Joining the motorway (259)

[cwhaley]

I join the M1 every day and have done for years to commute to work. The junction I join has a nice, downward-sloping slip road which gives me ample time to build up speed to match that of the carriageway I am joining. I do not expect vehicles to move over as it's my responsibility to give them priority and join safely.

This morning I was travelling own the slip road at 62 m.p.h. and there was a very congested lane one. There was what I perceived to be a safe gap in front of a HGV, so I built up speed to overtake moving vehicles and join. There were no visible safe gaps in my mirror behind the gap I took and with traffic to my rear, it would not be safe to slow down and wait for a gap.

As I joined, the last vehicle I had passed on the slip road (a HGV) made absolutely no effort to drop off the throttle and was a gnat's whisker from my rear bumper with his main beam on full. I didn't react and continued at a speed matching that of the traffic I had joined. He then swerved out into lane 2 (not sure why) and after 15 seconds, swerved back into lane 1 and left his main beam on for another 20 or so seconds. We continued to travel in lane 1 with safe gaps now between each vehicle. I left at the next junction.

I'm not sure what else I could have done. I couldn't have carried on the slip road any further as it became a hard shoulder. He wouldn't know it of course, but I am very courteous to HGVs and try to anticipate moves they may need to make up ahead (moving out to overtake when coming up to an incline, creating gaps to let them move back into lane 1, etc.). I'm confident I am a good driver.

What would you have done?

 

[Brigadier]

At first reading, regardless of the usual cock-waving that passes for driving nowadays, you've put yourself "within a gnat's" of their front bumper.
You can only control your vehicle, so can't expect the other to make way for you.


Why are you junction-hopping (daily) anyway? Riding them for one junction is a pet peeve of mine (you tend to notice the morons who use every lane, weaving in and out at light-speed, in the two mile stretch between their on and off ramps).

Which are your on and off junctions?

 

[cwhaley]

Of course, and when controlling my own vehicle I have to take what I believe to be the safest and most-appropriate action. I just didn't understand his anger. Never had this before.

I join at junction 25 and come off at 26, which is a distance of 7.4 miles -- any other route to work is twice the distance (by road) and involves 14 sets of lights through three towns. I join lane 1 and remain at ~60 m.p.h., usually behind the same HGV the whole way. I too see the same drivers in and out the four lanes, and I usually catch them up at the next junction!

 

[ReganAndCarter]

HGV drivers will rarely want to back off on the accelerator. They're travelling at their max speed goverened by the speed governor, and backing off means losing speed and momentum. Once they get into their sweet spot, they're loathe to lose it and make the effort to build up speed again, especially where hills are involved.

According to Clarkson, a high proportion of lorry drivers are prostitute murdering psychos. Intimidating motorists gets some of them through an otherwise mind-numbingly tedious day.

 

[cwhaley]

HGV drivers will rarely want to back off on the accelerator. They're travelling at their max speed goverened by the speed limiter, and backing off means losing speed and momentum. Once they get into their sweet spot, they're loathe to lose it and make the effort to build up speed again, especially where hills are involved.

Yes I did think that, but this stretch (the northbound section at junction 25, where I join) is very flat and just before a clear downward slope -- many have to brake travelling here so they don't speed.

If there was a hill, I'd show good 'roadmanship' and consider this as I do on the dreaded A1.

 

[Brigadier]

Never had this before

Either you only passed your test this Monday just gone, or you haven't noticed before.

Commuting is like the Wild West, and has been for decades.

 

[Justin Passing]

What would you have done?

From how I understand you, much the same. I might have dropped back to get in behind the HGV because they usually don't waver. I do remember a time when a car driver was an a-hole and prevented my from joining so I stayed on the hard shoulder and the one behind flashed me in. The "next car" usually does if you don't force it.

In my book, if someone's indicating and not being a nob, try to accommodate them. We all get it wrong sometimes.

===

But there was this time when I were a lad. I had an old Mini, the sort with long door pockets. Mine was full of conkers, for some reason. Some twot had wound me up so I got in front of him, and flicked the conkers one at a time out of the window (yes the sliding ones you could break in through). If you do that they bounce off the car behind - bonnet, windscreen, whatever. After about three he got terribly upset. It said 850 on the boot but it was a heady 1275, so he couldn't catch me. . . I was using 1/2" Whit nuts recently and the thought came back to me.

 

[cwhaley]

From how I understand you, much the same. I might have dropped back to get in behind the HGV because they usually don't waver. I do remember a time when a car driver was an a-hole and prevented my from joining so I stayed on the hard shoulder and the one behind flashed me in. The "next car" usually does if you don't force it.

In my book, if someone's indicating and not being a nob, try to accommodate them. We all get it wrong sometimes.

I did consider that but the gap was smaller and I didn't feel it safe.

Everything I did (speed, indicating, etc.) was by the book -- guessing it was just a bad day for him.

I agree with your sentiment. I'm a big fan of Ashley Neal on YouTube if you know him, and would rather try to fix a problem than react to anger.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

What would you have done?

Given no other choices, then I would aim to tail-gate the vehicle ahead, for as short a distance as possible. I really don't like doing it, because it is dangerous, but less dangerous than having to stop and give way on the slip. I would then aim to find a suitable gap on L2, and get out of the way.

That certainly beats the time I was towing along the M62, with plenty of safe gaps, but a constant stream in L2, where a young female came along the slip and decided it was fine to perfectly match my speed alongside me - just hoping I would be able to move over for her. Nightmare.

 

[Brigadier]

From how I understand you, much the same. I might have dropped back to get in behind the HGV because they usually don't waver.

Given no other choices, then I would aim to tail-gate the vehicle ahead, for as short a distance as possible.

I stand to be corrected, but the on-slip is separated from the main motorway carriageway by a dashed line, and therefore you have no right-of-way to join the carriageway: you should not force / slide / tailgate your way on. If that means stopping on the slip, then stop.

Reductio ad absurdum, if the carriageway was solid with traffic and not moving, would you still carry on down the on-slip, and wedge yourself onto the motorway?

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Chalk it up as one of those things. Roads are full of incompetent and/or inconsiderate drivers.

 

[cwhaley]

That is true. In years gone by it would bring the red mist, but it doesn't bother me any more -- I just drop back or allow tailgaters to overtake.

I just couldn't understand the reaction here and it made me think about what the best preventative action could have been.

 

[JonathanM]

I've often wondered what would happen if everybody tried to leave the recommended gap on a busy motorway. Most people leave just under half the recommended gap. Would it simply mean massive queues.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

There's always two side to every story, one persons innocent manoeuvre is another persons perceived idiot driver.

 

[cwhaley]

There's always two side to every story, one persons innocent manoeuvre is another persons perceived idiot driver.

I've live by that belief, but hand-on-heart my side is that I merged into a gap in the traffic. I didn't react to the flashing of the lights (or his gesturing in his cab)! I'd just love to know what his thoughts were when perceiving my manoeuvre. Was I wrong, was he or were we both?