Simpletons entering dual carriageway

Simpletons entering dual carriageway

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Discussion

Jonobigblind

754 posts

82 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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I can see both sides on this one. Not arguing against your position but it can be quite dangerous to have to stop and then get up to merging speed within 50 yards so I can see why the car came on. I guess he didn't know you were coming off imminently and just saw you carrying on in lane one when there seemed ample opportunity to move over. Were you indicating left to come off?

I often join the A34 southbound on a short slip and the amount of drivers who don't move over is ridiculous, more often than not I find them not paying much attention (can see their gaze is elsewhere). Quite an achievement given most of that dual carriageway seems to be a procession in lane two rather than people driving it properly.

Sounds like a badly designed road and I wager you're not the only person having this issue.

NDA

21,574 posts

225 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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I've always thought that you should move over if you have nothing in the outside lane. This is what I do.

Pistonheader101

2,206 posts

107 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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Move over

herewego

8,814 posts

213 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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Perhaps you should HAVE been more accommodating.

Venturist

3,472 posts

195 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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You're technically in the right and you're not obliged to move, but we have all been on those awful short slip roads where you barely have any time to straighten up, get up to speed, sight traffic on the road you're joining AND try to synchronise with a gap...

ashleyman

6,986 posts

99 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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NDA said:
I've always thought that you should move over if you have nothing in the outside lane. This is what I do.
Same here

Sheepshanks

32,764 posts

119 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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Chas Town said:
I knew by his speed that I would end up being marooned and not been able to exit as he would have been alongside.
If you could see his speed was reasonable then why not slow a little, let him onto the road and then you could exit without problem

Nightmare in these situation is when you slow and you get a ditherer - you can end up almost stopped on a main road. I'd much rather people just pulled out and got on with it - I can deal with that.

Chester draws

1,412 posts

110 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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You could also try slowing slightly and allowing them to merge in front of you.

As you're intending to leave at the exit 70 yards up the road anyway what difference will it make?

MiggyA

193 posts

100 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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In these situations there's lots of ways it can go and it's in your interest to anticipate the other driver and act accordingly. Remember you could have also sped up or slowed down even just a bit to make a slot if it seemed like you were dealing with a blockhead who's determined to maintain course at all costs and you didn't want to leave the lane. Unfortunately in this case it seems you were determined to be a blockhead too and you both ended up in a dangerous situation.

iwantagta

1,323 posts

145 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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Saw a nasty crash a few years back ;
A clearly rubbish driver was trying to join a dual carriage way, a police car was in the inside lane followed by two lorries.
I was about 50 yards back in the outside lane with nothing in front of me .
The rubbish driver was attempting to join from the slip but was running at the same pace as the police car.
They braked, fannyed about and pulled out at too slow a speed in front of lorry 1.
Lorry 1 slammed on the anchors.
Lorry 2 swerved right & braked. I had eased off before this as didnt like what i could see else i could have ended up in the barrier.
Lorry 2 smashed into lorry 1 & crushed the left hand side of its cab. Fortunately it was a UK spec else driver would have had life changing injuries.
Bad driver & copper drive off possibly unaware of the carnage behind.

Who was at fault? Clearly Lorry 2. Should never have been driving so close. & the rubbish driver for pulling out on a lorry.

However the whole issue could have been avoided if the copper had just pulled into the empty space in lane 2.

If you are walking down a street and see someone about to walk out of a shop do you take a pace away from the doorway (if its clear) so they dont walk out into you? I would assume you do.
Why wouldnt you choose to do the same in a car? Think of other people - there are learners and plain st drivers out there. You could have varied your speed, moved out - should you "have" to? No. But why wouldn't you?


