Driving in heavy traffic
Discussion
Promted by driving into uni this morning. BTW I am not an advanced driver of any sort.
In heavy traffic such that there is little or no speed differential between the lanes (dual carriageway or motorway) I tend to just stick to the left hand lane as I don't like passing other cars with little speed differential as I don't like being in people's blind spots for too long, which is pretty much guarunteed in traffic near London at around rush hour. However, I like to keep a reasonable distance from the car in front so I can see better and have more time to react to anything happening up ahead, and I also try to maintain some speed differential between me and the overtaking lanes (not too much, just enough to make sure I'm not in their blind spots for too long and vice versa), however, I'm concerned that this might make me the slowest vehicle in the vicinity, contributing to the traffic, etc, although often I couldn't really go any faster anyway.
Also, when the traffic speeds up again, I'm not really sure quite what the best approach is to accelerating; I've been trying to accelerate gently so the overtaking traffic is still moving past me, but this just seems to result in me gaining speed very slowly, if at all, but if I were to accelerate with the traffic ahead, I'd be accelerating with someone either in or nearly in my blind spot, or vice versa, and that doesn't seem all that safe either.
The other thing is, when traffic is waiting to join from a slip road and I'm in the left hand lane, I can't really move out to let tham out as there's rarely a gap big enough for me to pull into.
Suggestions?
In heavy traffic such that there is little or no speed differential between the lanes (dual carriageway or motorway) I tend to just stick to the left hand lane as I don't like passing other cars with little speed differential as I don't like being in people's blind spots for too long, which is pretty much guarunteed in traffic near London at around rush hour. However, I like to keep a reasonable distance from the car in front so I can see better and have more time to react to anything happening up ahead, and I also try to maintain some speed differential between me and the overtaking lanes (not too much, just enough to make sure I'm not in their blind spots for too long and vice versa), however, I'm concerned that this might make me the slowest vehicle in the vicinity, contributing to the traffic, etc, although often I couldn't really go any faster anyway.
Also, when the traffic speeds up again, I'm not really sure quite what the best approach is to accelerating; I've been trying to accelerate gently so the overtaking traffic is still moving past me, but this just seems to result in me gaining speed very slowly, if at all, but if I were to accelerate with the traffic ahead, I'd be accelerating with someone either in or nearly in my blind spot, or vice versa, and that doesn't seem all that safe either.
The other thing is, when traffic is waiting to join from a slip road and I'm in the left hand lane, I can't really move out to let tham out as there's rarely a gap big enough for me to pull into.
Suggestions?
Matthew C said:
The other thing is, when traffic is waiting to join from a slip road and I'm in the left hand lane, I can't really move out to let tham out as there's rarely a gap big enough for me to pull into.
Suggestions?
Suggestions?
Dear Matthew
I can't really comment on the other stuff, as I'm still thinking about it!!!
However, for the above, could you drop back slightly, to allow the person on the slip road time to see the gap and enter it if he/she decides it's safe. If you do it smoothly and in plenty of time, you should be able to open the gap without inconveniencing those behind.
Regards
Sally
P.S. I've just seen your post on the Hunt Calender. Can I stress that I am NOT THAT Lady Godiva.
People who move over on free-flowing (busy/slow moving lane 1 is a different kettle of fish) motorways to allow traffic to join from the slip really annoy me.
The reason they really annoy me is that very often they take no account of the speed differential between themselves (lane 1) and me (lane 2) and they go "grunt, drool, there's a gap, grunt, I'm in it, drool, WHERE THE
DID THAT CAR COME FROM BEHIND ME?!", causing me to have to take action to avoid a "DOH!" moment. *adjusts halo* I always look out for these wits, so am prepared for the decelerate/move to the right as required. Not always possible to move out, though, and the person behind me is occasionally all "WTF is he slowing for--oh, wit in a Corolla giving way on the motorway. Never mind, carry on."
There's a couple of points here. Firstly, since when did traffic on a slip road have priority over running lanes on a motorway?
Secondly, why don't the Corolla drivers take a moment to work out whether that patch of tarmac is actually a gap or is going to have a vehicle in it real soon now?
And breathe.
The reason they really annoy me is that very often they take no account of the speed differential between themselves (lane 1) and me (lane 2) and they go "grunt, drool, there's a gap, grunt, I'm in it, drool, WHERE THE
DID THAT CAR COME FROM BEHIND ME?!", causing me to have to take action to avoid a "DOH!" moment. *adjusts halo* I always look out for these wits, so am prepared for the decelerate/move to the right as required. Not always possible to move out, though, and the person behind me is occasionally all "WTF is he slowing for--oh, wit in a Corolla giving way on the motorway. Never mind, carry on." There's a couple of points here. Firstly, since when did traffic on a slip road have priority over running lanes on a motorway?
Secondly, why don't the Corolla drivers take a moment to work out whether that patch of tarmac is actually a gap or is going to have a vehicle in it real soon now?
And breathe.
I do normally ease off to give traffic on the slip road a chance, but quite a few round here aren't really proper slip roads so full bore standing starts are the order of the day, although some people just pull out and don't try to speed up quickly, sometimes not giving you a huge amount of time anyway, and I'm getting fed up with having to slow down to 25-30 for them, although I recognise their problem. I can't help but feel there's a deficiency in my forward planning or something, although often I don't seem to have any other options.
This really bloody annoys me when peeps slow down to let others off a slip road. Traffic on a slip road does not have priority. If they can't adjust their speed to match that of the traffic they are joining safely then they are obviously not confident enough to be on the road. There's too many wits about as there is without this lot an'all.
wits about as there is without this lot an'all.
gridgway said:
shining examples of good driving attitude here then. I'll make sure that when I dont come up to your exacting standards that I dont do it near you so as to get into your wit category.
wit category.highway code - traffic on motorway has right of way. traffic joining from slip road should adjust speed to join m'way flow at most acceptable point and speed. double dotted white lines at edge of m'way/bottom of slip road indicates who has priority. i move to middle lane if possible, but do not feel obliged to do so.
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