Slowsters on slip roads
Discussion
I'm interested to hear the opinion of the BiB on here on a situation I am finding increasingly common; following slowsters who are happy to join busy dual carraigeways at 40mph.
In my view this is bloody dangerous; I always want to be doing at least the speed of the main traffic flow, preferably a bit quicker, to be able to merge in as unobtrusively as possible.
Invariably these bozos are in the outside lane of the slip road. So what's to do? Rightly or wrongly, if they're showing no sign of making safe progress by half-way along the slip, I'm coming past on the inside as quickly as possible.
Often this generates a typical overtaker-hater response.
So BiB, if you witness these idiots, would you stop them and have a word? What about if you saw me making vastly safer progress by choosing to illegally pass on the inside?
Would you rather I stayed within the law and potentially involved in a huge RTA, or be a bit naughty but infinately safer?
Over to you.
In my view this is bloody dangerous; I always want to be doing at least the speed of the main traffic flow, preferably a bit quicker, to be able to merge in as unobtrusively as possible.
Invariably these bozos are in the outside lane of the slip road. So what's to do? Rightly or wrongly, if they're showing no sign of making safe progress by half-way along the slip, I'm coming past on the inside as quickly as possible.
Often this generates a typical overtaker-hater response.
So BiB, if you witness these idiots, would you stop them and have a word? What about if you saw me making vastly safer progress by choosing to illegally pass on the inside?
Would you rather I stayed within the law and potentially involved in a huge RTA, or be a bit naughty but infinately safer?
Over to you.
I got points and a fine for overtaking one of these by "joining early" over the end of the solid white line (early morning, good view, no traffic apart from unmarked plod way off in lane 2).
Normally in this situation I just hold well back (this means driving at 20mph if necessary) to build up space, then join the carriageway at normal speed.
John
Normally in this situation I just hold well back (this means driving at 20mph if necessary) to build up space, then join the carriageway at normal speed.
John
timskipper said:
I'm interested to hear the opinion of the BiB on here on a situation I am finding increasingly common; following slowsters who are happy to join busy dual carraigeways at 40mph.
Total urine heaters!Even worse are the OAPs who reach the end of the slip road at 30mph, and then stop to wait for a gap.
Driving too slow is as bad if not worse than speeding.
Almost had an accident (first in 7 years of driving, touch wood!) when a dual carriage way near me had been put down to one lane (50mph), so i was coming up the slip road following another car, looked right and the wasy was clear. Was doing around 40 mph behind this car, another look right still clear then i turn back around to see the car stationary on the road on the slip road, had to slam on and aim to the left just to miss the t
t.
Then he slowly accelerates onto the carriage way without a care in the world, no clue... or brain.
Almost had an accident (first in 7 years of driving, touch wood!) when a dual carriage way near me had been put down to one lane (50mph), so i was coming up the slip road following another car, looked right and the wasy was clear. Was doing around 40 mph behind this car, another look right still clear then i turn back around to see the car stationary on the road on the slip road, had to slam on and aim to the left just to miss the t
t.Then he slowly accelerates onto the carriage way without a care in the world, no clue... or brain.
Edited by Martin_Hx on Tuesday 30th October 09:47
I prefer to hang back, wait for them to merge in chaotic fashion, and then make a move - I've got enough power to get up to speed once they're on their way, I may as well make use of it.Several reasons,
- I can join the motorway at my chosen speed, not theirs.
- If they cause an accident, I'm further away from it.
- If they panic and slow down/stop at the end of the sliproad, I can wait or get round them rather than be drawn into a dangerous situation.
There can be another complication though.
Slowcoach as discussed above a person A.
You person B in lane 2 of on-slip trying to make space so as to be able to accelerate up to reasonable pace and merge in your target position once A has bumbled their way wherever they are bumbling.
Person C nominally behind you , nafc what is going on, pulls hard left undertakes and then finds themselves stuffed up behind A and of course they have reduced that space you carefully made.
Only way I have found to deal with that is recognise a potential undertaker and straddle white line. Not a good practice but I haven't anything better to offer.
With the wider introduction of hard shoulder running, I sometimes wonder if M-way on slips will be reduced more and more by white paint to one lane, the on slip then becoming the hard shoulder for quite a distance thus allowing a longer distance to merge onto L1, or stay i there if HS running in use.
Slowcoach as discussed above a person A.
You person B in lane 2 of on-slip trying to make space so as to be able to accelerate up to reasonable pace and merge in your target position once A has bumbled their way wherever they are bumbling.
Person C nominally behind you , nafc what is going on, pulls hard left undertakes and then finds themselves stuffed up behind A and of course they have reduced that space you carefully made.
