Struggling to join the motorway

[BabbysYed]

Be gentle with me as I’m new to ‘propet’ driving !
Passed test 3 years ago but only drove parents car occasionally as I didn’t need to. I’m 33. Took a couple of advanced lessons but instructor said just go and do it. Now have my own car and trying to build up experience.
Today my dad offered to sit with me whilst we did a couple of motorway junctions. (m6 motorway so pretty busy )
Whilst driving on the slip road on two occasions ,I accelerated, and tried to gage what was happening on the carriageway, but before I know it im over 50% along the slip and I’m directly alongside a lorry each time and quickly running out of slip road. I ended up slotting in behind the lorries each time but it was tight.
What I thought would help would be to see better as I’m coming down the slip, but find my vision restricted until I’m fairly far down it due to the grass verge etc.
People talk about finding their gap well in advance - how can you do this unless your car is super powerful ? I was going at around 55mph on the slip road.
Just looking for any helpful tips really as I’m already put off going on them now !

Don’t stop on a slip road, accelerating from a standing start to join traffic travelling at 60mph+ is suicidal.

Some slip roads are longer than others, so you can start looking as you start along it. You don’t have the merge at the end, you can join the motorway at any point if there are broken lines.

55mph is a little slow to be joining traffic, even lorries will be doing approximately 55-60mph.

Practice practice practice.

Interesting discussion on this issue (inc. M6) here:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=154&t=665344

I found my daughter just wasn't accelerating quickly enough. As soon as you round the bend it's surprisingly hard acceleration until you hit 70mph. Honestly it solved my daughters issues, it's really so much easier if you're at the same speed as traffic. Then practise, practise, practise. Good luck!

On the largest/busiest motorwarys it is sometimes the case that one of the lanes from the roundabout exit carries on and becomes a lane on the motorway.

That will probably be the left of the two lanes. I use that one whenever it exists!

Try to keep calm, keep looking over your shoulder as you are driving along the slip road and you should see a gap.

I have a DH who is such a skilled driver he can pull straight into the second lane - judging two lanes worth of moving gaps. Ex-biker and has had ROSPA advanced training. He doesn’t do it all the time, only when it is quieter, but when he does it is impressive...No sympathy for ordinary driving issues though!

Ive never driven on the motorway. No need to as im over 90 mins from one. But when DH drives i tend to close my eyes when he joins as the lorries make me nervous.

Last night i had to drive somewhere new (i tend to do local and up to sn hour away) and there were 2 big roundabouts. I kept adking my 14 yr old which lane i needed as she hS been there many times eith her dad. I hated it! Then i had to do the return journey alone😂😂😂

The slip road was quite short, so I didn’t think it was wise to speed up too much - but will try it again going faster. Like you say it’s just practice really.
I just find it hard to look for gaps when I’m travelling at X speed and only have clear visibility of the carriageway behind me when I’m quite far down the slip.
Also on one of the occasions I’m referring to, the lorry moved from lane 2 to lane 1 when I was on the slip road alongside and about to join. I had to serve slightly and join behind him. I must have been at fault somehow but that wasn’t expected !

No he was being an arse. He should've let you join and stayed where he was.

What car do you have? Your car should easily be able to accelerate faster than the lorry.

Go into the slip at your normal speed until you can see behind onto the motorway, signal so they move over or accelerate/slow down dependant on distance if you dont. I have had to stop once due to 3 bloody lorries in a row but other than that you just have to practice

There was also a broken down car in the hard shoulder when I had to stop so I really didn't have a choice, I thought I was going to die

Don't rely on your wing/rear mirror due to the blind spot (car right beside you). Along with the classic 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre' you need to turn your head (briefly to the right/rear) to eyeball whether you have a car in your blind spot on your right.This applies when joining a motorway, changing lanes and overtaking ....

50 or 55 is the worst possible speed for joining the motorway. It's pretty much the speed that lorries are going at. You either need to hang back a bit at 45ish and slip in behind them then get your foot down or get to around 65 and slot in ahead of them. Try to watch for a gap and estimate where you need to be to get into it. Get your indicator on early so people notice and some may move over to let you join more easily.

Sorry by normal speed I mean the normal attempt to get to 70 god I'm shit at explaining things

Maybe try practicising on some A roads before tackling motorways?
If it’s any consolation I absolutely hated sliproads after first passing my test. Had a few panics where I actually stopped on the slip road.
I’m glad to say with a few years experience under my belt they don’t faze me at all now.
Just practice, practice, practice loads on less scary A roads and then try the motorway.

the classic 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre

When I was learning to drive, it was "mirror, signal, MIRROR (again), manoeuvre"

If you run out of slip road just continue on the hard shoulder until you can slot in.

Second reply and this shite appears

Under no circumstances do you drive along the hard shoulder to join a fucking motorway.

I swear to god the shit people talk on here is bloody dangerous.

You will get used to gauging traffic speed surprising quickly. Just keep indicating and keep aware. If you look like you are having to join as a lorry is passing just slow down slightly and slip behind. You only need a powerful car if you intend to floor it to get in ahead. Most of all, don't panic and NEVER use the hard shoulder as extra slip road.

Oh my god please don't ever ever ever continue up the hard shoulder if you can't get on. Unless you want to kill some poor sod whose car has broken down 🤦🏼‍♀️

I've been driving for 13 years now and still haven't driven on a motorway. About 5 years after passing I attempted to get on the motorway and my legs literally turned to jelly, wobbly knee caps! My DH was less than supportive, I literally freaked out and vowed never to be in that position again. I hate motorways, there are alternative routes.

EscapetotheMoon - if you really can't negotiate roundabouts and have to ask your 14yo to help you, PLEASE get some more driving lessons. Think about everyone else on the road with you.

Bloody hell.

Call up a driving instructor and ask for a slip/motorway lesson.

This is why I don't do motorways! I hate them!

Call up a driving instructor and ask for a slip/motorway lesson.

And/or practice at quieter times of day or night.