you a little more time alongside that lane to match your speed correctly.
Secondly, as there are plenty of people who execute badly-planned overtakes on two-lane slip-roads, an early move to lane 2 prevents them from blocking you from entering at the correct point. Keep an eye on your mirrors, and don’t let anyone stuff you.
It is common courtesy if you’re driving along the motorway, to give assistance to joining drivers if it’s safe to do so. If traffic allows, you should try to make allowance for the joining drivers by moving to lane 2 and/or adjusting your speed.
However, as a joining driver, you should never expect people to make these allowances. It’s become all too common these days for drivers to simply expect people on the motorway to make allowances for them. Always remember that the onus is on the joining driver to make the allowances – not on the drivers who are already on the motorway. If, for whatever reason, someone doesn’t or can’t make allowances for you, then make another plan.
Anyway, here’s the video, and the explanatory notes…
Clip 1 is the join which is described in detail above
Clip 2 is a transition from one motorway to another via a roundabout junction. You’ll see that I’m joining into quite heavy traffic, and that the car in front of me on the slip road gives a nice example of how not to do it – watch how they force into a small gap, making the HGV driver brake.
Clip 3 is another motorway-to-motorway join in heavy traffic conditions through a junction which is technically known as a permanent lane gain junction. The lane I’m in (lane 2) becomes a permanent lane on the next motorway, making it lane 1 of 4. The lane to the nearside becomes a more traditional slip-road, and most drivers in the new lane 1 try to accommodate that by moving a lane to the right.
Clip 4 is a nice progressive entry from a downhill, two-lane slip-road. I overtake the car very early on the slip road, and at the same time I formulate a plan to enter lane 1 in front of the HGV.
In clip 5, I’m entering via a two-lane slip-road, and it’s easy to see how I could have stuffed the Mondeo driver. Instead, I took an early lane 2 on the slip-road, but had the Mondeo as a clear part of my plan, allowing us both to join correctly.
Video here…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvC69eZXymU
Next time – driving along the motorway and what to do in an emergency.
Edited by R_U_LOCAL on Sunday 21st October 23:52
RUL said:
Having given you that information, henceforth, anyone referring to slow lanes, fast lanes etc in this thread will be summarily executed by being ignored to death.
Bing o said:
Where is the bit about sitting in the middle lane at 69mph?
*Ignores Bing o to death* 
henrycrun said:
BTW when writing this up for the book, would it be possible to explain to the m/way novice how to correctly move back into lane after overtaking. Also how to signal on a 3 lane motorway ?
This should all be in the next instalment. If everything goes well, it should be posted by the end of the week.Get Karter said:
henrycrun said:
BTW when writing this up for the book?
I second that (again!)Problem with these online guides is that they are sort of preaching to the converted.
Anyway - back to the article:
Joining the motorway... I always aim to join as soon as the chevrons end. Why? because of the point you mention but gloss over about some people not making room (for whatever reason), alternative plans do need to be made and I want as much room as possible to rethink and execute my entry.
Lane changes.. I'm a bit dissappointed by your apparent eagerness to get out of lane 1 into the overtaking lanes. It does send out the wrong signal. Typically I will join the motorway into Lane 1, then sit there for a short while (even if it means staying at 60ish with the trucks) and fathom the "mood" of the traffic around me. Lane 2 in particular can vary from 65-75 mph middle lane hog traffic to fairly fast paced 75-85mph. (This is mentioned in your post)
Having just joined the motorway, yes, I do want to get my speed up to 70mph and make some progress but I need to plan whether that means staying put, pulling out to pass trucks or other slow moving traffic or going all the way to lane 3 where the sheep daren't roam. Personally I find that when driving at an indicated 70mph (generally maintained using cruise control) on a moderately busy motorway I very rarely need to use lane 3.
The other reason for not moving at first is that motorway traffic can be slightly unsettled by an entry slip road, other vehicles may have moved lanes to allow you and other drivers to join the road, holding position for a mile or so allows the traffic to realign to its natural state and it might become apparent that a move to lane 3 is unnecessary as people slowly pull back into lane 1.
