motorway/dual carriageway slip roads.

[Vipers]

FussyFez said:

andrewparker said:

This is exactly why motorway lessons should be mandatory.

Couldn't agree more.

Cant see the problem my self, either you can drive or you cant. I see more idiots trying to negotiate roundabouts and box junctions than I do joining from slip roads, and those idiots already on L1 who dont have the common sense to move over if they can, (not that they have to, I know), and of course those idiots on the slip roads who think they have gods given right to barge in.

I think the arguement of driving on a motorway as part of the test falls flat when you compare someone who drives on the M90 to pass their test, v someone who drives on the M25, or M6 to pass a test, completely different situations. The M90 is nothing than a glorified dual carriageway without roundabouts.

The A90 where I live has slip roads, and is an NSL stretch, busier than the M90 at peak times, possibly busier than certain stretches of the M6 at times, M6 toll road for example, never seen that busy.

When I read threads like this, I do wonder how some people actually pass their test in the first place.

[Riley Blue]

Vipers said:

When I read threads like this, I do wonder how some people actually pass their test in the first place.

Especially as the OP mentions dual carriageways which could easily have been covered during his/her driving lessons.

[Vipers]

Riley Blue said:

Vipers said:

When I read threads like this, I do wonder how some people actually pass their test in the first place.

Especially as the OP mentions dual carriageways which could easily have been covered during his/her driving lessons.

Your right, I am not knocking the OP at least he cameto this thread for advise, the system is wrong in my opinion.

[Terminator X]

Put foot down, get up to 80-90 then usually you're much faster than the Lane 1 dawdlers and have miles of empty motorway ahead of you.

No need to thank me.

TX.

[itcaptainslow]

andrewparker said:

This is exactly why motorway lessons should be mandatory.

Agreed although logistically it'd be a nightmare, as people from Cornwall and Norfolk would have to come to England.

[Vipers]

itcaptainslow said:

andrewparker said:

This is exactly why motorway lessons should be mandatory.

Agreed although logistically it'd be a nightmare, as people from Cornwall and Norfolk would have to come to England.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm arnt they in England already

[andrewparker]

Not according to this chap -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2594513/F-...

[Skyedriver]

iva cosworth said:

Don't be scared to accelerate into a decent size gap in front of people travelling relatively slowly

in lane 1.

It boils my piss when I see a car bimbling on the slip road,I'm doing 50ish in an HGV and they just

decelerate when a bit of acceleration would safely get them onto the DC without cutting anyone up.

I do move out to L2 sometimes but it just shouldn't be necessary with the low speed I have to travel at.

All very well and I would but a relatives partner failed his test a few weeks ago because he accelerated down the slip road in front of a car rather than join behind it. (Apparently).

[Skyedriver]

FussyFez said:

andrewparker said:

This is exactly why motorway lessons should be mandatory.

Couldn't agree more.

I know of two people, one in his 70's and one in her 40's who WON'T drive on the A1 or A66 dual carriageways.....And she lives within a few 100yards of the A1.
Mind you she cannot actually park between the lines in a car park either.....

[Europa1]

andrewparker said:

This is exactly why motorway lessons should be mandatory.

Oh, genius idea. When I was learning to drive in north Norfolk, that would have meant 4 hour lessons to get to a motorway and back.

[andrewparker]

Europa1 said:

Oh, genius idea. When I was learning to drive in north Norfolk, that would have meant 4 hour lessons to get to a motorway and back.

Where did I specify you actually had to drive on one? Theory should be the bare minimum IMO.

[lufbramatt]

Good advice above. The worst thing is getting to the end of the sliproad going too slowly. Don't be afraid to hold lower gears and use higher revs to get up to speed more quickly. As above aim for 60mph, it's easier to slow down a bit with brakes to slip in behind someone than get the end of the sliproad doing 40mph in the wrong gear with a HGV looming down on you.

I think what puts a lot of new drivers off using motorways is having a small, underpowered car that struggles to get to motorway speed in the length of a sliproad. Makes them seem a lot more intimidating.

It's terrifying getting stuck behind someone on a sliproad who refuses to put their foot down, knowing the traffic on the motorway is travelling a good 20-30mph faster than you, and you have nowhere to go.

Remember you shouldn't do anything that forces another driver to take evasive action.

[Super Slo Mo]

Something that's also worth bearing in mind is that, on a motorway at least, the white line delineating the hard shoulder is not a brick wall, and in the very unlikely event of you reaching the end of the slip road whilst being unable to merge, it's safer to continue a little way along the hard shoulder and then merge than it is to come to a halt.

