Discussion on joining m.ways on Mumsnet

Discussion on joining m.ways on Mumsnet

Author
Discussion

motco

Original Poster:

16,228 posts

253 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
To stop or to not stop

I am disturbed by some of the opinions of this MN thread.

AmaSco12

22 posts

26 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Mumsnet is a haven for this kind of stuff. There was a similar thread a while ago getting annoyed at people who go to the start of the contraflow then merge. rolleyes

Krikkit

26,995 posts

188 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
I mean, technically, aren't they correct?

It's only social convention that means we should move over, and in a busy carriageway where you can't join without making someone else slow down, by the letter of the law shouldn't you stop and wait? After all, you're crossing a lane marking.

In the same way, we should also be indicating left at the slip road.

57Ford

4,523 posts

141 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
I’ve only read the first page but there’s no doubt at all that these people hold the same ridiculous views as a high percentage of drivers I have to share the road with during my commute.

How hard is it to comprehend? The driver joining has to fit in with the main road. The end.

Maybe if the driver on the main carriageway can assist to no detriment of themselves or others, they can do but FFS, do not move into L2 a mile before you ‘might’ meet some adjoining traffic.

Joseph Ducreux

5,714 posts

227 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
There's a point at which courtesy needs to give way to common bloody sense though...

Recently, I was joining an A road from a slip, noticed a car already established and not moving over to more easily allow me to join (as is his right to do so, as he was established on the road at that time) so was in the process of slowing to allow him to pass, intending to join behind him, only to notice the idiot slowing down while in my blind spot at the same rate I was, while flashing his lights to let me join.

By the time I'd done my shoulder checks / forward checks etc. we were both down to about 15mph. Luckily, the road was empty enough whereby I had the space to pin it to get out in front of him, and there were no other road users at risk of rear ending him.

Bet he thought he was being ever so courteous, when in reality what he did was so stupid and dangerous, it beggared belief!

Edited for clarification


Edited by Joseph Ducreux on Wednesday 30th October 16:59

Alex_225

6,680 posts

208 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Sadly, people have no idea and think that it's their entitlement to join and for those on the carriageway to move out of their way.

If you can assist on a busy road, then great but too many drivers do drive with the assumption someone will let them in. If the road I'm on is fairly clear, there is space in front and behind me, then I'll stay in lane one and let people fit in as they're supposed to.

That said, if it's notorious bit of road as the poster in that thread applies, perhaps a bit of foresight and moving to lane two prior to the 'convoy' of vehicles would take the stress off.

More you read that threat, the more utter b*llocks is spouted though! haha

Super Sonic

7,282 posts

61 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
No different to some of the posts I've seen on here.

EmailAddress

13,566 posts

225 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
This is why low horsepower vehicles are so dangerous. The need for 600bhp+ EVs in family hatchbacks will resolve a lot of these issues.

Getragdogleg

9,102 posts

190 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Try being the poor sod driving a lorry on the main road when the people joining have no idea how to do it, I'm stuck at 55 with cars passing and some muppet comes down the slip at 55 and tries to join next to me. I cant brake because sods law says as soon as I do so will they and I cant pull out or accelerate.

only about 1% of people have neck movement to actually look at what's going on, the rest just look forwards and hope for the best.

Extra piss boiling points for getting me to pull out, let you out onto the main road and then accelerate and leave me out in L2 while you speed off. Quite why you could not find that speed while on the slip road is a mystery, its there when you feel you don't want to be passed by a lorry, even if its just helped you get on the main road without the accident you were trying to have.

Super Sonic

7,282 posts

61 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Krikkit said:
I mean, technically, aren't they correct?...by the letter of the law shouldn't you stop and wait? After all, you're crossing a lane marking.

In the same way, we should also be indicating left at the slip road.
You don't stop and wait to change lanes.
You're moving to a lane on your right so you indicate right. If you indicate left, noone on the road you're merging into will see it.

MC Bodge

22,609 posts

182 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Alex_225 said:
Sadly, people have no idea and think that it's their entitlement to join and for those on the carriageway to move out of their way.
Many are probably not aware of what "Give Way" means in any road situation.

Super Sonic

7,282 posts

61 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
MC Bodge said:
Many are probably not aware of what "Give Way" means in any road situation.
Like at a 'Give Way' sign and 'Give Way" lines (two dashed lines) at a junction? Never seen those on a motorway slip road.

Pica-Pica

14,468 posts

91 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Super Sonic said:
No different to some of the posts I've seen on here.
Beat me too it - equal and parallel universes.

Super Sonic

7,282 posts

61 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
Super Sonic said:
No different to some of the posts I've seen on here.
Beat me too it - equal and parallel universes.
We've already had two saying you should stop or give way on a slip road!

MustangGT

12,287 posts

287 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Rule 259 of the HC covers this:

Highway Code said:
Rule 259
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

- give priority to traffic already on the motorway
- check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane
- not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
- stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
- remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking.
The first 2 items cover it. Give way to traffic on the motorway (or DC) but match speed to fit in safely.

Of course a lot of drivers ignore the requirement to leave a reasonable gap to the vehicle in front. If everybody did that then merging in safely would be easy.

MC Bodge

22,609 posts

182 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
From the Highway Code:

3. Joining the motorway (259)
259

Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway.

You should:

Give priority to traffic already on the motorway

Check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane
not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder

Stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway

Remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking.

MC Bodge

22,609 posts

182 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Super Sonic said:
We've already had two saying you should stop or give way on a slip road!
And some people don't appear to have a clue what the Highway Code says...

Maybe those people need a refresher course?

Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 30th October 16:49

Pica-Pica

14,468 posts

91 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Before becoming a PH member, there should be a Highway Code test as an ‘induction course’. Yes, most posting on here should have read it at some time, but that is increasingly hard to believe.

MC Bodge

22,609 posts

182 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
Before becoming a PH member, there should be a Highway Code test as an ‘induction course’. Yes, most posting on here should have read it at some time, but that is increasingly hard to believe.
The problem is that those most in need of learning the rules of the road are the people least likely to seek out the knowledge.

Super Sonic

7,282 posts

61 months

Wednesday 30th October
quotequote all
MC Bodge said:
Super Sonic said:
We've already had two saying you should stop or give way on a slip road!
And some people don't appear to have a clue what the Highway Code says...

Maybe those people need a refresher course?

Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 30th October 16:49
To learn the difference between 'give priority' on a slip road and 'give way' at a junction?