So who was wrong?
Discussion
On the way to work this morning on a 2 lane duel carriageway.
I am in lane 2, in a line of traffic doing approx 60mph.
Lane 1 is pretty full and I am along side a HGV (probably 1/3rd along his side). Lane 1 is doing approx 56/57mph. So lane 2 only just trundling past.
Slip road on ramp, Golf is coming along slip road. Lorry puts right indicator on. I cant go faster to clear him or drop back due to cars behind. Golf keeps coming.
I accelerate as much as I can and get along side the cab, but am then stuck. Golf keeps coming, now half in lane 1 and lorry slams brakes on, swerves half across lane 2. I am by now (due to lorry slamming brakes on) in front and he continues his swerve into lane 2.
The car that was behind me also slams on and drives onto central grass. Dont think there was an actual collision as the lorry didnt stop but I couldnt see for amoke from HGV skidding. Golf had swerved back to slip road once he realsied imminent crash.
My thought is that the Golf should have waited, but what do you think?
I am in lane 2, in a line of traffic doing approx 60mph.
Lane 1 is pretty full and I am along side a HGV (probably 1/3rd along his side). Lane 1 is doing approx 56/57mph. So lane 2 only just trundling past.
Slip road on ramp, Golf is coming along slip road. Lorry puts right indicator on. I cant go faster to clear him or drop back due to cars behind. Golf keeps coming.
I accelerate as much as I can and get along side the cab, but am then stuck. Golf keeps coming, now half in lane 1 and lorry slams brakes on, swerves half across lane 2. I am by now (due to lorry slamming brakes on) in front and he continues his swerve into lane 2.
The car that was behind me also slams on and drives onto central grass. Dont think there was an actual collision as the lorry didnt stop but I couldnt see for amoke from HGV skidding. Golf had swerved back to slip road once he realsied imminent crash.
My thought is that the Golf should have waited, but what do you think?
right of way is to cars already on the dual carridgeway I think so the golf should have stopped. Certainly doesn't sound like either the lorry or yourself did anything wrong.
Obviously it's easier in hindsight but the lorry should have held it's position rather than atempt to make room for the golf.
Obviously it's easier in hindsight but the lorry should have held it's position rather than atempt to make room for the golf.
Golf should have waited, BUT, it reads like you were anticipating what was going to happen. In that kind of situation I would have eased off and dropped off just beyond the back of the truck. The guys behind won't have problems with this if you brake gently.
I don't like being besides trucks in this kind of situation, as i'm never 100% sure if they've seen me. The video from last year of the car being pushed sideways down the road by a truck that hadn't spotted a merging car always pops in to my head at these moments!
I don't like being besides trucks in this kind of situation, as i'm never 100% sure if they've seen me. The video from last year of the car being pushed sideways down the road by a truck that hadn't spotted a merging car always pops in to my head at these moments!
The Golf is wrong, obviously.
However: how long was the HGV? From the sound of it you were half way along it, with one car at the front of it and one car at the back of it. Travelling at 60mph a 2 second gap between you and the car in front is 176 feet, which is about three times as long as an average HVG.
However: how long was the HGV? From the sound of it you were half way along it, with one car at the front of it and one car at the back of it. Travelling at 60mph a 2 second gap between you and the car in front is 176 feet, which is about three times as long as an average HVG.
Captain Muppet said:
The Golf is wrong, obviously.
However: how long was the HGV? From the sound of it you were half way along it, with one car at the front of it and one car at the back of it. Travelling at 60mph a 2 second gap between you and the car in front is 176 feet, which is about three times as long as an average HVG.
Yep, no doubt we were all too close to each other.However: how long was the HGV? From the sound of it you were half way along it, with one car at the front of it and one car at the back of it. Travelling at 60mph a 2 second gap between you and the car in front is 176 feet, which is about three times as long as an average HVG.
I've been side-swiped by a lorry (which resulted in them paying for repairs), and have taken action to avoid a sideswipe by a lorry (which resulted in me paying for repairs as the lorry didn't stop and I thought I'd only broken my mirror on the central reservation).