Rather worryingly, I have seen people do exactly this, then they have the danger of trying to merge into lane 1 from standstill, whilst people are coming up the slip road behind them at relatively high speed.

There's another thing I see inexperienced drivers doing, and that's when they've needed to stop on the hard shoulder for some reason, upon re-joining the motorway they sit and wait for a gap then pull straight into L1 from 0 mph, rather than getting up to speed on the shoulder and merging safely at a similar speed to other traffic.

[Blakewater]

Have a look at this older thread and the accompanying videos for advice.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I also suggest, if following someone onto a motorway, to stay well back from them and keep your eyes open for gaps in all the lanes and not just the first one. You don't want to be stuck right behind someone who faffs around or grinds to a halt and you need to give yourself plenty of room and opportunity to keep your speed up and move around them if necessary. Of course, also be aware of those behind trying to get the jump on you in the same way.

[Vipers]

andrewparker said:

Not according to this chap -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2594513/F-...

Didn't know you could own a wave, what a dick head.

[B'stard Child]

Terminator X said:

Put foot down, get up to 80-90 then usually you're much faster than the Lane 1 dawdlers and have miles of empty motorway ahead of you.

No need to thank me.

TX.

Mrs BC said "that's exactly what you do" she also said "rag the tits off the car" but I can live with that because more than 2500 rpm is "raggin"

She unfortunately gets a lift to work sometimes that ends up with a car stopped at then end of a slip road trying to join 70 mph traffic so prefers my technique

[Vipers]

mrf said:

Vipers said:

The A90 where I live has slip roads, and is an NSL stretch, busier than the M90 at peak times, possibly busier than certain stretches of the M6 at times, M6 toll road for example, never seen that busy.

Drive that particular road myself and lately its seemingly been populated by drunks and morons.....not to mention Dundee bus drivers who think they can pull out when and if they please, even against oncoming traffic on roundabouts....

Reason I leave at 0630 for work, to beat the buggers. (When I work, retired now, just the odd job now and again in Aberdeen). The Dee Bridge having one lane doesn't help either.

[driveclub]

Thanks for all your positive replies. really really appreciate. see I have made this whole slip road issue or into such a big deal that it has become a phobia. I do suffer from a bit of anxiety and I'm trying to overcome my fears without say killing myself lol.

Ive got the idea with the slip roads though. I guess it's more of a practice makes perfect.

Another thing is i obviously want to be a helpful driver. so when I'm on the motorway and I come up to slip road would braking be to much to widen the gap for a vehicle joining or with the foot off the throttle be a better idea?.. If L2 is full obviously

[itcaptainslow]

driveclub said:

Another thing is i obviously want to be a helpful driver. so when I'm on the motorway and I come up to slip road would braking be to much to widen the gap for a vehicle joining or with the foot off the throttle be a better idea?.. If L2 is full obviously

They should be giving way to you-you're on the motorway already. By all means try to create them a gap, but don't inconvenience the car behind or create a hazard in doing so.

[SK425]

itcaptainslow said:

driveclub said:

Another thing is i obviously want to be a helpful driver. so when I'm on the motorway and I come up to slip road would braking be to much to widen the gap for a vehicle joining or with the foot off the throttle be a better idea?.. If L2 is full obviously

They should be giving way to you-you're on the motorway already. By all means try to create them a gap, but don't inconvenience the car behind or create a hazard in doing so.

This.

Start off by maintaining your speed so that you're a constant for the joining driver. What they should be doing is planning to join either in front or behind you, and that decision is a lot easier for them to work out if your speed isn't changing. If it becomes apparent that they are intent on a collision course then you need to make the decision for them - do you accelerate so that they join behind you, or do you slow down so they join ahead? If you choose to slow down, just lifting off the throttle really ought to be enough. Unless it's a slip road with very poor visibility - i.e. you can't see the joining traffic until they're nearly on the motorway - needing to brake to create a gap is probably a sign that your anticipation and planning weren't as good as they could have been.

Just like with you original question - when you're the one joining - the key to an uneventful motorway junction experience is good anticipation and early planning. You can be starting to think about "what if someone tries to join on top of me" and looking at the traffic behind in lane 1 and to your right in lane 2 as soon as you know there is a joining slip road coming up. You don't need to wait until you can see the slip road before starting to plan for the "what if". Much better to have worked out in advance how you're going to deal with it and then see that there isn't even anyone on the slip road than to suddenly find yourself squished between a joiner on the slip road, a car in lane 2 and a tailgater behind with no time to figure out what to do.