Mirror, signal, manoeuvre

[Cambell]

It seems to be just exactly that, in that order. It doesn't seem to matter if the manoeuvre is dangerous.

I was driving on the M8 today, in lane 2, at a safe distance but keeping pace with the car in front and I and we were overtaking some cars in lane 1. I only had to overtake a silly wee car then a lorry and it would have been safe to pull back in to lane 1. True to form, the driver of the wee car, indicated and pulled straight out front of me in the same breath but didn't accelerate. This caused me to slow down to its pace with the safe distance gone.

Surely it should be "mirror, if there's nothing approaching you, signal manoeuvre"

or at the very least

"Mirror, take stock of what you see, decide if what is in your mind is dangerous to you or other road users, if there is absolutely no danger and then, and only then, signal, look again and manoeuvre.

[Cambell]

ModernAndy said:

Were you travelling at the speed limit and the car pulled out doing a 'slow speed'? I.e. Significantly under 70mph in a 70mph zone?

It was on a busy stretch of motorway so was travelling at the limit, I recon the wee car was doing about 55 - 60 as it didn't get past the truck (probably limited) very quickly at all. If I were tramping on a bit, I wouldn't have made this post.

[Cambell]

Luckily my dad taught me that everybody else on the road is an idiot and they are going to do something stupid so I'm always expecting it and if they don't, well, that's great.

[Cambell]

Mojocvh said:

One so appreciates those drivers who having been given 5 orange indications will STILL accelerate to block you in despite the rather obvious fact that you are closing on 48 tons of steel and as there is a suitable gap will be taking advantage to pull out pass then pull in again...ooh no...

That's a whole different topic. If the traffic in lane 2 is moving faster than that in lane 1, it is not safe to pull into the flow of traffic unless you can reasonably accelerate to the same pace as the approaching traffic. Nomatter how many times the indicators flash, there is no acceptable time to pull out into a space which puts other road users in danger ie drastically reducing the approaching vehicles braking distance by your action.

Having indicators flash gives nobody right of way.

[Cambell]

Maybe its my age and when I was taught to drive but I treat every journey as a constant, variable risk assessment.

Here's a wee example, very soon I'll be driving to Blackpool for a few days away with the family. I'll be heading down the M6 and driving within the limits of the law. I may want to pull out to pass a slower truck or something and will look in the mirror and assess whether it will be safe to pull out and pass. Now, I normally drive a 507BHP BMW M5 so am easily ably to pull out, accelerate, pass and pull back in without effecting the approaching traffic.

I will be driving the family car, a 1.6L Diesel Citroen Xsara Picasso, this car will easily do 70MPH but will take an eon to get there so performing the same manoeuvre will pose a much larger risk.

I was always taught that it was wrong to perform a manoeuvre which causes other road users to alter speed or direction.