WWYD - Slip Road Dawdler
Discussion
On a long slip-road onto a motorway, with good visibility of where you intend to merge, a car is in lane 2, indicating right, but travelling at 50mph.
You are catching up with them, in lane 1 on the slip, at 70mph.
Traffic on the motorway is very light (only a couple of cars) and travelling at 70mph.
Would you:
a) slow down and join the motorway, behind them
b) continue in L1 and pass on the left
c) something else?
For example - here.
You are catching up with them, in lane 1 on the slip, at 70mph.
Traffic on the motorway is very light (only a couple of cars) and travelling at 70mph.
Would you:
a) slow down and join the motorway, behind them
b) continue in L1 and pass on the left
c) something else?
For example - here.
If by passing them you would be well in front by the time you actually join the motorway then I would pass them. If not I would slow down and join behind them.
My mother does this, not accelerating down sliproads at all and joining at about 35mph. I find it rather scary being in a car which is trying to merge with 70mph traffic at 35mph, but she argues that it's safer
My mother does this, not accelerating down sliproads at all and joining at about 35mph. I find it rather scary being in a car which is trying to merge with 70mph traffic at 35mph, but she argues that it's safer
I passed in L1 after they had began to indicate, once I was satisfied they weren't going to return to the left lane.
For my trouble I was given the pleasure of audible and visual warning devices from the driver.
I didn't cut them up, I was past them by where the black 206 is in this picture, and stayed well out of their way by keeping to the left of the slip road until it ends.
P.S. the 206 crossing the hatchings... naughty!
For my trouble I was given the pleasure of audible and visual warning devices from the driver.
I didn't cut them up, I was past them by where the black 206 is in this picture, and stayed well out of their way by keeping to the left of the slip road until it ends.
P.S. the 206 crossing the hatchings... naughty!
I find that each individual situation is different, and you have to judge it, to the best of your ability, on a one by one basis, and sometimes you'll screw up, like that video I posted of me screwing up !
No hard and fast rules I'm afraid, and what you'll think is a good decision, someone else will think is terrible, and you should be hung drawn and quartered
No hard and fast rules I'm afraid, and what you'll think is a good decision, someone else will think is terrible, and you should be hung drawn and quartered
Cheers folks.
I was in two minds about whether to pass in L1 (some people obviously find it offensive!)
In the end decided I'd rather have a clear run at the give way line than have to use fuel, brake pads and concentration to drop down to 50 then accelerate back up again.
On the motorway afterwards I was having the usual internal debate of "would I have done that to a marked police car?"
I was in two minds about whether to pass in L1 (some people obviously find it offensive!)
In the end decided I'd rather have a clear run at the give way line than have to use fuel, brake pads and concentration to drop down to 50 then accelerate back up again.
On the motorway afterwards I was having the usual internal debate of "would I have done that to a marked police car?"
S. Gonzales Esq. said:
You didn't change lanes, you waited for their indicator to confirm intentions and there's a hard shoulder escape route. I'm with you OP - in these circumstances, option b.
This. Option A) also leaves you exposed to danger if you merge behind the dawdler, 2nd lane is full of traffic and something is bearing down on you at +30mph...marshalla said:
a) every time. I have no way of knowing when they'll wake up and suddenly swerve left. Slow down, leave a big gap between me and them and await further developments, then make a clean swift overtake on the motorway.
Possibly, but they are trying to move right and may be planning a suicidal swoop in front of an HGV (though they probably don't see it that way).Whatever is happening in their inside lane is of little concern to them. It's not as if they are just doing their normal MLMing - that will resume shortly.
With good visibility as shown in the OPs link I would use lane 1 every time making full use of the slip road
I have done this safely many times
It seems too many want to join the main carriageway at the start of the slip instead of the end and are therefore not using it as it was designed for
In rush hour most queue up in lane 2 and try to join just as the slip comes together with the carriageway leaving lane 1 lovely and clear to gently cruise along for joining at the end of the slip !!
I have done this safely many times
It seems too many want to join the main carriageway at the start of the slip instead of the end and are therefore not using it as it was designed for
In rush hour most queue up in lane 2 and try to join just as the slip comes together with the carriageway leaving lane 1 lovely and clear to gently cruise along for joining at the end of the slip !!
R0G said:
In rush hour most queue up in lane 2 and try to join just as the slip comes together with the carriageway leaving lane 1 lovely and clear to gently cruise along for joining at the end of the slip !!
I see this all the time. I guess with the volume of traffic on the roads we all do. I've never quite understood why people will even cut right across the beginning of the chevrons to join a jam. In terms of the available volume of traffic, it's essentially the back of the queue and they're going out of their way to get there. Still, as you say, it enables me to cruise up to the "front of the queue" so I don't let it bother me that much.Cheers, Jim
b)
-whilst being conscious that the car in the right hand lane *might* move to the left ...but very unlikely as they are heading towards the motorway carriageway.
I would prefer to merge onto the motorway at a decent speed and position rather than slowly behind another car at a place dictated by that car.
NB. There is also a 'hard shoulder' on the left of the slip road, if the worst did happen.
-whilst being conscious that the car in the right hand lane *might* move to the left ...but very unlikely as they are heading towards the motorway carriageway.
I would prefer to merge onto the motorway at a decent speed and position rather than slowly behind another car at a place dictated by that car.
NB. There is also a 'hard shoulder' on the left of the slip road, if the worst did happen.
This is a no-brainer for me, definitely option C - i.e. "something else".
What I do (it often happens on my journeys) is to stay in lane 1 and slow down (it's probably illegal to go past on the left anyway), leaving a gap in front. The problem you describe then transfers to somebody else. Job done.
That "sombody else" may zig zag round us and go past. No problem.
What I do (it often happens on my journeys) is to stay in lane 1 and slow down (it's probably illegal to go past on the left anyway), leaving a gap in front. The problem you describe then transfers to somebody else. Job done.
That "sombody else" may zig zag round us and go past. No problem.
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