Nearly in a serious car accident - hand hold please

[Usedandhurt]

Im literally shaking. Just had a driver nearly kill me and my dc on the motorway. He/she must have not checked before they pulled onto the motorway from a slip road, I literally had to slam on the breaks to avoid crashing into them and thankfully the driver behind me and the one behind them etc etc were able to stop also. My dc would have been very badly hurt - it was a huge bus and I can only imagine the driver got distracted.

Im a nervous driver at the best of times and Im literally sick with nerves.

In the OPs second post she says that she did see the bus. It was going too fast to correctly merge but proceeded anyway rather than slow down and merge in behind the OP.

You’re focusing on the wrong driver here. Why?

It’s obvious the bus driver didn’t have awareness though isn’t it. It’s a big motorway, it didn’t just appear. It’s quite obvious the bus driver wasn’t checking their mirrors to see what was around them.

There - fixed it for you. Now fix that in your brain.

I think the bus driver was in the wrong

I think that IF you COULD have, you should have moved to Lane 2 in advance of the slip road or slowed down in advance of the slip road regardless of the bus.

However, you are saying that neither of these options was open to you

Therefore, thankfully, no one was hurt

Enjoy your wine and choccie

I understand that maybe you aren't a confident driver but I don't think the bus was at fault here.

This is a joke surely?

You need to be cognisant that the traffic already in the road may not be able to move over to accommodate you, adjust your speed to fit in with any gap in existing traffic and only join when it is safe to do so.

this

Don't you get plenty of notice a slip road is coming up so you move over?
Of course a bus would be going at speed....that's the whole point of a slip road, to gather speed to join the traffic at the right speed!
Vehicles already on the motorway know there is a slip road approaching so move over to make way or adjust their speed to allow vehicles to join. It doesn't sound like the bus driver was in the wrong to be honest.

Fucking hell some of you lot need to re-do your theory tests pronto. If you drive the way you’re all (incorrectly) lecturing OP you’re all absolute dangers to other road users.

OP I hope you’ve calmed down a bit now. Near misses are terrifying whatever the circumstances, not least with your child on board. You sound more like a cautious and sensible driver than a nervous one. We need more of you!

The bus driver barging through the slip road give way markings onto the motorway, without checking it was to do so? Not at fault? Yes I seriously hope that was a joke too!

Please, for goodness sake, don't anyone slow down in anticipation of slip roads joining the motorway. It is dangerous. Move over into the next overtaking lane if you like and if you can do so safely, but please don't just decide to slow down.

When I’m approaching a skip road, I’m assuming the drivers joining in will follow the Code. Like not forcing your way in….

Automatically reducing your speed, going into the lane etc… is just as dangerous imo

When I did pass plus (a long time ago now though) I was told to try and use the slip road to get up to speed as it is dangerous to join moving traffic slow.
Also aren't modern buses limited so I don't think he was speeding to an amount like the OP is making it out. She wasn't paying full enough attention, it is fairly obvious .

Seriously please retake your driving test if the think the bus driver wasn’t at fault.

If, as some of you have suggested, the op had braked more on approaching the slip then she could have been potentially arriving at it at the same time as the bus as they should be the ones slowing if there’s no gap. We are told that the onus is on the one on the slip so if op can’t kindly move over, then it is on the driver entering at the give way to adjust to the other drivers.

Fucking hell. Do you actually drive? If so, get off the roads and retake your test.

Op, hope you’re feeling less wobbly now.

I'm not buying this - surely when approaching a slip road, you are already anticipating vehicles will be joining and keeping an eye out for them, judging their speed of approach and gauging what's behind you and what's happing in the middle lane. Some vehicles do indeed approach at speed and pull out with little regard, as happened to you.

What concerns me is that you noticed it so late that you were forced to take evasive action. It was a great big coach too! Fortunately no harm was done and lesson learnt - greater observation when approaching slip roads required to avoid situations like this!

Goodness you seem very melodramatic and you’re passing this onto your child. Obviously the bus was travelling at speed - it’s a motorway. But could you not have slowed down and let it on. I travel a huge amount and fund bus/coach/lorry drivers are usually the best drivers and nervous drivers like yourself are the risk factor. As for calling the police and wasting their time… I’m sure they have better things to do (although I doubt very much you’ve actually spoken to a police officer).

That isn't helpful or sympathetic. There is usually someone at fault it doesn't stop it being traumatising and empathy goes a long way

I hope you are okay.

However there are so many sliproad entries on to motorways with crap visibility. IF you know one is approaching the proactive thing is where possible to move out of the outside lane into the middle or inside lane depending on how many lanes the road is.

HOWEVER. Other posters need to stop blaming OP. They might not have had space to move over due to other cars in the other lanes.

Vehicles on the motorway already have priority, if there's no space to merge off a slip road you have to stop on it until there's a gap.

You can't just merge in, think 'fuck it' and hope everyone will slow down or stop for you, that's extremely dangerous.

Anyone saying otherwise needs to re-sit their driving test.

Vehicles already on the motorway know there is a slip road approaching so move over to make way or adjust their speed to allow vehicles to join. It doesn't sound like the bus driver was in the wrong to be honest.

You can’t always move over though, that’s the point….

@Castleview6 the police won't do anything. They haven't got the resources. And for driving offences you have to actually be caught doing this he offence. Either by camera or the police. I've tried so many times to report drink driver through work and they always say unless they're caught in the act, there is nothing they can do.

Did you not see the massive bus on the slip road and anticipate that he’d be needing to come across and I don’t know slow your speed to accommodate it if you couldn’t move over?? Of course he was travelling ‘at speed’ he needed to be heading towards the same speed as the motorway traffic when he joined it.

Sorry OP it sounds more like you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings and wasn’t aware that either a) the bus was on the slip road or b) that there even was a slip road. 🤷‍♀️

This is ridiculous, the bus driver was clearly at fault. The Highway Code clearly states the number one consideration when joining a motorway is to give priority to traffic already on the motorway. Frankly it's terrifying that so many posters don't seem to be aware of this.

Oh fgs get over yourself!!