Last comment, why did you use a 2 lane motorway for your example pictures?
Finally, was still a good read, looking forward to part 2
Anyway - back to the article:
Joining the motorway... I always aim to join as soon as the chevrons end. Why? because of the point you mention but gloss over about some people not making room (for whatever reason), alternative plans do need to be made and I want as much room as possible to rethink and execute my entry.
Lane changes.. I'm a bit dissappointed by your apparent eagerness to get out of lane 1 into the overtaking lanes. It does send out the wrong signal. Typically I will join the motorway into Lane 1, then sit there for a short while (even if it means staying at 60ish with the trucks) and fathom the "mood" of the traffic around me. Lane 2 in particular can vary from 65-75 mph middle lane hog traffic to fairly fast paced 75-85mph. (This is mentioned in your post)
Having just joined the motorway, yes, I do want to get my speed up to 70mph and make some progress but I need to plan whether that means staying put, pulling out to pass trucks or other slow moving traffic or going all the way to lane 3 where the sheep daren't roam. Personally I find that when driving at an indicated 70mph (generally maintained using cruise control) on a moderately busy motorway I very rarely need to use lane 3.
The other reason for not moving at first is that motorway traffic can be slightly unsettled by an entry slip road, other vehicles may have moved lanes to allow you and other drivers to join the road, holding position for a mile or so allows the traffic to realign to its natural state and it might become apparent that a move to lane 3 is unnecessary as people slowly pull back into lane 1.
Last comment, why did you use a 2 lane motorway for your example pictures?
Finally, was still a good read, looking forward to part 2
Edited by spacecadet on Tuesday 23 October 09:20
I have always tended to get out on to the motorway and "settle" in lane one for a little while to see how things are going, who I'm sharing the motorway with, whether it's worth trying to make headway and if so, how.
(If from here to the horizon is filled with cars three-abreast at 0.2mph speed differentials, I'd rather sit with the trucks and leave them all to get on with it.)
One big argument I can see for getting out immediately is that the MLMs will tend to establish themselves in lane two quite early on, and once they are there it's a hassle to get out as they don't leave enough room and have a nasty tendency to pace your car rather than overtake it.
(If from here to the horizon is filled with cars three-abreast at 0.2mph speed differentials, I'd rather sit with the trucks and leave them all to get on with it.)
One big argument I can see for getting out immediately is that the MLMs will tend to establish themselves in lane two quite early on, and once they are there it's a hassle to get out as they don't leave enough room and have a nasty tendency to pace your car rather than overtake it.
R_U_LOCAL said:
RUL said:
Having given you that information, henceforth, anyone referring to slow lanes, fast lanes etc in this thread will be summarily executed by being ignored to death.
Bing o said:
Where is the bit about sitting in the middle lane at 69mph?
*Ignores Bing o to death* spacecadet said:
Problem with these online guides is that they are sort of preaching to the converted.
I've always been happy for people to reproduce them elsewhere. If you can think of a better place to post them, feel free to copy and paste. spacecadet said:
Anyway - back to the article:
Joining the motorway... I always aim to join as soon as the chevrons end. Why? because of the point you mention but gloss over about some people not making room (for whatever reason), alternative plans do need to be made and I want as much room as possible to rethink and execute my entry.
