First driving incident, What would you have done?
Discussion
This has happend to me a few times,what would you do?.
You are going north up the M6 approaching Keele services in an artic with half a load so Keele brew is not going to slow you down. In front of you are a dozen trucks so you move out to the centre lane because some if not all the trucks will lose about 5 or 10 mph due to the gradient.
You have spotted a police car running at your speed a few hundred yards behind you so its all looking good in front and behind.
As you pass the in ramp of the sevices the road levels out and you wonder whether you will be able to get past the next truck.
Your cab is 15 foot behind his cab (does that make sense)as you approach the exit slip ramp of the services.
The trucks in the nearside lane are bunching because they can`t get out and a truck appears on the exit ramp doing about 45 mph indicating his intention to join the motorway.
This is were it get interesting,the truck coming on the motorway does`nt want to stop.
The truck in the slow lane can`t get out because i`m there,he can`t slow down because the guys behind are bunching and can`t see what going on up front.
I can`t boot it because of my speed restrictor and there is a truck quite close behind me.
Don`t forget the police car did`nt disappear into the services and so is still somewere behind me.
Name all the options open to me and then tell me what you would have done.
Do you mind if i tell you later what i did.
You are going north up the M6 approaching Keele services in an artic with half a load so Keele brew is not going to slow you down. In front of you are a dozen trucks so you move out to the centre lane because some if not all the trucks will lose about 5 or 10 mph due to the gradient.
You have spotted a police car running at your speed a few hundred yards behind you so its all looking good in front and behind.
As you pass the in ramp of the sevices the road levels out and you wonder whether you will be able to get past the next truck.
Your cab is 15 foot behind his cab (does that make sense)as you approach the exit slip ramp of the services.
The trucks in the nearside lane are bunching because they can`t get out and a truck appears on the exit ramp doing about 45 mph indicating his intention to join the motorway.
This is were it get interesting,the truck coming on the motorway does`nt want to stop.
The truck in the slow lane can`t get out because i`m there,he can`t slow down because the guys behind are bunching and can`t see what going on up front.
I can`t boot it because of my speed restrictor and there is a truck quite close behind me.
Don`t forget the police car did`nt disappear into the services and so is still somewere behind me.
Name all the options open to me and then tell me what you would have done.
Do you mind if i tell you later what i did.
The trouble with doing things by the book is that sometimes incidents can and do develope because of other peoples actions.
A friend or mine was killed when a car came out of knutsford services and caused a pile-up and then disappeared, and i promised my wife if that happened to me i would not, in all circumstances avoid hitting the vehicle that caused the danger.
Its very difficult to snake a big truck around a obstacle.
People that cause accidents but don`t get hit WILL drive off in my expierience.
Lets say for arguement sake you are towing a caravan.
If you were to go up the 3 mile climb on the M62 to junction 22 would you get in behind a line of trucks doing 30 mph so that you did not cause a problem at J22.
The trucks in lane 1 were doing 46mph and i was doing 56mph in lane 2, when we levelled out after the climb both lanes were doing 56 ish mph.
There is nothing wrong with how the incident has developed so far.
In the real world, the world and his wife would not get in behind the slowest vehicle because there might be something coming out of the services.
Vehicles do bunch especially in the rush hour.
Lets work on the assumption that the incidents has so far unfolded like i said.
I have not done anything wrong in law or according to the highway code.
I cannot control the gap behind me but i have a duty not to be careless in what i might do next.
AND THAT IS.....................
A friend or mine was killed when a car came out of knutsford services and caused a pile-up and then disappeared, and i promised my wife if that happened to me i would not, in all circumstances avoid hitting the vehicle that caused the danger.
Its very difficult to snake a big truck around a obstacle.
People that cause accidents but don`t get hit WILL drive off in my expierience.
Lets say for arguement sake you are towing a caravan.
If you were to go up the 3 mile climb on the M62 to junction 22 would you get in behind a line of trucks doing 30 mph so that you did not cause a problem at J22.
The trucks in lane 1 were doing 46mph and i was doing 56mph in lane 2, when we levelled out after the climb both lanes were doing 56 ish mph.
There is nothing wrong with how the incident has developed so far.
In the real world, the world and his wife would not get in behind the slowest vehicle because there might be something coming out of the services.
Vehicles do bunch especially in the rush hour.
Lets work on the assumption that the incidents has so far unfolded like i said.
I have not done anything wrong in law or according to the highway code.
I cannot control the gap behind me but i have a duty not to be careless in what i might do next.
AND THAT IS.....................
The incident that i discribed to you happens all the time and i have at different times found myself in each of the various positions and so from sometimes getting it a little bit wrong to almost spot on this is what i have done in the past.
If i am the truck joining the motorway from a short slip road i study my mirror to view all three lanes to see if some kind trucker can safely move out if needs be to allow me to merge, if he can`t i will ease off and indicate left to let him know i won`t be forcing my way on.
If you don`t indicate left some inexperienced drivers panic and think you will join come what may and so force there way over which can cause other problems in lines 2 and 3.
If the hard shoulder is clear i would if i had to keep moving up the shoulder still indicating left untill i could slot in, the logic being it is better than stopping and then trying to join from zero mph.
