Page 9 | Nearly in a serious car accident - hand hold please

Usedandhurt · 2023-10-24T15:09:43+00:00

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.

UnevenBalance · 24/10/2023 18:21

supersonicginandtonic · 24/10/2023 18:19

@MikeRafone it's just common sense isn't it? A bus cannot stop and then accelerate quickly to joint the motorway safely. The OP Could easily have reduced her speed to let him in. It's not exactly difficult is it? Where did she expect him to go?

And that’s up to them to drive safely and take that into account.
Just like I don’t have powerful car at all and adjust my driving to that.

Its not normal to assume someone is going to NOT follow the Code.

bathrobeandpie · 24/10/2023 18:21

Lou670 · 24/10/2023 18:19

I don't think a call to the police was warranted. Have you never not made a mistake in all your years of driving? I agree with the other posters that upon passing a slip road where vehicles are trying to join/merge on to the motorway, that you should have been aware. If you were in the inside lane then you should be looking to see what vehicle is trying to join the road you are on.

You may cost someone to lose their driving career at worse or receive a warning at best. Things like this happen every day and not just on a motorway. If you are such a nervous driver as you say you are then you need to overcome this or stay away from the motorways. Your children are probably upset as picking up on your reaction to the situation.

If my kid was in that bus, I really would like the police to get interested!

Barging onto a motorway is not a simple "mistake"!

EarthSight · 24/10/2023 18:21

Lou670 · 24/10/2023 18:19

I don't think a call to the police was warranted. Have you never not made a mistake in all your years of driving? I agree with the other posters that upon passing a slip road where vehicles are trying to join/merge on to the motorway, that you should have been aware. If you were in the inside lane then you should be looking to see what vehicle is trying to join the road you are on.

You may cost someone to lose their driving career at worse or receive a warning at best. Things like this happen every day and not just on a motorway. If you are such a nervous driver as you say you are then you need to overcome this or stay away from the motorways. Your children are probably upset as picking up on your reaction to the situation.

Are you joking?

I'm a driver who finds it really annoying when people don't let me join from a slip road, which is sadly, a lot of drivers. However, I still wouldn't barge in and endanger other people.

AsWrittenBy · 24/10/2023 18:21

bathrobeandpie · 24/10/2023 18:19

so now we have the usual middle-lane hoggers

and all these drivers who SLOW DOWN pre-emptively on the motorway when approaching a slip road.

And are proud of it.

I have no word.

So do you approach every slip lane joining the motorway you are driving on as not a hazard in any way?

If you do, then you need to get some lessons - everything on the motorway that is moving is a hazard, every entry, every exit, every vehicle

supersonicginandtonic · 24/10/2023 18:21

@bathrobeandpie I recognise that joining traffic is coming at a junction they're signposted a mile before, then again at half a mile before and then again at the junction so plenty of time to be aware traffic is joining. 🙄

Princesspollyyy · 24/10/2023 18:22

MummyItsallaboutyou · 24/10/2023 17:58

This happened to us yesterday but it was a massive lorry joining the motorway doing at least 70 mph. My DH looked to move into the middle lane but couldn't as someone was there. My DH said 'we're in trouble here' slammed on the brakes and thankfully we were alright.
Scary, but be grateful that all was OK in the end

By 'massive lorry' I'm taking that to mean an HGV, and these are limited to 56mph on UK motorways.

So there's no way it was going 'at least 70'.

NerrSnerr · 24/10/2023 18:22

@UnevenBalance if it came from in front or behind the OP she should have been aware of a bus. You can't argue that can you? It's useful to know what vehicles are near you.

The bus driver was 100% in the wrong BUT he nearly crushed her and if had spotted him earlier she would have known he wanted to join the carriageway and reacted earlier. Why is that such a bad thing? Is it a bad thing to be aware of your surroundings to reduce the risk of another motorist killing you?

duchiebun · 24/10/2023 18:23

Please tell me those posting nonsense are going it to be contrary & don’t actually drive!!!

supersonicginandtonic · 24/10/2023 18:23

@IslandsInTheSunshine exactly this. Nobody is talking about slamming your breaks on, they're talking about reducing your speed slightly to let the bus in.

AmytheDancingBrick · 24/10/2023 18:24

@fedupandstuck I was surprised when my DS started lessons that they don’t teach that now - although the last time I think I used the technique was on my actual driving test.

Scampuss · 24/10/2023 18:24

First rule of safe driving is expect everyone else doing the wrong thing and take defensive action when it's safe to do so.

This.

Other people are twats. You have to be prepared for that.

Nowherenew · 24/10/2023 18:24

supersonicginandtonic · 24/10/2023 18:19

@MikeRafone it's just common sense isn't it? A bus cannot stop and then accelerate quickly to joint the motorway safely. The OP Could easily have reduced her speed to let him in. It's not exactly difficult is it? Where did she expect him to go?

