traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

The Drach Man

The Drach Man

Club Member
Tired of boring the wife with yet another tale of a dick in in Audi pulling in front of me at 80mph and forcing me to decamp to the next lane over as quickly as possible - while waving frantically at the Merc now behind me about to push my spine out the top of my helmet because I'm doing 60mph and he wasn't expecting the excitement, can anyone - ANYONE - tell me when the Higway Code changed to tell us to give way to traffic coming from the left, expecially when hemmed in by an artic and a caravan and reviewing life insurance payouts in the moments before death becomes a real possibility, or is the dick pulling in front of me, rather than waiting for a space, just a dick?
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

I may be wrong but I don't think its changed. Trouble is- again it might have changed - but I dont think Motorway driving is taught at the basic test level is it?

When I did a bit of professional driving I was taught that you had to - spot a gap in the traffic and match your speed to filter in to it.

I still now do not move into the centre lane to let twats on and am amazed at how some try to join at something like 50 mph.
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

I didnt think anyone had the automatic right to filter / join the motorway without stopping, surely the last line you cross into the main carraigeway is a dotted line that signifies 'give way' ......in this case and as far as joining a dual carriageway is concerned you are supposed to 'give way' to traffic on the main carriageway if you cannot access straight away .......................that's my 10 penneth anyway.
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

Personally I try to move into the middle lane on the motorway when approaching an on slip road - I find it's courteous to let people on and also a survival tactic as I can avoid the idiots who join too fast or too slow....

Steve
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

Anticipation and awareness does wonders when riding a bike!
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

Its still basic highway code rules. Always give way to traffic approaching from your right. When you have been wiped out by the moron who disregards this rule, your bereaved family can sue the hell out of him.:crushed:
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

most days i will try to kill them as i weigh between 30-150 tonnes they drive like pricks i never slow i have beacons leds flashing and all sorts and they still do it they are c--nts too thick and too stupid to speed up when merging then in town indicate right to go straight on grrrrr ... kill em all..
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

I move over on the bike - self preservation......I think the trick it to present a harder target....

I am less sympathetic when I am wearing my Dodge...............but then again it weighs 6000 lbs......the simple truth is that it is the survival of the biggest...........
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

stevel said:
Personally I try to move into the middle lane on the motorway when approaching an on slip road - I find it's courteous to let people on and also a survival tactic as I can avoid the idiots who join too fast or too slow....

Steve
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+1 couldn't agree more
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

tomg said:
........I still now do not move into the centre lane to let twats on and am amazed at how some try to join at something like 50 mph.
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I hope for your sake that's a typo or bad grammar otherwise your gonna' be popular at the next club ride out.
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

I do believe that those dotted road markings on the slip road are an indication to 'give way'. Not to be crossed unless safe to do so.
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

stevel said:
Personally I try to move into the middle lane on the motorway when approaching an on slip road - I find it's courteous to let people on and also a survival tactic as I can avoid the idiots who join too fast or too slow....

Steve
Click to expand...

I'll ride with you if that OK Steve. Common sense and courtesy aren't tought, it's something you either have or you don't.
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

ACE said:
I do believe that those dotted road markings on the slip road are an indication to 'give way'. Not to be crossed unless safe to do so.
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Correct, but motorway junctions are signed at (from memory) mile and half mile distances.....they don't jump out from behind a bush.
I alway move over well ahead in anticipation......lifesaver over my left shoulder before moving back just incase there's a Scooby belting down the slip road at a ton plus.
Im gob smacked some of you lot manage to live through a riding season.
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

stevel said:
Personally I try to move into the middle lane on the motorway when approaching an on slip road - I find it's courteous to let people on and also a survival tactic as I can avoid the idiots who join too fast or too slow....

Steve
Click to expand...

Same here, as long as it is safe to do so. Although when on two wheels I avoid motorways when possible, breeding grounds for those texting or reading the morning paper.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

trickytree said:
Correct, but motorway junctions are signed at (from memory) mile and half mile distances.....they don't jump out from behind a bush.
I alway move over well ahead in anticipation......lifesaver over my left shoulder before moving back just incase there's a Scooby belting down the slip road at a ton plus.
Im gob smacked some of you lot manage to live through a riding season.
Click to expand...


Yeh what he said, you've got to preserve your own life as number one priority but theres no reason for you to become a 'twat' just because you may be surrounded by road users who don't have a clue, wheather they be on four wheels or two wheels.
Merging onto a road should be done at an appropriate speed so as not to interrupt the traffic flow, but at the same time users on the main carraigeway 'should' adjust their speed if necessary to accomodate them, its pointless taking your life in your hands just to try and spite some dick when its you who may come off worse .
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

As a truck driver who spends to many hours on motorways the standard of driving has gone down hill in the 30 years. I see so many drivers who think it's there right of way just to launch themselves onto the motorway with out regard for what is coming. A lot of this is just plain arrogance and piss poor driving standards. Now I try to move over for traffic but at times you just cant do it.
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

i believe the poor use of slip roads in recent years has proliferated due to people moving over to let people on.
the driver who is joining from a slip road nowadays mistakenly believes that they have the right of way because of this practice regardless of whether there is another vehicle in the middle lane.
if i can move over i will but if i can't then it's not my problem.
the amount of people who expect 44 tons of wagon to stop on sixpence is unreal. a driver at our place actually had some one try to claim because they crashed into the side of his tanker when joining. the car driver ended up getting done for driving with undue care and attention.
don't get me wrong, i'm far from a perfect driver but if you try to drive to the highway code you'll not go far wrong.
of course on the bike self preservation overrides a lot of being in the right.
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

Things that boils my piss are the arseholes that see you accelerating into a gap and then think it's ok to close that gap (sorry Chrissy but that's a wagon driver speciality that one), the other I get a lot now, cos part of my commute is a long term contraflow is this. You'll be accelerating up to 40 (the limit) on the slip road behind a motor. Once they've entered the inside lane, said muppet in the car just stops and indicates to pull into the outside lane ???? WTF :livid:
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

trickytree said:
I hope for your sake that's a typo or bad grammar otherwise your gonna' be popular at the next club ride out.
Click to expand...

Yeh, sorry. Of course I do if I need to but there are times when the centre lane is chocker and you can't
 
Re: traffic joining motorway - when did the law change requiring suicide?

Templar said:
I'm assuming the 'bit of professional driving' you did, was a very small tiny bit, as not moving to the centre lane, I now know exactly who the twat is!
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I can assure you it was professional, which involved proper training on Motorway driving. Maybe I didn't use the right words about moving to the centre lane but here's what the book says

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.

and I agree with those that say 'give way to the right' and that it may be necessary to stop





  • and

    5. Lane discipline (264 to 266)

    264

    You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past. Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking. You MUST NOT drive on the hard shoulder except in an emergency or if directed to do so by the police, HA traffic officers in uniform or by signs.
    Laws MT(E&W)R regs 5, 9 & 16(1)(a), MT(S)R regs 4, 8 & 14(1)(a), and RTA 1988, sects 35 & 186, as amended by TMA 2004 sect 6

    but I can and do see why some people choose to move to the middle lane when approaching an On ramp




 
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