CanoeSniffer

927 posts

87 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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Jonobigblind said:
I often join the A34 southbound on a short slip
Not Compton is it? I have to take this one on occasionally and it's short and completely blind to traffic on the carriageway until you're right on top of it. Another nasty slip road I use almost daily is northbound onto the A419 at the junction by Covingham, a sharp left turn leading to a short slip road going uphill. In both cases I try to accelerate as quickly as possible up to circa 65mph or so. Much easier to spot the HGV late and shed enough speed to slot in behind it than it is to approach at 40 and find the gap rapidly closing. And fk being one of these silly bds you see stationary at the end of the slip road trying to spot an opportunity to merge from a dead stop, because they couldn't smoothly join initially (I'd wager due to being too slow going up the slip road)

Jonobigblind

754 posts

82 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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CanoeSniffer said:
Not Compton is it? I have to take this one on occasionally and it's short and completely blind to traffic on the carriageway until you're right on top of it. Another nasty slip road I use almost daily is northbound onto the A419 at the junction by Covingham, a sharp left turn leading to a short slip road going uphill. In both cases I try to accelerate as quickly as possible up to circa 65mph or so. Much easier to spot the HGV late and shed enough speed to slot in behind it than it is to approach at 40 and find the gap rapidly closing. And fk being one of these silly bds you see stationary at the end of the slip road trying to spot an opportunity to merge from a dead stop, because they couldn't smoothly join initially (I'd wager due to being too slow going up the slip road)
No, it’s the one by Speen as I usually take the shortcut through Stockcross to avoid idiot Sunday drivers on the M4. I lived in Swindon for 10 years or so and I’m back up there every weekend from Southampton so know all about the lousy 419 junctions. The only truly decent way on to that road is the drag off the lights at J15 wink

iwantagta

1,323 posts

145 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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Jonobigblind said:
CanoeSniffer said:
Not Compton is it? I have to take this one on occasionally and it's short and completely blind to traffic on the carriageway until you're right on top of it. Another nasty slip road I use almost daily is northbound onto the A419 at the junction by Covingham, a sharp left turn leading to a short slip road going uphill. In both cases I try to accelerate as quickly as possible up to circa 65mph or so. Much easier to spot the HGV late and shed enough speed to slot in behind it than it is to approach at 40 and find the gap rapidly closing. And fk being one of these silly bds you see stationary at the end of the slip road trying to spot an opportunity to merge from a dead stop, because they couldn't smoothly join initially (I'd wager due to being too slow going up the slip road)
No, it’s the one by Speen as I usually take the shortcut through Stockcross to avoid idiot Sunday drivers on the M4. I lived in Swindon for 10 years or so and I’m back up there every weekend from Southampton so know all about the lousy 419 junctions. The only truly decent way on to that road is the drag off the lights at J15 wink
The accident i was on about was on the 419! Dorcan/sorting office junction.

FiF

44,081 posts

251 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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A question on this subject to the experts as to whether I did the right thing.

Rural dual carriageway, 50 limit, :sigh: That's how it is these days.

Anyway approaching a layby which is a loop of the old road and there's a Kia Sportage approaching the end of the layby. I'm in a well spreadout line of traffic, driving at the limit, indicated 51, true 50 calibrated speedo, in lane 1, no one in lane 2. Check mirrors, over shoulder, indicate, move out.

Kia pulls out into lane 1, accelerating as I overtake him. No signal of thanks, ignorant git.

Anyway at this point I am clear ahead, but not far enough to return to lane 1, yet the Kia is still accelerating and getting closer to n/s rear quarter.

At this point we are rapidly approaching, or as rapidly as you can at 50, :sigh:, a section of the dual carriageway where two lanes drop to one.

Clear to me Kia is going to go for an undertake if I don't do something, so seeing as the camera van isn't on his spot at the moment I just clog it, stick my left indicator on, and when well clear return to lane 1, to gesticulations from Kia. No doubt there could be some dashcam wker footage somewhere on idiottube.

But how could this simpleton have been dealt with differently, other than just staying in lane 1, not being helpful and making the ignorant pob wait?