OP did reduce her speed , she literally slammed on her brakes!

The bus should not have been speeding and instead of pulling out right in front of OP, they should have slowed down and pulled out behind her.

The bud didn’t need to stop.
It just needed to not be speeding and not pull out without checking it was clear/waiting for a gap.

IslandsInTheSunshine · 24/10/2023 18:24

@Nowherenew There is no point preaching about what is 'right'.

Drivers need to anticipate.

We can all see vehicles on slip roads.
We ought to be able to judge their speed.

That means we sometimes need to slow down as we approach a slip road to avoid a collision if the other driver carries on and is going to crash into us.

If two drivers are so pig headed that they carry on with what is 'right' (in their minds) the outcome will be a crash.

Itwasamemo1 · 24/10/2023 18:25

enchantedsquirrelwood · 24/10/2023 16:24

Maybe the OP didn't move over because there was something in the middle lane!

My goodness the lack of empathy in these responses.

OP I'd get this post moved out of AIBU because it attracts all the nasty people. In fact I have reported it and asked MNHQ to move it for you.

Edited

Agree. What a shitty bunch of bitter people on here .That's only the first page !
Hope you are OK OP There is a reason why I avoid motorways at all costs 💐

fedupandstuck · 24/10/2023 18:25

supersonicginandtonic · 24/10/2023 18:21

@bathrobeandpie I recognise that joining traffic is coming at a junction they're signposted a mile before, then again at half a mile before and then again at the junction so plenty of time to be aware traffic is joining. 🙄

So you are aware of the junction, but there is no requirement or recommendation to move over and you most definitely should not be slowing down as you approach it. Simply maintaining your speed and usual awareness is what is required and those joining from the slip road have the onus to give way and not cause those already on the motorway to have to brake or manoeuvre in order to avoid a collision.

supersonicginandtonic · 24/10/2023 18:25

@Nowherenew a massive bus, cannot drive fast enough to just suddenly appear. It's a bus not a bloody Ferrari 🤦🏼‍♀️

SkyePye · 24/10/2023 18:25

I don't think a call to the police was warranted. Have you never not made a mistake in all your years of driving?

And what if the drivers next "mistake" ends up killing someone?

I don't think any driver responsible for a fatal crash sets out to kill someone but it's due to "mistakes" that they do - pulling out in front of someone, overtaking on a blind corner, feeling to see and stop for a junction etc...

MeinKraft · 24/10/2023 18:26

If it only just happened, that's right in the middle of rush hour, of course she couldn't just swing into the right lane.

IslandsInTheSunshine · 24/10/2023 18:26

OP did reduce her speed , she literally slammed on her brakes!

No.

Emergency stops are not reducing speed.

Reducing speed it anticipating and reading the road.

Reading the road is sadly missing from lots of drivers.

When I learned to drive the emphasis was on anticipating the worst scenario and taking action before it happened.

PenguinRainbows · 24/10/2023 18:27

It sounds like neither you nor your husband should be driving.

Anxious and aggressive drivers are not safe drivers.

Iadoretoread · 24/10/2023 18:27

Fuck me, people honestly believe that the onus is on the person on the MOTORWAY to accommodate someone (bus, car, hgv whatever) on a slip road? Because said motorway driver should be looking in their mirrors every 3 seconds (or more frequently, based on how quickly someone could fly up a slip road if speeding)!? Absolute madness.

And for anyone who's saying its just common sense to be able to zoom down a slip road and onto a motorway with wild abandon (just because you're in a large vehicle that could do even more damage!!) then please see the several posters who have had the gumption to quote the highway code. FFS.

supersonicginandtonic · 24/10/2023 18:27

@fedupandstuck it's quite evident the OP didn't have awareness though isn't it. It's a big bus, it didn't just appear. It's quite obvious she wasn't checking her Mirrors to see what was around her.

AsWrittenBy · 24/10/2023 18:27

I dont think anyone is arguing the bus was in the right - OP was driving within the law.

The issue is, that the OP wasnt driving to the actual way the roads work - she didnt pay attention to the traffic approaching from the slip lane - if she had, she could have adjusted her speed to not need to slam on her brakes when the bus (which was moving at speed??) pulled out in front of her.

The bus was in the wrong.

supersonicginandtonic · 24/10/2023 18:29

@AsWrittenBy exactly this

WhatsCookingFlora · 24/10/2023 18:30

MrsWimpy · 24/10/2023 16:44

I do think this was your error. Buses and Lorrie's will expect to join at speed. It's normal for you in the left lane to be aware that there will be joining traffic and slow down or move over.

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

Well you think wrong. But I'm starting to see from this and other posts why this situations occur - total failure to understand priority and your primary responsibility as a driver joining a road.

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.

Jesus wept.