Only way I have found to deal with that is recognise a potential undertaker and straddle white line. Not a good practice but I haven't anything better to offer.
With the wider introduction of hard shoulder running, I sometimes wonder if M-way on slips will be reduced more and more by white paint to one lane, the on slip then becoming the hard shoulder for quite a distance thus allowing a longer distance to merge onto L1, or stay i there if HS running in use.
If as you are suggesting they are diving at 40 down the sliproad and then join the carriageway at 40 also then they are indeed muppets. They should make attempts to merge at the same speed as the main carriageway traffic.
If you are saying that if someone ahead of you is driving at 40mph down the slip road but the reason that they are doing that is because they are looking for the appropriate time to accelerate into gap that is appearing but you are going to accelerate past them anyway then you are in the wrong.
depending on the visibility available I will either drive smartly down the sliproad onto the carriageway or
If the traffic on the carriageway is heavy or not very visible then I will slow down and time my merge and speed when I see a gap appear.
What would ping me off the as I start to accelerate to merge would be someone coming down my blind inside (because I am watching the carriageway traffic) and overtaking me as the two lanes turned to one possibly causing an accident.
I allways give priority to people on the slip before me unless its very clear what their intentions are . . ie they are doing 40mph because they are in a knackered van pulling a trailer.
If you are saying that if someone ahead of you is driving at 40mph down the slip road but the reason that they are doing that is because they are looking for the appropriate time to accelerate into gap that is appearing but you are going to accelerate past them anyway then you are in the wrong.
depending on the visibility available I will either drive smartly down the sliproad onto the carriageway or
If the traffic on the carriageway is heavy or not very visible then I will slow down and time my merge and speed when I see a gap appear.
What would ping me off the as I start to accelerate to merge would be someone coming down my blind inside (because I am watching the carriageway traffic) and overtaking me as the two lanes turned to one possibly causing an accident.
I allways give priority to people on the slip before me unless its very clear what their intentions are . . ie they are doing 40mph because they are in a knackered van pulling a trailer.
mark69sheer said:
If as you are suggesting they are diving at 40 down the sliproad and then join the carriageway at 40 also then they are indeed muppets. They should make attempts to merge at the same speed as the main carriageway traffic.
If you are saying that if someone ahead of you is driving at 40mph down the slip road but the reason that they are doing that is because they are looking for the appropriate time to accelerate into gap that is appearing but you are going to accelerate past them anyway then you are in the wrong.
The former.If you are saying that if someone ahead of you is driving at 40mph down the slip road but the reason that they are doing that is because they are looking for the appropriate time to accelerate into gap that is appearing but you are going to accelerate past them anyway then you are in the wrong.
Probably gonna get flamed for this but hey what the hell...
Has no one any patience anymore?
MUST everyone drive around as if their ass was on fire?
Driving safely and 'making progress' doesn't ALWAYS mean flooring it wherever and whenever you can.
Sometimes the 'tootler' at 40mph gets to the destination at exactly the same time as the one that flew past at 70mph a few minutes ago. Sometimes he is the only one to get there ...alive and/or undamaged that is...
How many times have you overtaken someone only to have that same vehicle sat behind you at the next junction/set of lights? If you see that regularly then may I suggest that you wasted that extra cupful of juice you expended getting that one car length ahead...and with the price of petrol exceeding £1 per litre again...such impatient overtaking can make for an expensive journey.
Now don't get me wrong I'm not defending those who deliberately hold up traffic with their 40mph 'thou shalt not pass' mindset... what I am defending is the right to travel at less than the posted speed limit without some leaden right foot jockey wanting to get 1 car length further ahead.
<runs for cover>
Has no one any patience anymore?
MUST everyone drive around as if their ass was on fire?
Driving safely and 'making progress' doesn't ALWAYS mean flooring it wherever and whenever you can.
Sometimes the 'tootler' at 40mph gets to the destination at exactly the same time as the one that flew past at 70mph a few minutes ago. Sometimes he is the only one to get there ...alive and/or undamaged that is...
How many times have you overtaken someone only to have that same vehicle sat behind you at the next junction/set of lights? If you see that regularly then may I suggest that you wasted that extra cupful of juice you expended getting that one car length ahead...and with the price of petrol exceeding £1 per litre again...such impatient overtaking can make for an expensive journey.
Now don't get me wrong I'm not defending those who deliberately hold up traffic with their 40mph 'thou shalt not pass' mindset... what I am defending is the right to travel at less than the posted speed limit without some leaden right foot jockey wanting to get 1 car length further ahead.
