Motorway Driving - too many idiots

[HOOVER29]

Special mention must go to those who use a full length down hill slip road to reach a speed of 45-50 mph (hence, slower than the HGVs they are about to merge into) with no consideration of those behind them.

Also those who, in slow moving traffic, don't use the fuil length of the slip road, instead merging into the main carriageway halfway along its length.

The A444 junction on to the southbound M42 is a firm favourite for this type
Tootle down the slip road & join at no more than 40 & then accelerate
I have to drive past this junction every day & now move out to the outside lane if I see a slow vehicle attempting to join the carriageway

 

[DerekC]

It really frustrates me and I don’t get why people do it. It’s unnecessary.

I was taught by my driving instructor to not signal left until the vehicle I was overtaking could comfortably be seen in full in my centre mirror, and then check the distance of the vehicle again the centre mirror before moving back to the left. Judging off how people drive, either most instructors don’t bother teaching that or most drivers don’t bother to remember what their instructor taught them.

That's OK and it was how I was taught. However it doesn't cope when you are in Lane 3 overtaking a queue in Lane 2 with a tailgater right up behind you. At the head of the Lane 2 queue tailgater gets impatient, cuts into Lane 2 before you do (right in front of the vehicle you have juts overtaken) and tries to undertake just as you are heading back into Lane 2. I have had that happen numerous times. My preferred solution is to put the left indicator on as soon as I am past the front Lane 2 vehicle, but wait until I think it's safe before changing lanes. That usually deters undertaking. For some reason it usually seems to be large Audi cars (rather than 4x4s) that try it.

 

[Peter Sarf]

That's OK and it was how I was taught. However it doesn't cope when you are in Lane 3 overtaking a queue in Lane 2 with a tailgater right up behind you. At the head of the Lane 2 queue tailgater gets impatient, cuts into Lane 2 before you do (right in front of the vehicle you have juts overtaken) and tries to undertake just as you are heading back into Lane 2. I have had that happen numerous times. My preferred solution is to put the left indicator on as soon as I am past the front Lane 2 vehicle, but wait until I think it's safe before changing lanes. That usually deters undertaking. For some reason it usually seems to be large Audi cars (rather than 4x4s) that try it.

Yes, I have experienced that. It is part of the general problem where if you have a gap which you think is safe then someone less patient squeezes into it.

Also happens when someones leaps out of a slow moving lane into your lane.

Also happens when I am following another car at a safe distance but someone from a left or right lane squeezes in.

At the end of the day I just ignore their impatience and concentrate on leaving what I think is a safe distance. But it is a case of some people drive assuming everyone else is as quick reacting as them or that they are somehow going to be lucky.

 

[TPO]

I love how threads on driving quickly end up bad tempered and erratic in direction, just like the average road on Britain.

Which is the problem. Rather than getting aerated about the mistakes of others, much better and less stressful to focus on doing all you can so you and everyone else gets home safe. If someone makes a mistake and you act to keep you both safe, both of you benefit.

Having been a driver for half a century, I don't think that driving manners have become worse, rather I think that there is a lot more traffic on the roads these days, more motors, more lorries, and despite the road-building that's occurred, the roads are for the most part more crowded.

One thing that hasn't changed is the predilection of lorry drivers to overtake another lorry on a motorway and taking several miles to do it. When two lorries are effectively running in parallel at around 50mph, all other traffic is confined to the fast lane, which then slows down to the slowest motor in it. Newsthump once ran an article on a prize being given to a lorry driver who took from junction 3 to junction 9 on the M1 to overtake another lorry, and the satire seemed only a slight exaggeration.

Poor lane discipline is nothing new. I recall some 30 years back driving on a very empty M25 and a bloke was going at about 50mph in the middle lane. I was in the inside lane at 70mph, and to avoid undertaking him went over to the fast lane to pass him, and then returned to the inside lane. At that speed, on a clear road with no junctions, he should have been driving on the inside lane. When driving at the limit on a three-lane road or motorway with moderate traffic, I tend to keep in the middle lane, as there will usually be someone going slower along the way. If the traffic is light, I'll keep to the inside lane except to overtake slower vehicles, and I'll move to the middle lane when approaching incoming slip-road junctions just in case there is someone joining who hasn't reached a good speed.

One thing which I think has changed is that van drivers don't drive like the clappers these days, but just potter along. I always found it very tempting when driving a van to belt it somewhat, especially in Transits, which were really nippy. Perhaps van are different these days; I've not driven one in many years.

As for comments in previous posts about 'old drivers', I don't think my driving style has changed since when I passed my test at 18 in 1973.

The 2 lane section of the M42 sees a lot of elephant racing. 5 mile hgv overtakes are not uncommon. No point getting frustrated, just take a deep breath, relax and remember you're saving fuel going slower. It's the big traffic jam and many 10 mile long stretches at 50mph with average speed cameras that msinly dictate your journey time.

Whist it's a tad annoying that a journey which used to take 3hrs 10 mins now takes 30-45 min longer, there's sod all I can do about it, so why damage my heath by stressing over it?

Vans: most liveried vans in fleets have tracking these days. And in a big van, keeping to 60-65mph on the motorway makes a significant difference in fuel consumption. Of course, lcvs (which includes the bigger pickups) are max speed 60mph on dual carriageway anyhow.

Worst are the slip roads from service areas, which are often short so the “Bristol gnomes” (to use a railway analogy) are trundling into the traffic at 30mph. If I can see I am following one of those idiots out of the service area, I will hold back so I can join at at a sensible speed.

Ever tried to enter a fast road from a short slip road in anything slower than a reasonably fast car? If not, you should try it sometime. Bit of perspective. Thankfully in Wales the 50mph sections on the M4 where slip roads are short makes it all a bit less frenetic.

Driving is as stressful as you make it for yourself. I drive long distances for work on a regular basis, and I have learned not to let it get to me. Just need to be a little more forgiving of each other.

TPO

 

[Meerkat]

Under no circumstances will I do anything whatsoever to assist a tailgater. I will complete my manoeuvre in an appropriate and safe amount of time. They can sit there and stew until I do.

It helps them and it helps me. The faster they go by the sooner I can get back out again. And maybe there is a really good reason for them being in a hurry.
Tailgating is the only way you can inform someone you want to go by when they are lane hogging (I liked the German way of putting the indicator on, but IIRC that is illegal there now).
Nothing worse than pulling in to let someone go by, only to find they were happy sitting behind you and then proceed to overtake at +3mph, trapping you in and forcing you to slow down.

If I do anything it'll be a very light dab of the brake (so the reds come on but no braking takes place) which usually convinces them to back off a bit.

That’s just dangerous, and makes you as bad as them.
Its all fun and games until that causes a casualty accident.