People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Mon 15 Nov 2010 18:42

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - primeradriver

What is the best method of dealing with this scenario?

There is a slip-road on a road I regularly commute, where the slip is long but runs up a bank. Many, many drivers make no real effort to get up to speed on this slip, preferring to trundle along at 35-40mph and then accelerate to around 45-50 when joining, generally causing chaos.

Generally, if I get the chance I will overtake these drivers and ensure that I have properly matched the speed of the cars on the carriageway well in advance, but occasionally this isn't possible if enough vehicles manage to get in first, leaving you with little choice than to follow on the inside lane of the slip road.

However, a gold-coloured Scenic finally managed what I knew would eventually happen today. They had been going especially slowly, hit the "decision" area at under 40mph, and, despite the fact that there was plenty of space to get out actually, slowed to around 10mph and finally almost stopped shortly before the slip.

I am then left with a quandary. Put myself into the same danger that this individual has by joining the motorway at a crawl, or carefully manouvre past the Scenic, join the hard shoulder and use it as a surrogate slip-road.

Now, I know that according to the HC the Scenic driver was wrong, end of story, but which is more "bad practice" of the two in this instance?

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Mon 15 Nov 2010 18:45

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - rjr

I would use the hard shoulder (assuming that it is clear).

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Mon 15 Nov 2010 18:49

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Ben 10

No. mustn't use the hard shoulder, except what its designed for. It is NOT an alternative lane. Unless you are on a blue light. You guys should know better and have a little patience with your fellow motorists.

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Mon 15 Nov 2010 19:21

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - P3t3r

No. mustn't use the hard shoulder, except what its designed for. It is NOT an alternative lane. Unless you are on a blue light. You guys should know better and have a little patience with your fellow motorists.

It's not about patience, it's about joining the motorway without the risk of causing a collision. I don't think it's a good idea to join a motorway at 20mph!

I generally haven't got a problem with people driving slowly, but I have when the put other people at risk. The OP seems to be asking how they should deal with the situation though. It's a very difficult situation, and I think using the hard shoulder would be illegal. If you had stopped in the hard shoulder for a genuine reason then it would be correct to use the hard should like a slip road.

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Mon 15 Nov 2010 19:43

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Vitesse6

I think I would go round them, build up speed on the hard shoulder and join safely. Joining a busy motorway from a standing stand is just asking for trouble.

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Mon 15 Nov 2010 19:46

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - bathtub tom

Those saying 'don't use the hard shoulder' aren't offering any other solutions. When confronted with a situation as described I think it's probably the safest choice, as long as you can see the hard shoulder's clear.

M1 J10 Northbound entry slip used to be notoriously short in the '70s. It was quite normal to see vehicles using the hard shoulder as an extension.

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 10:44

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Dutchie

What would happend if a cop car stopped anybody using the hard shoulder in these situations which seem to make sense three points and sixty pound fine?

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Wed 17 Nov 2010 20:41

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - track

What would happend if a cop car stopped anybody using the hard shoulder in these situations which seem to make sense three points and sixty pound fine?

Surely and cop car in the right place to see this happen would be 90% of the time a genuine traffic car. That being the case they are trained to assess and situation and stop those responsible. In this case it would be the driver incapable of filtering into traffic and the person having to dodge them by use of the hard shoulder would be long gone. Its not like you would be undertaking another vehicle as such, merely avoiding an accident as others have stated.

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 10:46

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Dutchie

What would happend if a cop car stopped anybody using the hard shoulder in these situations which seem to make sense three points and sixty pound fine?

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 10:56

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Armstrong Sid

It doesn't just happen on motorways, but also on places like urban ring-roads which may be only a dual carriageway

There are some drivers who seem unable to grasp the concept of filtering into moving traffic, and they treat those areas like a T-junction. They just stop at a right angle to the main road and wait for a space as if they were at a normal junction. That can sometimes be a very long wait

Edited by Armstrong Sid on 16/11/2010 at 10:57

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 12:04

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Dutchie

Shouldt this filtering be taught by a driving instructor to how to join traffic and when to let cars in joining traffic.Also taking pupils on the motorway what should be part of the driving test.

