M5/M6 merge/collision driving poll

M5/M6 merge/collision driving poll

Poll: M5/M6 merge/collision driving poll

Total Members Polled: 631

Close the gap, ultimately crash if necessary : 33
Close the gap but ultimately avoid a crash: 164
Let the guy in but be cross about it: 190
Let the guy in but no worries it happens: 240
Left blank: 11
I dont do polls: 21
Author
Discussion

Monty Python

4,812 posts

196 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Just watched the video again, and at 1:20, he reaches the area with diagonal stripes.

130

Areas of white diagonal stripes or chevrons painted on the road. These are to separate traffic lanes or to protect traffic turning right.

If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so.
If the area is marked with chevrons and bordered by solid white lines you MUST NOT enter it except in an emergency.
Laws MT(E&W)R regs 5, 9, 10 & 16, MT(S)R regs 4, 8, 9 & 14, RTA sect 36 & TSRGD 10(1)

So the CRV driver had an emergency?

Motorrad

6,811 posts

186 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Monty Python said:
So the CRV driver had an emergency?
Yes it emerged he was a complete tool.

I wouldn't do what the dashcam user did but s like the guy with the st jumper deserve everything they get. Plus he's a caravan user- double .

saaby93

Original Poster:

32,038 posts

177 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
As I said at the top of the thread, this isnt to comment on the car/caravan, just accept you'll get some people trying to merge at an exit for any number of reasons, not sure of the road or knows what theyre doing - see the van doing the same ahead.

This poll is about what youd do in response - do you drop back or go for the collision

DottyMR2

478 posts

126 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Totally, 100%, unequivocally the fault of the caravan muppet. Then he ahs the audacity to get out and shout a the lorry driver. Caravan has came from behind, so I'm sure has passed gaps before coming to the lorry. The Renault is doing the weird speed up slow down thing in front of the lorry so I'd imagine that wasn't making keeping his distance as easy as possible.

Yes lorry driver could have backed out but really, that caravan mong drove for a good 200 yard there straddling the lane. He knew the lorry was there or he'd have moved over quicker than that (if he thought it was clear he wouldn't have lane split). He was trying to muscle the lorry and he was having none of it. We don't know back story, that queue could have been a mile long and it certainly looks like it was moving much slower than the other lanes.

If he'd made a mistake and didn't realise he needed that lane, surely when he saw the lorry wasn't giving in he could have backed out sooner. 200 yard lane splitting, he could have slowed and tucked in behind, he wouldn't have had to come to a stop on the motorway. Where did he think the lorry could go? Into the cones? Slam on the brakes himself? The CRV only had the front doors in front of the lorry, so another good 10ft or more to go to get passed. Never, ever, ever going to make that even if the lorry backed out. It would have required an emergency stop from the lorry. Plus when he was met with the choice of swerve left and crash, hit the dividing barrier or move right and not crash, he chose left, to crash into the lorry he knew full well was there.

Totally, 100% his fault. Were it me, I'd probably have kept in the gap initially but been on the horn straight away and constantly. If he still pushed, either brake (no idea what it was like behind that lorry. Was it safe to emergency stop?) or move into the coned area as an escape. Then either flag the police car down and hand them the tape and go for Dangerous Driving. Or wait until the Pringle mong stopped and express to him my displeasure at the quality of his driving and his respect for my safety.

I can't believe he had the audacity to get out the car and actually wave his hands around at the lorry driver. Ignorant tt and he needs to get a conviction for that. As I always say, what if it was a biker? He'd be flat now. Some people won't learn until they actually fking kill someone.

kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
DottyMR2 said:
As I always say, what if it was a biker? He'd be flat now. Some people won't learn until they actually fking kill someone.
If it was a biker with half a brain, he'd have been well out of the way long before the junction.

DottyMR2

478 posts

126 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
kambites said:
DottyMR2 said:
As I always say, what if it was a biker? He'd be flat now. Some people won't learn until they actually fking kill someone.
If it was a biker with half a brain, he'd have been well out of the way long before the junction.
Well, yes. A biker wouldn't put himself there. It was more a reference to the move without looking or move in spite of looking and see it's not clear attitude. I have however seen many bikers without even half a brain who would push in there too.

I think the guy forgot he was towing a caravan too. How anyone would think they could get themselves in that gap is beyond me. It was never big enough in the first place so he'd have caused someone to hit the brakes, be it the lorry or the Renault.

Some people boggle my mind. To also have the "wtf are you doing" attitude to the lorry driver after that I find insane. Bet he goes and tells the insurance the lorry driver ran into the back of him or something.

kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
90% of being a good driver is compensating for other people's idiocy. The lorry driver failed to do so.