Joe public does not expect to swing onto a short slip road and find a stationary vehicle waiting to join.
If i am the truck in lane 1 then i realise that i am slowly getting myself boxed in so i will try to look through the services to see if something is ready to hit the road.
With maybe 500 yards to go if the truck in lane 2 has`nt reach my back doors and its safe to do so i will move out into lane 2 just in case something appears on the slip road.
This is safer for me, safer for the guy behind me in lane 1(he can see the slip road now)and safer for the joining truck.
If i can`t get out i just have to hope the truck joining is being driven by someone that thinks like me.(back off a little indicate left be prepared to go up the shoulder).
Easing off the gas or worse still slowing down on the brakes is a bad thing to do, in the real world people do travel to close and i always need to know what is right behind me.
Slowing down just closes the gaps and when you get hit up the arse by another truck he becomes trapped in his cab if hes lucky and you go down or up the embankment.
The joining truck does`nt actually join and so you take the blame.
Now we get to part were the story started. What did you do Dave?.
As I got my nose in front of truck 2 in lane 1 I would expect the lead truck to think about pulling out in front of me so i would look at him in his door mirror,if hes not looking at me then he feels ok about the situation so i proceed forward.
Now it happens, a fast truck appears on the slip road, "Oh christ its left hand drive", as i said before i know whats happenning Behind me and my escape route to avoid mayhem is the lesser of two evils Because the police car is behind me nobody is speeding and there is no one at the side of me in lane 3. I indicate and pull out into lane three, I toot my horn because the truck in lane 1 is watching the Polish trucker on the slip road,He hears me sees what i`m doing, indicates, pulls out into lane 2, backs off slightly so that i`m not hanging out there in lane 3 too long,flashes his lights to let me know i`ve cleared him, the truck on the slip road flashes and everybody is back in the slow lane except the truck that was behind me originally.
It all works like a well oiled machine except that i`ve broken rule Bla Bla of the highway code.
Now lets be serious the cops are not going to pull me over for doing what i did if it prvented a pile up, I would most certainly plead not guilty to it, would`nt you?.
Just to keep sweet with the BIB i watch for them approaching me and give them the thumbs up as they pass me(letting them know i knew they were there).
The one in the passenger seat gives me a royal wave and every body goes home in one piece that day
>> Edited by bmw114 on Wednesday 7th September 15:13
If i am the truck joining the motorway from a short slip road i study my mirror to view all three lanes to see if some kind trucker can safely move out if needs be to allow me to merge, if he can`t i will ease off and indicate left to let him know i won`t be forcing my way on.
If you don`t indicate left some inexperienced drivers panic and think you will join come what may and so force there way over which can cause other problems in lines 2 and 3.
If the hard shoulder is clear i would if i had to keep moving up the shoulder still indicating left untill i could slot in, the logic being it is better than stopping and then trying to join from zero mph.
Joe public does not expect to swing onto a short slip road and find a stationary vehicle waiting to join.
If i am the truck in lane 1 then i realise that i am slowly getting myself boxed in so i will try to look through the services to see if something is ready to hit the road.
With maybe 500 yards to go if the truck in lane 2 has`nt reach my back doors and its safe to do so i will move out into lane 2 just in case something appears on the slip road.
This is safer for me, safer for the guy behind me in lane 1(he can see the slip road now)and safer for the joining truck.
If i can`t get out i just have to hope the truck joining is being driven by someone that thinks like me.(back off a little indicate left be prepared to go up the shoulder).
Easing off the gas or worse still slowing down on the brakes is a bad thing to do, in the real world people do travel to close and i always need to know what is right behind me.
Slowing down just closes the gaps and when you get hit up the arse by another truck he becomes trapped in his cab if hes lucky and you go down or up the embankment.
The joining truck does`nt actually join and so you take the blame.
Now we get to part were the story started. What did you do Dave?.
As I got my nose in front of truck 2 in lane 1 I would expect the lead truck to think about pulling out in front of me so i would look at him in his door mirror,if hes not looking at me then he feels ok about the situation so i proceed forward.
Now it happens, a fast truck appears on the slip road, "Oh christ its left hand drive", as i said before i know whats happenning Behind me and my escape route to avoid mayhem is the lesser of two evils Because the police car is behind me nobody is speeding and there is no one at the side of me in lane 3. I indicate and pull out into lane three, I toot my horn because the truck in lane 1 is watching the Polish trucker on the slip road,He hears me sees what i`m doing, indicates, pulls out into lane 2, backs off slightly so that i`m not hanging out there in lane 3 too long,flashes his lights to let me know i`ve cleared him, the truck on the slip road flashes and everybody is back in the slow lane except the truck that was behind me originally.
It all works like a well oiled machine except that i`ve broken rule Bla Bla of the highway code.
Now lets be serious the cops are not going to pull me over for doing what i did if it prvented a pile up, I would most certainly plead not guilty to it, would`nt you?.
Just to keep sweet with the BIB i watch for them approaching me and give them the thumbs up as they pass me(letting them know i knew they were there).
The one in the passenger seat gives me a royal wave and every body goes home in one piece that day
>> Edited by bmw114 on Wednesday 7th September 15:13
Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff