car behaviour when joining a main carriageway

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

DAF is due to start testing a 'platoon' of trucks on British motorways this year.

Three trucks will follow one-another at perhaps 0.5 seconds separation at 56 mph. The brakes, steering and cruise control of the 3 trucks will be linked electronically (by wifi). Apart from the lead truck, they will be operating at Level 3 Autonomy...the driver won't actually be driving.

I predict some comedy moments when the platoon passes through a busy motorway junction.

[steve the grease]

When you are the slip road , you are pretty well committed to joining the main carriageway. Usually people in lane one will move over to accomodate joining traffic, if you stop on the sliproad , you will never get the speed up to join the carriageway in the size of gap most people leave between vehicles. I don't see how it can work any other way really , I try and speed up to the speed of the traffic on the carriageway , so that I can just slip into the traffic seamlessly.......... that seems to work.

[DavidS]

When you are the slip road , you are pretty well committed to joining the main carriageway. Usually people in lane one will move over to accomodate joining traffic, if you stop on the sliproad , you will never get the speed up to join the carriageway in the size of gap most people leave between vehicles. I don't see how it can work any other way really , I try and speed up to the speed of the traffic on the carriageway , so that I can just slip into the traffic seamlessly.......... that seems to work.

Until you get a tightly bunched row of vehicles as per most of the M25. Then you’re stuffed....maybe literally.

[bowber]

I had a woman (no implications intended) pull out of the old Lancaster north bound slip road a few years ago, I was driving a Transit with a caravan on and she just pulled out at a relatively slow speed and didn't even give a cursory look as she just drove out in front of me. I ended up virtually stopped in the left lane after an emergency brake, luckily no one rear ended me.
The old Lancaster junction was hideously short and had a load of barriers and signs blocking everyone's view.

Steve

[Zookman]

Someone, on a forum somewhere, is posting......
'So there i am, trying to enter a motorway from the sliproad...... and this fecking biker is staying in lane 1, not letting me out or moving over to lane 2. So i pulled out in front of him, the nob'
Loads of posts agreeing with the OP and generally slagging of motorcyclists in general.

If i'm near or passing slip roads joining a motorway i'm on, i either speed up, slow down or move lane........ Its up to us to look out for our own safety, the other bastards out there wont.

[Billy Bananahead]

Anticipation and foresight work wonders.

[catcitrus]

I agree--its just that If I didn't react etc I wonder if they would ever see me--as has been said you can normally tell what they are going to do before they know themselves in the safety of their insulated cages!

[Cone]

I also remember when an amber light at a traffic lights also meant stop at the line unless you are so close that if you pull up you might cause an accident, Now it appears if a light turns to amber, step on the gas and race through....usually just after it turns red

No you’ve got it wrong in that scenario the colour of light is Dark Amber

[Chifwap]

...always a bit tricky to respond exactly to this situation but if there is an incoming junction and nothing coming up behind you move out to the off side and allow the oncoming in...if there is loads of traffic coming in on the outside not enabling yourself to go into the outside lane and there is an incoming junction respectfully kick yourself for probably not looking far enough ahead and anticipating the situation (...cause it always nearly happens) slow down and allow the incomer in...it could be you trying to come in!..
ps whatever happens, right or wrongs, expletives or not, cars are bigger than bikes...avoid the hazzard!

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

the ones that really get me are those who join the M-way then cross the 2 inner lanes directly and with no rear observation to take their position in the 'fast lane' cos they are dynamic and thrusting alpha males with cars with maker's names beginning with one of the first two letters of the alphabet.