Bennet

2,119 posts

130 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Stupid. But it seems to me that the lorry driver took one for the team (and forced all the traffic for x many miles behind him to as well) by having the crash I've always wanted to have but have never had because it isn't worth it.

Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
kambites said:
90% of being a good driver is compensating for other people's idiocy. The lorry driver failed to do so.
Exactly.


SirSquidalot

4,039 posts

164 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Seems the vehicle towing did push in quite aggressively, but the lorry driver should have let him in rather than proving a point.

kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
To my mind common sense would dictate that any insurance claim goes 100% against the caravan driver and BOTH drivers can prosecuted for dangerous driving. smile

Tonberry

2,078 posts

191 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
xRIEx said:
Flanders. said:
Tonberry said:
The lorry driver is a , end of.

What are you trying to prove acting like a big man in your truck cab whilst barely earning more than minimum wage.

The caravan driver left himself short so the response to that is to essentially cause an accident rather than just pull back and let the driver merge?

Lives are lost on the roads every fking year due to stty stunts like these.

wker.
What does money have to do with it?
(Not saying this applies in this case.) Some people who perceive themselves to have very little authority or status may exert what authority they feel they can; this behaviour is classic 'jobsworth' territory, or the office worker who fiercely guards their desk and stationery, putting name labels on their ruler and stapler, etc.

For all I know the truck driver is an owner-operator, although if that were the case I think he would be more conscious of lost revenue due to accident downtime than an employee.
Exactly my point.

He is at work supposed to be doing a job. A supposedly professional job in fact where he should know better and actively try and avoid situations like these instead of proving a point.

Cyder

7,045 posts

219 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Bennet said:
Stupid. But it seems to me that the lorry driver took one for the team (and forced all the traffic for x many miles behind him to as well) by having the crash I've always wanted to have but have never had because it isn't worth it.
hehe That's kind of what I was thinking too!

Terminator X

14,921 posts

203 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
I "jump the queue" all the time but get really pissed if anyone does it to me. Go figure!

TX.

shalmaneser

5,930 posts

194 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
[redacted]

Welshwonder

303 posts

187 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
I haven't been on this junction ever in my life, so I don't know the traffic patterns. I would say the lorry driver may be trying to plan ahead. I wouldn't be very happy if some moron in a caravan got in front of me coming off a motorway and then proceeded to drive at 40mph for the next 15 miles on a single carriage A road. Overtaking it is going to be very difficult. Yes, I know LGV's are (currently) limited to 40mph, but even if I was in my speed limited transit connect, overtaking would be a challenge.

The lorry was quite aggressive in closing the gap between him and the Renault, so you could almost see it coming. Bit uncalled for maybe, but if you need to make progress, having a caravan in front will almost certainly mean you won't.

0a

23,879 posts

193 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
The first rule of driving is to reduce the chance of contact and an accident. Ego should be very low down the list or non existent.

theboss

6,878 posts

218 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Welshwonder said:
I haven't been on this junction ever in my life
I wish I could say the same!

I'm kind of with DottyMR2 on this one but if I'd been in my own car in the lorry driver's position I'd have made the prick a gap because I'd be wishing to avoid an accident at all cost even in spite of another driver being hell bent on causing one.

Inconsideration to other road users aside, it would be interesting to see what material damage the goods wagon sustained. I'm betting not a lot. Maybe that had a bearing on the driver's actions.

Edited by theboss on Tuesday 21st April 21:23

vonhosen

40,202 posts

216 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
s p a c e m a n said:
Ali_T said:
Pointless comparison as he can't reverse back up the queue to get to the end.
Er, if you miss your junction you just carry on to the next one not stop in live traffic and force your way into a gap that isn't there.
That's what he should do, but it's not about what he should do. It's about what do you do if he doesn't do what he should do.

vonhosen

40,202 posts

216 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Welshwonder said:
I haven't been on this junction ever in my life, so I don't know the traffic patterns. I would say the lorry driver may be trying to plan ahead. I wouldn't be very happy if some moron in a caravan got in front of me coming off a motorway and then proceeded to drive at 40mph for the next 15 miles on a single carriage A road. Overtaking it is going to be very difficult. Yes, I know LGV's are (currently) limited to 40mph, but even if I was in my speed limited transit connect, overtaking would be a challenge.

The lorry was quite aggressive in closing the gap between him and the Renault, so you could almost see it coming. Bit uncalled for maybe, but if you need to make progress, having a caravan in front will almost certainly mean you won't.
LGVs aren't limited to 40, that changed at the beginning of April.