Stressful incident on motorway, scared

It's not a 'slow lane', and there is nothing wrong with travelling at 70 mph there if conditions allow. Slip roads are easily long enough to give you enough time to accelerate. The other driver may have been heavy on the horn because the situation had frightened him/her.

And there is no general requirement to move lanes or adjust speed - being too assiduous about this just creates additional hazards for traffic already on the motorway.

This is genuinely terrifying and the total opposite of what you should be doing.

Firstly, there's no such thing as a "slow lane".
Secondly, nobody on the motorway should be slowing down to accommodate drivers who are attempting to merge - it's their responsibility to match their speed to the motorway and to find a suitable gap.

Rite of passage
you won’t be reported

Move over if it is safe: If you see a vehicle or a queue approaching on the slip road, check your mirrors and blind spot. If lane two is completely clear, signal and move over to give them space. Always return to lane one once you are past the junction. 1, 2]
Adjust your speed slightly: If you cannot move over because lane two is blocked, modify your speed early. Ease off the accelerator or pick up speed slightly
to create a clear, predictable gap for the merging vehicle. 1, 2]

Christ this is worrying! This is why motorway driving should be compulsory for learners

You are wrong - those merging in have the responsibility to do so safely, other drivers are already established

It is not common sense in the slightest, hence the Highway Code specifically ruling against it.

They should also be maintaining a good distance between them and the car infront so that a joining car has somewhere to merge into. Too many just stay sat on the bumper of the car in front (lorries are worse) leaving no space for merging. Sensible drivers (as as taught in advanced motoring) is to pull over into lane 2 if safe and possible to do or otherwise to come off the accelerator slightly to create a space in front.

Do you mean the person in the left hand lane of the motorway didn’t slow - you were merging from the slip road into that lane?

It’s your responsibility to merge not his responsibility to slow. You’re joining the road, you’re meant to judge your speed to merge in safely

Literally the opposite of the Highway Code. And there is no “slow lane” on a motorway.

Shit drivers absolutely everywhere, honestly.

No, those on the motorway should maintain a consistent speed and the joining traffic should merge safely.

There is no slow lane! The left lane is a 70 limit, same as lane 2, 3...

Other driver sounds like twat. It’s common sense for those already on the motorway to adjust their speed and position to help drivers joining from a slip road. It’s also safer even though, as a PP pointed out, they don’t actually have to.

You are in one bit, you got throughout it, there is no way you will be reported.

I think a motorway lesson may be helpful for you. It's concerning that you expected the driver on the motorway to slow down for you. As PP have said it is for the joining car to identify a gap and safely merge into it. This can involve slowing down, speeding up or in a busy situation stopping but it is the responsibility of you as the joining car.

You won't be reported but you do need to improve your understanding of how slip roads work and ideally get some practice with an instructor next to you to.

Sounds like he was expecting you to speed up and merge in front but only you know if that was possible or not.
Genuinely don’t worry about it

It happens, so dont worry. Not sure why you were beeped. Maybe they were too close behind you, which is an issue, and panicked.

No it wasnt up to the other driver to slow down, they have right of way and the OP was responsible for entering the motorway in a safe manner.

Yes, the other driver could have been helpful and possibly moved over, but they dont have to, nor may it have been safe to do so.

OP, as soon as you start at the top of the slip road you need to be planning your 'gap'. Look at the motorway to gauge where you can slot in as soon as the motorway is visible. It takes practice, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it

I was reading the first replies wondering how anyone hadn't actually said this immediately!

It's not a question of selfishness, in all likelihood. The driver already on the road has to take account of the cars all around him/her and it may well not be safe or appropriate to slow down suddenly to accommodate the unexpected hesitancy of someone trying to merge.

If someone is barrelling at 70 in the slow lane it’s not always possible to follow that to the letter! Fact the guy had a heavy hand on the horn suggests he wasn’t making it easy either.

like others I move to the middle or adjust my speed when I see a merging lane to my left. It’s just good practice.

As the joining car, it is your responsibility to alter your speed to merge in safely. The cars in lane one should be travelling at a consistent speed. Although most people will move over if they can to create space, you cant rely on this being a guarantee. Make sure you leave enough distance between you and the car in front to give yourself the room needed to adjust your speed accordingly. And dont look for cars (obviously be aware of them!) look for the gaps to merge into instead.

It is one of the hardest things to get the hang of as a new driver, not because it is complex but because it requires a bit of nerve and judgement. Your judgement will improve rapidly with experience.

I don't think there is any general expectation that someone in the lane you are trying to enter should slow down, is there? So s/he was probably expecting you to accelerate to the necessary speed and was confused when you didn't.

Something like that, any way. There doesn't seem to be ANY need to worry about being reported. It's not illegal to lack experience. x

It is your responsibility to match the speed of the traffic already on the road. No one on the road should have to slow down or move over, you need to looking for a gap and matching that speed.

You’ll get used to it, happens all the time, people are selfish when they could be kinder. That’s driving these days.