Opinions, observations and advice welcome.


pim

2,344 posts

124 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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The rule as far I understand it that when you are on a slip road you stop for ongoing traffic on the main road.

You don't just barge in and force traffic to go to the outside lane.I always try to let people in from a slip road if I can't they have to wait.

So may Morons think they have right of way.No you haven't or am I in the wrong?

Jonobigblind

754 posts

82 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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iwantagta said:
The accident i was on about was on the 419! Dorcan/sorting office junction.
That and the slip road further up by the Co-op are two of the most panic inducing slip roads I’ve seen in many miles of driving. Many a near miss from people dithering or not getting up to speed quickly enough.

JM

3,170 posts

206 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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FiF said:
But how could this simpleton have been dealt with differently, other than just staying in lane 1, not being helpful and making the ignorant pob wait?

Opinions, observations and advice welcome.
Ignorant pob does ignorant pobish thing because ignorant pob is an ignorant pob.


i.e. Sometimes no matter what you do the other party will do something wrong/stupid, just be aware that it may happen and try an respond appropriately.




Not sure what a pob is though, but just went with it , smile

FiF

44,081 posts

251 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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JM said:
Ignorant pob does ignorant pobish thing because ignorant pob is an ignorant pob.


i.e. Sometimes no matter what you do the other party will do something wrong/stupid, just be aware that it may happen and try an respond appropriately.




Not sure what a pob is though, but just went with it , smile
Thanks, glad you went with it. It's a general non sweary insult that I somehow picked up during the time I was in South Yorkshire, aiui something similar to saying someone is a pain in the balls.

DocSteve

718 posts

222 months

Thursday 29th June 2017
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Is this not the advanced driving forum? The OP and some subsequent posts seem to be focused on the perceived incompetent and/or malicious actions of other drivers.

Surely this forum should be used to discuss how to avoid potential accidents by methods other than wishing the world could be rid of morons.

Other motorists will do all sorts of things ranging from those that briefly inconvenience to those that are so egregious they require significant ability and experience to avoid incident. Slip roads are common and with proper planning it should be possible to avoid most of these (also common) pitfalls. If you know you are intending to exit shortly after a slip road then it should be anticipated that a driver may wish to merge. You should have been aware of the surrounding traffic prior to this and adjusted your position and speed if necessary so that as many options as possible would have been available to you to avoid conflict. It may have required modifying your speed earlier (avoiding being "sandwiched" between the approaching vehicle and anything in lane 2), use of indicators to convey your intentions (which may or may not result in the approaching driver altering their plan/speed), changing your position at a better time.

Chas Town

Original Poster:

12 posts

82 months

Thursday 29th June 2017
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DocSteve said:
Is this not the advanced driving forum? The OP and some subsequent posts seem to be focused on the perceived incompetent and/or malicious actions of other drivers.

Surely this forum should be used to discuss how to avoid potential accidents by methods other than wishing the world could be rid of morons.

Other motorists will do all sorts of things ranging from those that briefly inconvenience to those that are so egregious they require significant ability and experience to avoid incident. Slip roads are common and with proper planning it should be possible to avoid most of these (also common) pitfalls. If you know you are intending to exit shortly after a slip road then it should be anticipated that a driver may wish to merge. You should have been aware of the surrounding traffic prior to this and adjusted your position and speed if necessary so that as many options as possible would have been available to you to avoid conflict. It may have required modifying your speed earlier (avoiding being "sandwiched" between the approaching vehicle and anything in lane 2), use of indicators to convey your intentions (which may or may not result in the approaching driver altering their plan/speed), changing your position at a better time.
Nice advice from the guy who coughs on another post at travelling at an indicated 157mph autobahn or not.A John Lyon HPC course will not get you out of the mire should the wheel literally come off see the old clip of the South Yorkshire traffic guy who has a blowout at far less speed. Hope there was nothing ahead or behind you at the time because all the planning in the world would not get you out of a situation.

Hypocrisy at its highest .