<runs for cover>
You clearly didn't read my original post.
Unless you think it's safe to join 70mph+ traffic at half that speed, in which case you're one of the idiots I'm talking about.
The slip roads are there for a reason - to get up to speed on, not to admire the scenery and have another Wurther's original.
Unless you think it's safe to join 70mph+ traffic at half that speed, in which case you're one of the idiots I'm talking about.
The slip roads are there for a reason - to get up to speed on, not to admire the scenery and have another Wurther's original.
timskipper said:
You clearly didn't read my original post.
Unless you think it's safe to join 70mph+ traffic at half that speed, in which case you're one of the idiots I'm talking about.
The slip roads are there for a reason - to get up to speed on, not to admire the scenery and have another Wurther's original.
Thanks for the response...I guess the answer I was looking for was "No patience" then?...Oh and NO I don't condone joining traffic that is travelling at 70mph at a much slower speed...But as far as I'm aware there is no law against it...one could quite legally 'tootle' down said slip road at 40mph and slow or stop and wait until a suitable gap in traffic appeared...not what I would do and it might fly in the face of what the driver today is prepared to accept in his rush to get somewhere but it isn't illegal AFAIK.Unless you think it's safe to join 70mph+ traffic at half that speed, in which case you're one of the idiots I'm talking about.
The slip roads are there for a reason - to get up to speed on, not to admire the scenery and have another Wurther's original.
edit...Oh and I don't like Wurthers Originals either.
Edited by oldsoak on Tuesday 30th October 12:37
Mr2Mike said:
timskipper said:
I'm interested to hear the opinion of the BiB on here on a situation I am finding increasingly common; following slowsters who are happy to join busy dual carraigeways at 40mph.
Total urine heaters!Even worse are the OAPs who reach the end of the slip road at 30mph, and then stop to wait for a gap.
esselte said:
Mr2Mike said:
timskipper said:
I'm interested to hear the opinion of the BiB on here on a situation I am finding increasingly common; following slowsters who are happy to join busy dual carraigeways at 40mph.
Total urine heaters!Even worse are the OAPs who reach the end of the slip road at 30mph, and then stop to wait for a gap.
Took some nifty steering on my part to dodge the prat!
The driver hadn't a grey hair on his head and was about 26-30 years of age...and not a Wurthers in sight!
oldsoak said:
timskipper said:
You clearly didn't read my original post.
Unless you think it's safe to join 70mph+ traffic at half that speed, in which case you're one of the idiots I'm talking about.
The slip roads are there for a reason - to get up to speed on, not to admire the scenery and have another Wurther's original.
Thanks for the response...I guess the answer I was looking for was "No patience" then?...Oh and NO I don't condone joining traffic that is travelling at 70mph at a much slower speed...But as far as I'm aware there is no law against it...one could quite legally 'tootle' down said slip road at 40mph and slow or stop and wait until a suitable gap in traffic appeared...not what I would do and it might fly in the face of what the driver today is prepared to accept in his rush to get somewhere but it isn't illegal AFAIK.Unless you think it's safe to join 70mph+ traffic at half that speed, in which case you're one of the idiots I'm talking about.
The slip roads are there for a reason - to get up to speed on, not to admire the scenery and have another Wurther's original.
However, I cannot believe that you are suggesting a manouvre that, whilst not illegal, is certainly not safe. Moreover, the manouvre you descrive would be unexpected behaviour, thus adding even more to the potential dangers of the scenario?
I'm sure you're not suggesting that just because something is legal, it is safe? Are you
oldsoak said:
timskipper said:
You clearly didn't read my original post.
Unless you think it's safe to join 70mph+ traffic at half that speed, in which case you're one of the idiots I'm talking about.
The slip roads are there for a reason - to get up to speed on, not to admire the scenery and have another Wurther's original.
Thanks for the response...I guess the answer I was looking for was "No patience" then?...Oh and NO I don't condone joining traffic that is travelling at 70mph at a much slower speed...But as far as I'm aware there is no law against it...one could quite legally 'tootle' down said slip road at 40mph and slow or stop and wait until a suitable gap in traffic appeared...not what I would do and it might fly in the face of what the driver today is prepared to accept in his rush to get somewhere but it isn't illegal AFAIK.Unless you think it's safe to join 70mph+ traffic at half that speed, in which case you're one of the idiots I'm talking about.
The slip roads are there for a reason - to get up to speed on, not to admire the scenery and have another Wurther's original.
edit...Oh and I don't like Wurthers Originals either.
Edited by oldsoak on Tuesday 30th October 12:37
Actually there is a law against it. Driving without due care and attention.
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