Joining the motorway

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Mon 6 Sep 2021 12:46
Joining the motorway - johnnyrev

Back to work this morning after a nice fortnight off, and I was immediately reminded of a minor annoyance as I come home on the motorway (M5 Junction 2 - M6 Junction 7). I only really use this route when its off peak as it can get very busy, but at quiet times I can get from my parish church in Rowley Regis home to Great Barr in 20 minutes.

However, what is annoying is the traffic joining the M5 at junction 2 often drives up the slip road at only 30mph, which often means traffic that wants to go at motorway speed has to risk overtaking and going into the 2nd or even 3rd land almost immediately- which I don't like doing. But the alternative seems to be sitting in the inside lane at 30-40 while all the trucks fly by at 60.

I could overtake on the slip road, but I don't want to risk blocking anyone in if there isn't room to go into lane 2 straight away. Has anyone else had this problem, or am just being impatient!

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Mon 6 Sep 2021 14:22
Joining the motorway - Bromptonaut

Personally I prefer to join into lane one and give myself a few seconds to acclimatise and scan my surroundings before moving out into the cut/thrust.

That junction has a fairly short rising slip coming out of a gyratory system and onto elevated motorway, possibly with a short run on

I suspect that one plans for hard acceleration up the slip by hitting it in the right gear etc then arrival at the merge well below M/way speed is likely. As most drivers don't plan it's likely they'll crest the run on and into the lane below the optimal 50+.

I'd go with the flow but that's me.

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Mon 6 Sep 2021 18:48
Joining the motorway - sammy1

On motorway slip roads with 2 lane options to join I always take the inside one which is the longer and I find a more relaxing way to join

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Mon 6 Sep 2021 20:12
Joining the motorway - Manatee

If you're feeling a bit tense about it, maybe relax a bit rather than going more aggressive.

My wife had an unpleasant experience last week joining the A41 westbound at Hemel Hempstead. That's a short rising slip road and by the time you can see you haven't a lot of road left. As she was about to join into lane 1 of 2, the car behind overtook her and came alongside, preventing her joining and she ran out of road. What sort of a'hole drives like that.

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Mon 6 Sep 2021 20:44
Joining the motorway - daveyjp

I have something similar to this, a short sliproad entering a dual carriageway after a blind bend so seeing what is coming is impossible until you are near the end. It is single carriageway so no overtaking, but it can still lead to problems.

If you tailgate a slower car you can end up having to stop if that driver doesn't have much confidence to enter the traffic. You are then in danger of having to enter a 60mph dual carriageway on a blind bend from a standing start and it could be a 44 tonner bearing down on you,

It sounds counter intuitive and possibly not easy if its busy, but a gap is your friend. You need to increase your distance between you and the car in front, even if this means slowing slightly.

This then gives you time to let the slower car get away and you can then use the rest of the sliproad to accelerate.

This is what I do in my situation, if there is a car in front I slow until I know that car is committed I then have the sliproad to get up some speed before merging,

Edited by daveyjp on 06/09/2021 at 20:46

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Mon 6 Sep 2021 21:01
Joining the motorway - Manatee

It sounds counter intuitive and possibly not easy if its busy, but a gap is your friend. You need to increase your distance between you and the car in front, even if this means slowing slightly.

This then gives you time to let the slower car get away and you can then use the rest of the sliproad to accelerate.

Good counsel .

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Mon 6 Sep 2021 21:29
Joining the motorway - Sofa Spud

Regarding short, tricky slip-roads - a problem I've encountered a couple of times when joining is when you slow down to let a vehicle in lane 1 pass before you pull on . . . at exactly the same time as the driver of that vehicle slows to let you pull on, so you're both slowing down side-by-side but you're the only one who's rapidly running out of slip-road!

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 09:30
Joining the motorway - Andrew-T

Regarding short, tricky slip-roads - a problem I've encountered a couple of times when joining is when you slow down to let a vehicle in lane 1 pass before you pull on . . . at exactly the same time as the driver of that vehicle slows to let you pull on, so you're both slowing down side-by-side but you're the only one who's rapidly running out of slip-road!

Until recent years one could just continue on the hard shoulder until a space appeared. Sadly M'ways have got too smart in some parts ....

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 04:26
Joining the motorway - expat

My wife had an unpleasant experience last week joining the A41 westbound at Hemel Hempstead. That's a short rising slip road and by the time you can see you haven't a lot of road left. As she was about to join into lane 1 of 2, the car behind overtook her and came alongside, preventing her joining and she ran out of road. What sort of a'hole drives like that.

My wife had a similar incident along with road rage from a truck driver. She has lost all confidence as a result of this now refuses to drive on any road that requires merging.

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 08:42
Joining the motorway - groaver

As she was about to join into lane 1 of 2, the car behind overtook her and came alongside, preventing her joining and she ran out of road. What sort of a'hole drives like that.

An unhealthy 5 percent of UK drivers

Edited by groaver on 07/09/2021 at 08:45

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 10:24
Joining the motorway - Miniman777

I just hate the i****s who come screaming down the slip road faster than the three carriageways are running at and then try to force or barge their way into lane 2, and then 3. Then get angry because no one can move over.

It's selfish, poor quality driving.

Bugs me as much as those who sit at 60-65 in lane 2 of a 3 lane m-way and lane 3 of 4-lane one. M40 is the worst for that.

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 10:47
Joining the motorway - Terry W

Rather than get angry through thoughtless, dangerous and aggressive behaviour of other drivers, I simply regard it as evidence of inadequacy and failure.

They failed to get promotion, have genitals the size of a jelly baby, their partner has just left them for someone better looking, they are attention seeking, look at my motor, etc etc.

They feel that behaving "assertively" on the road will somehow enhance their self image - it may even do that for them. But they fail to understand they opposite impact on others who regard them as reckless wallies..

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 12:19
Joining the motorway - Andrew-T

I just hate the i****s who come screaming down the slip road faster than the three carriageways are running at and then try to force or barge their way into lane 2, and then 3. Then get angry because no one can move over. It's selfish, poor quality driving.

The opposite manoeuvre is just as bad, if not worse - cutting across from a fast lane to reach an exit, just before it gets too late ?

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 13:04
Joining the motorway - bathtub tom

cutting across from a fast lane to reach an exit, just before it gets too late ?

There's no such thing as a 'fast lane'. If you think there is, I suggest you read the Highway Code!

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 15:19
Joining the motorway - sammy1

Yes but we all know what he means. Most people are not so precise and tend to speak in a more natural english

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Tue 7 Sep 2021 15:20
Joining the motorway - Andrew-T

cutting across from a fast lane to reach an exit, just before it gets too late ?

There's no such thing as a 'fast lane'. If you think there is, I suggest you read the Highway Code!

Don't give me guff about the Highway Code - although drivers are permitted to 'undertake', the convention is to use the rightmost lanes to pass slower traffic. That makes it a 'Fast Lane' de facto, even if it isn't officially called that. Anyway, you know quite well what I meant :-)

Edited by Andrew-T on 07/09/2021 at 15:21

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