Unless it's a particularly short entry slip, I see no need to rush into lane 1, as this can sometimes panic other drivers. It's better to use part of the slip road to speed-match before sliding sideways into lane 1. If there is someone already on the motorway who's being awkward, then you've still got plenty of time to suss them out and make an alternative plan. Trying to join straight after the chevrons is a bit too much of a one-shot plan for me.Joining the motorway... I always aim to join as soon as the chevrons end. Why? because of the point you mention but gloss over about some people not making room (for whatever reason), alternative plans do need to be made and I want as much room as possible to rethink and execute my entry.
spacecadet said:
Lane changes.. I'm a bit dissappointed by your apparent eagerness to get out of lane 1 into the overtaking lanes. It does send out the wrong signal. Typically I will join the motorway into Lane 1, then sit there for a short while (even if it means staying at 60ish with the trucks) and fathom the "mood" of the traffic around me. Lane 2 in particular can vary from 65-75 mph middle lane hog traffic to fairly fast paced 75-85mph. (This is mentioned in your post)
Having just joined the motorway, yes, I do want to get my speed up to 70mph and make some progress but I need to plan whether that means staying put, pulling out to pass trucks or other slow moving traffic or going all the way to lane 3 where the sheep daren't roam. Personally I find that when driving at an indicated 70mph (generally maintained using cruise control) on a moderately busy motorway I very rarely need to use lane 3.
The other reason for not moving at first is that motorway traffic can be slightly unsettled by an entry slip road, other vehicles may have moved lanes to allow you and other drivers to join the road, holding position for a mile or so allows the traffic to realign to its natural state and it might become apparent that a move to lane 3 is unnecessary as people slowly pull back into lane 1.
I think I've covered this...Having just joined the motorway, yes, I do want to get my speed up to 70mph and make some progress but I need to plan whether that means staying put, pulling out to pass trucks or other slow moving traffic or going all the way to lane 3 where the sheep daren't roam. Personally I find that when driving at an indicated 70mph (generally maintained using cruise control) on a moderately busy motorway I very rarely need to use lane 3.
The other reason for not moving at first is that motorway traffic can be slightly unsettled by an entry slip road, other vehicles may have moved lanes to allow you and other drivers to join the road, holding position for a mile or so allows the traffic to realign to its natural state and it might become apparent that a move to lane 3 is unnecessary as people slowly pull back into lane 1.
RUL said:
Now, one thing I should emphasise here is that I always teach people to take one lane at a time when entering a motorway
And...RUL said:
It takes a short time to become accustomed to the vehicles that are around you when you first enter a motorway, so try to take a little time to work out their relative speeds and possible intentions
spacecadet said:
Last comment, why did you use a 2 lane motorway for your example pictures?
I'm not sure what difference it makes. It was the first entry on the video I shot, and I suppose it keeps things simple.Thanks for the reply
I just thought that the emphasis could have been better on joining and settling with the traffic flow rather than joining and making immediate process. TBH, its more of a article structure thing than a driving critique so I'll leave it at that.
I'm sure I recognise one of those junctions from the M6 in the Lakes, just south of Kendal? Possible the finest section of motorway in the country and the surrounding country roads are some of my favourites, especially as off season they aren't too busy!
I just thought that the emphasis could have been better on joining and settling with the traffic flow rather than joining and making immediate process. TBH, its more of a article structure thing than a driving critique so I'll leave it at that.
I'm sure I recognise one of those junctions from the M6 in the Lakes, just south of Kendal? Possible the finest section of motorway in the country and the surrounding country roads are some of my favourites, especially as off season they aren't too busy!
I was interested in your comment about not always using the indicator when joining Lane 1. Not do so would worry me (as a motorway joiner) as I like the world around me to know what my intentions are. If I have missed their presence 
then they can hoot, flash or whatever. 
I know it shouldn't happen - but it can.
ETA just viewed the video, and found the Cornering one as well. Great stuff - but the crackles on the soundtrack!!
then they can hoot, flash or whatever. I know it shouldn't happen - but it can.
ETA just viewed the video, and found the Cornering one as well. Great stuff - but the crackles on the soundtrack!!
Edited by Dogwatch on Tuesday 23 October 22:45
renn said:
Hi
I've read that on the slip road a position near to lane 1 on the motorway help you see and be seen when the slip road descends but when ascending to join the motorway a position to the left of the slip road is preferable.
Any thoughts?
