Comments on: Entering a Motorway http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/ Promoting good driving by exposing bad driving in Ireland Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:21:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Neil http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-6053 Neil Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:10:49 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-6053 Yes I agree with most here. Those merging have do incorporate with the traffic on the motorway. Drivers already on the motorway can use the overtaking lane to accomodate them, but they aren't bound by any rules of the road. Just courtisey. However it's not always possible to do so as it is the overtaking lane and others will be using it. At the end of the day we all have to use the road so lets help each other as much as possible Yes I agree with most here. Those merging have do incorporate with the traffic on the motorway. Drivers already on the motorway can use the overtaking lane to accomodate them, but they aren’t bound by any rules of the road. Just courtisey. However it’s not always possible to do so as it is the overtaking lane and others will be using it. At the end of the day we all have to use the road so lets help each other as much as possible

]]> By: johnny http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-858 johnny Mon, 17 Sep 2007 23:28:30 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-858 I have noticed this also people start to brake coming on to the motorways or dual carriage ways . At one point i was behind a car that actually stopped to pull out waited for a gap and then started to accelerate slowly. I merge to a dual carriage once to twice a day i have noticed that a lot of drivers on the inside lane are actually going quite slowly, by this i mean i would be traveling faster than the actual user of the lane. This is where the minimum speed would not work, in most cases if the merging lane is ending you have to brake to enter the lane. I also find a lot of people do not know how to react when they find a car merging, they do not know if they should brake, pull out or just keep going. But in my experience i find people do not know how to enter the motorway more so than drivers allowing people to merge I have noticed this also people start to brake coming on to the motorways or dual carriage ways . At one point i was behind a car that actually stopped to pull out waited for a gap and then started to accelerate slowly. I merge to a dual carriage once to twice a day i have noticed that a lot of drivers on the inside lane are actually going quite slowly, by this i mean i would be traveling faster than the actual user of the lane. This is where the minimum speed would not work, in most cases if the merging lane is ending you have to brake to enter the lane. I also find a lot of people do not know how to react when they find a car merging, they do not know if they should brake, pull out or just keep going. But in my experience i find people do not know how to enter the motorway more so than drivers allowing people to merge

]]> By: Primal Sneeze http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-826 Primal Sneeze Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:33:25 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-826 <p>Charlie - The same applies here: <em>You must use the acceleration lane to build up speed</em> so that <em>you match, as near as possible, the general speed of the traffic in that lane</em>.</p> <p>Rustyshackleford - So therefore, the minimum is, in effect, <em>the general speed of the traffic</em> on the motorway.</p> <p>Neilferguson1701 - Sorry, I didn't mean to imply there was nothing about what you said in the ROTR - I meant that it was courteous, sensible and had a strong legal basis in that you would be 'reading the road ahead'. Because of that, there is in fact a statement in the ROTR that says <em>you may also use this [the outer] lane to accommodate traffic merging from the left</em>. I was attempting to draw attention to a situation where a 'golden rule' of staying left is not compulsory in certain circumstances. There are others.</p> Charlie – The same applies here: You must use the acceleration lane to build up speed so that you match, as near as possible, the general speed of the traffic in that lane.

Rustyshackleford – So therefore, the minimum is, in effect, the general speed of the traffic on the motorway.

Neilferguson1701 – Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply there was nothing about what you said in the ROTR – I meant that it was courteous, sensible and had a strong legal basis in that you would be ‘reading the road ahead’. Because of that, there is in fact a statement in the ROTR that says you may also use this [the outer] lane to accommodate traffic merging from the left. I was attempting to draw attention to a situation where a ‘golden rule’ of staying left is not compulsory in certain circumstances. There are others.

]]> By: Charlie http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-825 Charlie Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:32:21 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-825 In the UK, merging traffic have to do so at the speed of the traffic to which they are merging. 100kph road, they must join at 100kph if safe to do so. Of course if the traffic is going slower then they must join at a slower speed. Also traffic merging/joining from a slip road in the UK IS the GIVE WAY vehicle. If they cannot safely pull out they must wait until they can. There is not an automatic right to join the flow of traffic. A friend of mine was in an accident where the vehicle joining the motorway did so at far too slow a speed and caused a minor pile up of 3 cars already on the motorway. While the idiot joining the motorway did not suffer any damage to themselves or vehicle their licence did! As they caused the accident, and the motorway cameras saw it, I believe there insurance also coughed up, as it could be proved that they were ultimately liable. In the UK, merging traffic have to do so at the speed of the traffic to which they are merging. 100kph road, they must join at 100kph if safe to do so. Of course if the traffic is going slower then they must join at a slower speed.

Also traffic merging/joining from a slip road in the UK IS the GIVE WAY vehicle. If they cannot safely pull out they must wait until they can. There is not an automatic right to join the flow of traffic.

A friend of mine was in an accident where the vehicle joining the motorway did so at far too slow a speed and caused a minor pile up of 3 cars already on the motorway. While the idiot joining the motorway did not suffer any damage to themselves or vehicle their licence did! As they caused the accident, and the motorway cameras saw it, I believe there insurance also coughed up, as it could be proved that they were ultimately liable.

