learners allowed on motorways!
Discussion
bicycleshorts said:
alangla said:
I take it you haven't driven the M8 through Glasgow?
That, for a learner, would be absolutely terrifying if it was at all busy. First time I did it, it was with a driving instructor just after I passed my test, probably the most useful lesson of the lot!
This is true. First time I was on it I was caught out by lane 3 suddenly becoming a sliproad as I was overtaking stationary traffic in the other 2.That, for a learner, would be absolutely terrifying if it was at all busy. First time I did it, it was with a driving instructor just after I passed my test, probably the most useful lesson of the lot!
ShampooEfficient said:
Cock Womble 7 said:
If they can't manage to get up to more than 55/56mph before the end of the slip-road, they don't belong on the motorway.
Exactly. Even in my old Corsa you could get up to merging speed on any sliproad you care to mention.Slowing usually means brake lights so others know what the driver is doing
djt100 said:
Having seen the learners in my area sit in the outside lane of empty(ish)DC, I have little hope. Seems some of the instructors just go on to teach bad habits to the students.
When i was learning to drive i had a lot of tuition on DC's and most of them main lorry routes. Anybody here who uses roads like the A12, A14 etc will know how lorries or vans can make up 50% of traffic sometimes so i got lots of practice at overtaking large vehicles. They'd be doing 56 so i'd overtake at 70, the problem is everybody else drives at 85 but of course no instructor will let you do that for obvious reasons. My instructor did tell me to check my rear view mirror after overtaking the lorry and if nothings pushing up behind us then stay on the outside and overtake the next one - the likelyhood is another lorry was never far ahead. However if an 85mph merchant was bearing down on us then move over and let them pass as 'its not our job to slow them down if theres an empty lane on our left.' Equally if the lorry was miles away then move back to the left anyway.Another thing i was told was if after an overtake theres a slip road coming up then stay in the outside lane - but NOT parallel with other vehicles - until you can see whats joining, this might mean hanging back a bit to get a clear view due to the large vehicles on the inside and obviously its dangerous to be alongside another vehicle if it has to pull out to make room for the joining traffic. I was told this is preferable to going back to the inside lane just before the slip road, seeing 20 cars trying to join it and having nowhere to go due to the wall of 80mph merchants on my right following each other at towing distance. The problem is most people who had licences seemed incapable of looking beyond their own bonnet to see why i hadnt moved back across yet, they didnt think 'oh theres a slip road coming up he's waiting to see whats joining' they just see 'learner sat in the outside lane doing 70, i want to do 96, get out of my way!!'
My instructor did acknowledge that people wont realise what you're doing and will drive 3 inches behind you because they want to go faster so avoid being caught in the outside lane near a slip road if possible but always assume something will be joining from the slip road and have your options ready (hang back, go ahead, change lanes etc) if needed.
Edited by martin84 on Friday 9th December 19:35
I think this is a good idea. You know that instructors will make sure that the learners will stick to the left-hand lane until they are confident enough. They'll then teach them how to properly use the motorway and hopefully tell them its bad form to hog the middle lane when the left one is free.
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