So, in your situation I'd now either stay behind the lorry until there was enough space in front to pass and be in the clear (i.e. reducing my time exposed to danger at the side of the lorry), or ease off the throttle, dropped back, and left room in front for a predictable manoeuvre from the lorry.
However, if you were a 1/3 of the way along the side of the lorry, how did you see the car on the slip-road?
So, in your situation I'd now either stay behind the lorry until there was enough space in front to pass and be in the clear (i.e. reducing my time exposed to danger at the side of the lorry), or ease off the throttle, dropped back, and left room in front for a predictable manoeuvre from the lorry.
However, if you were a 1/3 of the way along the side of the lorry, how did you see the car on the slip-road?
king pillock... (the golf driver)Captain Muppet said:
The Golf is wrong, obviously.
However: how long was the HGV? From the sound of it you were half way along it, with one car at the front of it and one car at the back of it. Travelling at 60mph a 2 second gap between you and the car in front is 176 feet, which is about three times as long as an average HVG.
This. The Golf was in the wrong but both the HGV and OP could easily have avoided any issue.However: how long was the HGV? From the sound of it you were half way along it, with one car at the front of it and one car at the back of it. Travelling at 60mph a 2 second gap between you and the car in front is 176 feet, which is about three times as long as an average HVG.
I see this a lot where they think they have the right to come flying down the slip, and just join, and everybody should get out the road and give them room. Golf was a dipstick, but so many are never ever taught the proper etiquette in this kind of situation. Or Dual and motorway come to think of it.
The Golf was in the wrong.
If I'm in lane 2 (and therefore only overtaking) an I can see a vehicle barrelling down the sliproad, wherever possible I will either pull out in to lane 3 (if there), accelerate or slow down to allow the vehicle in lane 1 to pull out
I don't need to but it takes no time / costs nothing and is courteous
I drive 50-60k miles per year and have done so for over 20 years without (touch wood) an accident - I like to think its because of the attitude I have
I expect everyone around me to do stupid things and drive accordingly - barely a day goes by when someone in front, at the side of me does something that they shouldn't do and potentially putting me at risk - because I expect them to do it I can take appropriate action to prevent an incident
If I'm in lane 2 (and therefore only overtaking) an I can see a vehicle barrelling down the sliproad, wherever possible I will either pull out in to lane 3 (if there), accelerate or slow down to allow the vehicle in lane 1 to pull out
I don't need to but it takes no time / costs nothing and is courteous
I drive 50-60k miles per year and have done so for over 20 years without (touch wood) an accident - I like to think its because of the attitude I have
I expect everyone around me to do stupid things and drive accordingly - barely a day goes by when someone in front, at the side of me does something that they shouldn't do and potentially putting me at risk - because I expect them to do it I can take appropriate action to prevent an incident
Edited by Andy665 on Wednesday 31st October 09:45
S. Gonzales Esq. said:
A better question might be: What could I do differently next time?
Other drivers will always do stupid things - your aim should be to anticipate where this might happen, and not be there.
Exactly. After you'd been crushed by the HGV and died in a massive fireball, having 'I was in the right' on your gravestone isn't much solace.Other drivers will always do stupid things - your aim should be to anticipate where this might happen, and not be there.
If you could see the situation developing you should've slowed down to get behind the HGV. Claiming there were vehicles behind you so you couldn't slow down sounds a bit daft.
The golf was wrong and although I do agree with widening the gap to a safe stopping distance, it will never happen. I always give ample space for the car in front but then some turd will always fill that space (maybe even two) so I back off a bit until someone else repeats - I end up going back to beginning of my journey!
I think general motorway driving is on a huge decline. Driving up from silverstone last Thursday and I saw miles and miles of car in the 3rd lane whilst nothing was in either of the other two lanes. Then you'd see an idiot jump out of lane 3 to undertake as many cars as poss before jumping back to lane 3.
The journey down seemed strangely good but every sign above had 'stay left unless overtaking'.
I think general motorway driving is on a huge decline. Driving up from silverstone last Thursday and I saw miles and miles of car in the 3rd lane whilst nothing was in either of the other two lanes. Then you'd see an idiot jump out of lane 3 to undertake as many cars as poss before jumping back to lane 3.
The journey down seemed strangely good but every sign above had 'stay left unless overtaking'.
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