]]> By: rustyshackleford http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-555 rustyshackleford Mon, 03 Sep 2007 18:41:30 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-555 I don't know about imposing a minimum joining speed, but I agree that slow drivers joining fast roads cause great danger. I used to travel the road from Mallow to Cork City on a regular basis, and often met people joining the main road (100k limit) at 40-50 k and _braking_. yes that's what I said _braking_ . one of the first times I saw this happen, I was panicked - it's a very short slip road, but got a good look at the provisional driver when I went by. It was a girl with a male passenger - who presumably was teaching her (in rush hour tho), I assume that he had passed his test and should know better. I would have expected him to be pushing her on, to pick up speed, to filter into the traffic, but he seemed unconcerned, Three cars behind her were beeping at her to speed up.... About one year later, the same on-ramp, same driver, same male passenger, same scenario. That day I was a passenger (car share is great) and when we went around, I shook my fists at her. I was so angry, and so frustrated, that anyone could be making the same mistakes a year later.... Would no-one tell her how to join a road? Would she not gather from the daily beeps that she was doing something terribly wrong? I don’t know about imposing a minimum joining speed, but I agree that slow drivers joining fast roads cause great danger. I used to travel the road from Mallow to Cork City on a regular basis, and often met people joining the main road (100k limit) at 40-50 k and _braking_. yes that’s what I said _braking_ . one of the first times I saw this happen, I was panicked – it’s a very short slip road, but got a good look at the provisional driver when I went by. It was a girl with a male passenger – who presumably was teaching her (in rush hour tho), I assume that he had passed his test and should know better. I would have expected him to be pushing her on, to pick up speed, to filter into the traffic, but he seemed unconcerned, Three cars behind her were beeping at her to speed up….

About one year later, the same on-ramp, same driver, same male passenger, same scenario. That day I was a passenger (car share is great) and when we went around, I shook my fists at her. I was so angry, and so frustrated, that anyone could be making the same mistakes a year later…. Would no-one tell her how to join a road? Would she not gather from the daily beeps that she was doing something terribly wrong?

]]> By: neilferguson1701 http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-544 neilferguson1701 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:26:36 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-544 Sorry, meant Primal Sneeze. Sorry, meant Primal Sneeze.

]]> By: neilferguson1701 http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-543 neilferguson1701 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:25:49 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-543 I live and learn. Primalscream is correct, there's nothing in the Highway Code about moving over and making room for joining traffic. I wonder how much else I have assumed to be correct isn't? I live and learn. Primalscream is correct, there’s nothing in the Highway Code about moving over and making room for joining traffic. I wonder how much else I have assumed to be correct isn’t?

]]> By: elexes http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-536 elexes Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:55:56 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-536 i shall take a photo and put it up of the sign for all motorways . i dont live to far away from one i shall take a photo and put it up of the sign for all motorways . i dont live to far away from one

]]> By: Primal Sneeze http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-525 Primal Sneeze Mon, 03 Sep 2007 10:27:49 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-525 Elexes, you are close enough - the motorway min is effectively 50km/h in that vehicles incapable of a speed of at least 50km/h are not permitted. Note that I said effectively - some legal eagle out there may tell us if a vehicle capable of that speed may be driven below it and save me looking it up. Neil, what you are saying about allowing traffic merge by moving out, where possible, is laudably courteous and results in a smoother flow. While legally you should not be in an outer lane if the one to your left is free, in this case you are anticipating an imminent overtaking manoeuvre. You make an excellent point when when you say you, like the vast majority of people, you haven’t read this document [the rules of the road] in a number of years. We are all guilty of this. There is a link on this site to the current version* for the Rep. of Ireland. If you reside outside this state you will have to look elsewhere for your own local one. *The 2007 version. Until such time as the long promised free copies are delivered it is worth downloading. There are a number of additional rules and some that have been altered that those of us who took our driving tests a few years ago may not be up to date with. Elexes, you are close enough – the motorway min is effectively 50km/h in that vehicles incapable of a speed of at least 50km/h are not permitted. Note that I said effectively – some legal eagle out there may tell us if a vehicle capable of that speed may be driven below it and save me looking it up.

Neil, what you are saying about allowing traffic merge by moving out, where possible, is laudably courteous and results in a smoother flow. While legally you should not be in an outer lane if the one to your left is free, in this case you are anticipating an imminent overtaking manoeuvre.

You make an excellent point when when you say you, like the vast majority of people, you haven’t read this document [the rules of the road] in a number of years. We are all guilty of this. There is a link on this site to the current version* for the Rep. of Ireland. If you reside outside this state you will have to look elsewhere for your own local one.

*The 2007 version. Until such time as the long promised free copies are delivered it is worth downloading. There are a number of additional rules and some that have been altered that those of us who took our driving tests a few years ago may not be up to date with.

]]> By: neilferguson1701 http://shitedrivers.com/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/comment-page-1/#comment-522 neilferguson1701 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:48:19 +0000 http://shitedrivers.com/index.php/2007/09/02/entering-a-motorway/#comment-522 I always thought that if traffic was merging onto the motorway you moved over to the over-taking lane as long as it was clear and you were not going to impede anyone further back in the over-taking lane. That way it didn't matter what speed the merging traffic was doing. Having said that, from experience, this is generally only possible at off-peak times or away from cities. I'm not sure if this is in the Highway code as I, like the vast majority of people, haven't read this particular document in a number of years. I always thought that if traffic was merging onto the motorway you moved over to the over-taking lane as long as it was clear and you were not going to impede anyone further back in the over-taking lane. That way it didn’t matter what speed the merging traffic was doing. Having said that, from experience, this is generally only possible at off-peak times or away from cities. I’m not sure if this is in the Highway code as I, like the vast majority of people, haven’t read this particular document in a number of years.

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