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simoid
Original Poster
8,286 posts
27 months
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On a long slip-road onto a motorway, with good visibility of where you intend to merge, a car is in lane 2, indicating right, but travelling at 50mph. You are catching up with them, in lane 1 on the slip, at 70mph. Traffic on the motorway is very light (only a couple of cars) and travelling at 70mph. Would you: a) slow down and join the motorway, behind them b) continue in L1 and pass on the left c) something else? For example - here.
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marshalla
8,004 posts
70 months
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a) every time. I have no way of knowing when they'll wake up and suddenly swerve left. Slow down, leave a big gap between me and them and await further developments, then make a clean swift overtake on the motorway.
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rsv gone!
10,618 posts
110 months
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If I had the opportunity I would leave a huge gap behind them and be in a very accelerative gear. I'd then try to join separately from them and scoot to lane 2 sharpish. Otherwise, a).
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joewilliams
1,456 posts
70 months
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If the relative speed difference would get me well past them in the distance available, simply continue in lane 1.
Otherwise, drop well back to give myself space to accelerate back to a reasonable speed before joining.
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chris182
442 posts
22 months
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If by passing them you would be well in front by the time you actually join the motorway then I would pass them. If not I would slow down and join behind them. My mother does this, not accelerating down sliproads at all and joining at about 35mph. I find it rather scary being in a car which is trying to merge with 70mph traffic at 35mph, but she argues that it's safer 
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simoid
Original Poster
8,286 posts
27 months
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I passed in L1 after they had began to indicate, once I was satisfied they weren't going to return to the left lane. For my trouble I was given the pleasure of audible and visual warning devices from the driver. I didn't cut them up, I was past them by where the black 206 is in this picture, and stayed well out of their way by keeping to the left of the slip road until it ends. P.S. the 206 crossing the hatchings... naughty!
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Munter
23,672 posts
110 months
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If they looked steady and looking to join the main carriageway I'd pass them on the left. Not to say that's what you should do. But that is what I think I would do.
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Nigel Worc's
5,273 posts
57 months
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I find that each individual situation is different, and you have to judge it, to the best of your ability, on a one by one basis, and sometimes you'll screw up, like that video I posted of me screwing up !
No hard and fast rules I'm afraid, and what you'll think is a good decision, someone else will think is terrible, and you should be hung drawn and quartered
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S. Gonzales Esq.
1,663 posts
81 months
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You didn't change lanes, you waited for their indicator to confirm intentions and there's a hard shoulder escape route. I'm with you OP - in these circumstances, option b.
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simoid
Original Poster
8,286 posts
27 months
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Cheers folks. I was in two minds about whether to pass in L1 (some people obviously find it offensive!) In the end decided I'd rather have a clear run at the give way line than have to use fuel, brake pads and concentration to drop down to 50 then accelerate back up again. On the motorway afterwards I was having the usual internal debate of "would I have done that to a marked police car?" 
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NiceCupOfTea
21,934 posts
120 months
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S. Gonzales Esq. said: You didn't change lanes, you waited for their indicator to confirm intentions and there's a hard shoulder escape route. I'm with you OP - in these circumstances, option b. This. Option A) also leaves you exposed to danger if you merge behind the dawdler, 2nd lane is full of traffic and something is bearing down on you at +30mph...
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ScoobyChris
231 posts
71 months
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Lane dividers run out as the chevrons start - does this mean it becomes a single, albeit wide, lane?
Chris
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mnkiboy
1,623 posts
35 months
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As long as there was space, I would pass on the left. By hanging back you run the risk of a following car being alongside you at the merge point.
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7db
5,528 posts
99 months
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simoid said: For my trouble I was given the pleasure of audible and visual warning devices from the driver. Wouldn't let it trouble you too much. He was probably just hunting around for which one was the accelerator.
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Dogwatch
3,549 posts
91 months
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marshalla said: a) every time. I have no way of knowing when they'll wake up and suddenly swerve left. Slow down, leave a big gap between me and them and await further developments, then make a clean swift overtake on the motorway. Possibly, but they are trying to move right and may be planning a suicidal swoop in front of an HGV (though they probably don't see it that way). Whatever is happening in their inside lane is of little concern to them. It's not as if they are just doing their normal MLMing - that will resume shortly.
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R0G
3,235 posts
24 months
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With good visibility as shown in the OPs link I would use lane 1 every time making full use of the slip road
I have done this safely many times
It seems too many want to join the main carriageway at the start of the slip instead of the end and are therefore not using it as it was designed for
In rush hour most queue up in lane 2 and try to join just as the slip comes together with the carriageway leaving lane 1 lovely and clear to gently cruise along for joining at the end of the slip !!
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jimmy the hat
191 posts
16 months
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R0G said: In rush hour most queue up in lane 2 and try to join just as the slip comes together with the carriageway leaving lane 1 lovely and clear to gently cruise along for joining at the end of the slip !! I see this all the time. I guess with the volume of traffic on the roads we all do. I've never quite understood why people will even cut right across the beginning of the chevrons to join a jam. In terms of the available volume of traffic, it's essentially the back of the queue and they're going out of their way to get there. Still, as you say, it enables me to cruise up to the "front of the queue" so I don't let it bother me that much. Cheers, Jim
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MC Bodge
3,752 posts
44 months
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b)
-whilst being conscious that the car in the right hand lane *might* move to the left ...but very unlikely as they are heading towards the motorway carriageway.
I would prefer to merge onto the motorway at a decent speed and position rather than slowly behind another car at a place dictated by that car.
NB. There is also a 'hard shoulder' on the left of the slip road, if the worst did happen.
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M4cruiser
219 posts
19 months
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This is a no-brainer for me, definitely option C - i.e. "something else".
What I do (it often happens on my journeys) is to stay in lane 1 and slow down (it's probably illegal to go past on the left anyway), leaving a gap in front. The problem you describe then transfers to somebody else. Job done.
That "sombody else" may zig zag round us and go past. No problem.
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simoid
Original Poster
8,286 posts
27 months
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Did you read the fact that this was a slip road, and not an ordinary "MLM" type situation? P.S. brace yourself 
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