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 12:43

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Chris M

It's not just the duty of the joiners to match their speed with the traffic on the motorway/dual carriageway, but those already there need to allow the space. So many drivers seem to take the view that it's THEIR space and you're not having any.

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 12:44

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - turbo11

Agree with joining busy dual carriageways and motorways should be part of learner driver training. We had in our area last year, a fatal accident when the aforementioned happened. A female driver moving at slow speed came to a stop on the slip road whilst attempting to join the A34 near Oxford. A female driver coming down the slip road (70 mph limit) ploughed into the back of the stationary car killing the driver of the stopped car. The slip road requires a good run up and anybody that stops will cause a disaster. It requires good judgement to join moving traffic there. Adjust your speed to filter onto the dual carriageway, but do not stop.

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 13:45

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - PatrickO

Better to be illegal on the hard shoulder than wiped out by a HGV.

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 15:21

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - SteveLee

I've seen this problem countless times - of course in today's politically correct world one must not point out that the culprits are pensioners or (mainly) women 9 out of 10 times because they have the spacial awareness of a used house brick. Oh and they are "better" drivers aren't they...

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 19:58

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - barney100

When I approach a slip road when I am on the motorway I try to get into the middle lane to allow those joining a clear entrance. If this is not possible then at least I try to give a joiner as much space as possible. It might be a nuisance to faster drivers but i don't know of any where that displays a minimum speed.

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 20:32

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - over30

There is no excuse for comming to a stop on a motorway slip road, unless there is a traffic jam, or you have broken down!

It is beyond belief sometimes, the stupid and downright dangerous things that some drivers do.

Regarding motorway sliproads, one of my pet hates is when I am going down a sliproad to join a motorway, and there is a car on the inside lane of the motorway, whose driver is sat talking about about mushy peas and eye makeup on a 'Mobile Phone', completely oblivious to the fact that there is a car trying to join the motorway or the fact that there is no traffic in the middle lane hence he/she could have moved over!

These people should be beaten around the crotch with a wheelbrace!

Edited by over30 on 16/11/2010 at 20:35

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Tue 16 Nov 2010 22:32

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Ben 10

The reason many are seen slowing on a slip road is that oncoming traffic wont let them in. I always move to lane 2 on approach to a junction slip road. This gives those joining a gap to fill. If everyone tried to do this we wouldn't be having this discussion.

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Wed 17 Nov 2010 09:50

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Dutchie

Providing their is room in lane 2 Ben.Could anyone think of a better system than what we have now?

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Wed 17 Nov 2010 11:38

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Westpig

This problem is one of many where it comes to 'awareness'.

The continued dumbing down and over regulation of driving in general is partly to blame, the modern driver is becoming increasing less likely to think for themselves, they are not encouraged to.

Some of the 'green/eco' stuff has its' role to play as well. Some drivers seem to wilfully decline to push the right hand pedal, even when it's needed, always trying to grab that extra mpg.

The daft thing is, on occasions a quick blast can do a car good e.g. clearing out DPF's ....and if you floor it to overtake that lorry, then chuck it in 5th/6th at 60mph, then you'd be overall driving more economically than sat behind it for ever at whatever speed it can achieve, breathing in the fumes and having no view of the road.

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Wed 17 Nov 2010 21:54

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Mike H

There is no excuse for comming to a stop on a motorway slip road, unless there is a traffic jam, or you have broken down!

A bit of a blanket statement there!

Of course, in theory you are quite correct. However, having been a regular user of the A3 Petersfield bypass, I can assure you that there are odd occasions when it is genuinely necessary to stop. Those responsible for designing this road have introduced ludicrously short slip roads, and in addition, have put earth banks on the curve of the slip roads as they drop down onto the dual carriageway. This has the effect of firstly, rendering the joining traffic unable to see traffic already on the road until the very last minute (no more than a few car lengths), and secondly, the converse - traffic on the carriageway cannot see joining traffic until the last minute. At busy times when there is traffic in both lanes it is sometimes totally impossible to join by keeping moving, meaning that a standing start is even more dangerous.

My son hated these slip roads when he was learning to drive!

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Thu 18 Nov 2010 11:23

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - julie page

It's not just the duty of the joiners to match their speed with the traffic on the motorway/dual carriageway, but those already there need to allow the space. So many drivers seem to take the view that it's THEIR space and you're not having any.