Regards
Renn
It's an interesting theory - not one I've come across before. I've thought about it, and it's possible that you could obtain a slightly better over-the-shoulder view of lane 1 from the nearside lane, so yes, this could be an advantage.I've read that on the slip road a position near to lane 1 on the motorway help you see and be seen when the slip road descends but when ascending to join the motorway a position to the left of the slip road is preferable.
Any thoughts?
Regards
Renn
I'll try it over the next week or so and then give you a proper verdict.
Dogwatch said:
I was interested in your comment about not always using the indicator when joining Lane 1. Not do so would worry me (as a motorway joiner) as I like the world around me to know what my intentions are. If I have missed their presence then they can hoot, flash or whatever.
I know it shouldn't happen - but it can.
ETA just viewed the video, and found the Cornering one as well. Great stuff - but the crackles on the soundtrack!!
I know, I know! The sound on those videos is awful, but the bullet-cam I borrowed is extremely small and convenient to mount. I'm looking at doing a couple of commentary videos at some point, so I need to sort out a way of recording some decent audio to go along with the video. I've got some plans myself, involving a PDA voice recorder and some editing software, but if anyone fancies bringing some decent recording equipment for a run out, then feel free to PM me. then they can hoot, flash or whatever. I know it shouldn't happen - but it can.
ETA just viewed the video, and found the Cornering one as well. Great stuff - but the crackles on the soundtrack!!
As for indicating when joining, don't get me wrong - I'm happy for you to carry on indicating your intentions as much as you want. It's just that, with my background, the traditional way of thinking is to eliminate any unnecessary signals. Not really because an unnecessary signal is a bad thing, but more to increase a student's observation skills by making them look around to see if there is anyone who actually needs a signal.
It's been debated at length on other threads, so I won't hammer the point home - I'd much prefer someone to signal for every move rather than miss the odd signal that is required.
Let's just say that bit is personal preference.
This is just a question, so don't shoot me!
I was told by my dad (an IAM observer) years ago about the fast lane/slow lane errors when I was first learning to drive, and he probably told me about the lane 1/2/3 nomenclature at the same time.
However, is there anything actually wrong with referring to them as left lane, middle lane, right lane? After all, It's not using weighted language to describe the lanes as 'slow' and 'fast', and is just a different way of saying lane 1, 2 or 3 - in my mind it create similar neutral thought patterns that I assume describing them as lanes 1, 2 or 3 is trying to achieve.
I was told by my dad (an IAM observer) years ago about the fast lane/slow lane errors when I was first learning to drive, and he probably told me about the lane 1/2/3 nomenclature at the same time.
However, is there anything actually wrong with referring to them as left lane, middle lane, right lane? After all, It's not using weighted language to describe the lanes as 'slow' and 'fast', and is just a different way of saying lane 1, 2 or 3 - in my mind it create similar neutral thought patterns that I assume describing them as lanes 1, 2 or 3 is trying to achieve.
I also have some questions:
1st clip - you didn't indicate when joining - was there no traffic behind you to render this pointless ('ghost signalling').
2nd clip, you did indicate entering the motorway, but not when you moved to the second lane - is thata similar situation with no traffic behind you in that lane?
3rd clip, when joining, you moved to the 2nd lane, you indicated while moving, and for only a short time.
Please be aware that I'm not criticising, just questioning to learn
1st clip - you didn't indicate when joining - was there no traffic behind you to render this pointless ('ghost signalling').
2nd clip, you did indicate entering the motorway, but not when you moved to the second lane - is thata similar situation with no traffic behind you in that lane?
3rd clip, when joining, you moved to the 2nd lane, you indicated while moving, and for only a short time.
Please be aware that I'm not criticising, just questioning to learn
An interesting read - totally agree about "getting a feel" for a motorway as you join, I know I'm particularly away of this where the A1 meets the A1(M) (M1?) northbound, as the traffic is much busier (although usually slower). Whatever speed I was doing on the A1, I'll always hold back for a few minutes to "get back in the groove" - same when transferring onto other Motorways (M18 to M1 etc)
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