The Highway Code Motorways (253-273) 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

The reason many are seen slowing on a slip road is that oncoming traffic wont let them in. I always move to lane 2 on approach to a junction slip road. This gives those joining a gap to fill. If everyone tried to do this we wouldn't be having this discussion.

That is fine if the second lane is clear, all to often people just pull out into the path of vehicles that are overtaking and travelling faster, all to often into a path of a HGV. Glad I am not a HGV driver these days Having to use the hard shoulder to gain safe speed is in my view fine if for some reason you could not do this on the slip road. After all if you needed to stop on the hard shoulder you need to accelerate on the hard shoulder before joining the motorway

Edited by julie page on 18/11/2010 at 11:28

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Thu 18 Nov 2010 12:51

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - veryoldbear

Exactly the same problem with short exit / entry slips on the A34 Oxfordshire / Berkshire.

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Thu 18 Nov 2010 13:29

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

Meanwhile, in the real world.

There are now traffic lights on the entry slip roads of the M42 and M1. Deal with that then.....

I'm more worrried about people trying to ram the side of my car when entering the motorway in their B*W.

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Fri 19 Nov 2010 11:30

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - pyruse

If there is a solid line of trucks in the inside line, with a solid line of cars overtaking them in the outside lane (normal state of affairs on the A14 sometimes), then you cannot safely join the road. There is no gap.

So you have to stop on the slip road - the alternative is to have an accident.

Now it's true that some drivers don't know how to merge, but it is not true that it is always wrong to stop on the slip road - if there is no gap, you *must * stop.

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Fri 19 Nov 2010 11:44

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - Armstrong Sid

If there is a solid line of trucks in the inside line, with a solid line of cars overtaking them in the outside lane (normal state of affairs on the A14 sometimes), then you cannot safely join the road. There is no gap.

That's true and I'd agree, but it comes back to what people said earlier in the thread. When merging from a slip road, it's also the responsibility of traffic on the main road to help the merging traffic to join the carriageway.

So you have to stop on the slip road - the alternative is to have an accident.

But you are also very likely to cause an accident if you stop on the slip road

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Fri 19 Nov 2010 13:54

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - gfewster

Perhaps better signage would help, as well as a general change in attitudes and less of the 'dumbing down' that has been mentioned.

A series of signs along the lines of "Accelerate Now - 70mph Merge Ahead" might help?

If this had happened to me, I would have gone past on the hard shoulder. Better illegal than dead.

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Fri 19 Nov 2010 16:42

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - pyruse

If there is a solid line of trucks in the inside line, with a solid line of cars overtaking them in the outside lane (normal state of affairs on the A14 sometimes), then you cannot safely join the road. There is no gap.

That's true and I'd agree, but it comes back to what people said earlier in the thread. When merging from a slip road, it's also the responsibility of traffic on the main road to help the merging traffic to join the carriageway.

So you have to stop on the slip road - the alternative is to have an accident.

But you are also very likely to cause an accident if you stop on the slip road

And if the traffic on the main road cannot or will not move out of the way, what do you suggest? Waving the highway code at them?

You are certain to cause an accident if you drive right in front of a truck.

It is safer to stop on the slip road in some circumstances than to join a road in which there are no gaps.

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Fri 19 Nov 2010 20:38

People stopping on a busy motorway slip-road - over30

I actually stated that:

There is no reason to come to a stop on a motorway sliproad unless there is a traffic jam, or you have broken down, what you have said comes under 'traffic jam' does it not?

If the motorway is gridlocked, then you have no choice other than to slow down to a crawl, and hope that a driver already on the motorway will let you join.

My argument on this subject is that it is a 2 way thing:

Drivers already on the motorway should be aware that there is a junction up ahead, and that there are likely to be vehicles joining the motorway, and should try to act accordingly, circumstances permitting.

Drivers joining the motorway from a sliproad, should try to match the speed of the traffic (where possible) on the inside lane of the motorway and filter in where it is safe to do so.
If the traffic on the motorway is gridlocked or moving very slowly then you will of course have to stop, or filter in at very low speed, that goes without saying.

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