Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU? Slip road onto dual carriageway

97 replies

DesireLight · 26/09/2019 19:29

I was trying to merge onto a two lane dual carriageway using the 40 mph slip road. I'm always very cautious doing this as I'm a relatively new driver (been driving nearly a year) and generally merging from the slip road has been OK as people in the left lane of the carriageway (onto which I am merging) usually move into the right lane to make space for mergers, meaning I could often merge quite early on in the slip road.

I'm always less inclined to keep driving on the slip road and merging later unless absolutely necessary as drivers behind me who are also merging often use tiny gaps to merge onto the carriageway, meaning I'm likely to need to wait even longer to merge (by which time I might have got to the end of the slip road!) so usually merge at the earliest possible oppurtunity as it's generally always possible to do so (except in a few cases)

but today, it was horrific - I looked behind to merge and saw a big gap with a car driving along the left lane some distance away (plenty of time and space for me to merge) so I start merging in but take another look and see that a huge lorry seems to have moved from the right lane (fast lane on the dual carriageway) to the left lane (I think!) just as I had begun to merge in from the slip road so I had to quicky pull back into the slip road and continue on until another gap but it was such a close to accident situation (we missed each other by less than a foot!) and left me shaken.

I am questioning myself - did I do something wrong or are they to blame? I feel stupid and ashamed it could have led into a huge crash - I feel it wasn't my fault but seeing as this has never happened to me, I have no idea.

OP posts:
ColaFreezePop · 26/09/2019 19:34

The more you drive the more you will see drivers and motorcyclists around you have near misses.

Oh and accelerating and braking is one reason why people who do lots of motorway driving tend to have cars with larger engines.

Celebelly · 26/09/2019 19:35

They were to blame. They shouldn't have crossed back into the left lane if there was a vehicle in the process of merging. I suspect they just didn't bother to look.

LewisFan · 26/09/2019 19:37

Lesson learned - check BOTH lanes for traffic that might be getting in the way.

Also, please try to get to 60/70 on the slip road; it'll make joining easier as you'll be at the speed of the traffic, so can slot in really easily rather than waiting for them to move so you can get your speed up.

ThePants999 · 26/09/2019 19:38

They're to blame. The reason why the lane markings change to elongated lines near slip roads is to remind drivers not to move back into the left lane if someone's trying to exit the slip road.

Twickerhun · 26/09/2019 19:42

Is the dual carriage way 40 mph?

Tilltheendoftheline · 26/09/2019 19:44

The duel carriage way is 40 mph? Are you sure?

bridgetreilly · 26/09/2019 19:49

You should both be checking constantly. It's always possible that people could be moving into the same lane from two directions at once. That's no one's fault. But it does mean that you need to be alert and take defensive action when you notice it happening.

Also, merge at speed. That's in the highway code. It really is one of those things which is actually safer when you are less hesitant about it.

swingofthings · 26/09/2019 19:49

if you saw the other car far away on the left, why didn't you see the lorry?

Are you sure it was on the left lane? It doesn't make sense for a lorry to be on the left lane unless it was passing another car. Could it have been on the left lane but you didn't see it looking in your mirror?

bridgetreilly · 26/09/2019 19:49

Plenty of dual carriageways are 40mph, pps. Round here there's one that's constantly changing from 40 to 30 to 50 to 60. The one thing it never is is 70.

QuestionableMouse · 26/09/2019 19:50

The duel carriageway through my mam's town is 40/50 mph.

Quite a lot of more urban ones are.

You have to be brave and decisive when merging. I think everyone has had a near miss at some point though. I always try to check over my shoulder just in case.

Zebraaa · 26/09/2019 19:50

They’re to blame. He shouldn’t have changed lanes whilst you were joining the dual carriageway. He wasn’t perceptive of the whole picture.

Passthecherrycoke · 26/09/2019 19:51

Sounds like you both just missed seeing each other. It does happen.

Sparklybanana · 26/09/2019 19:52

Why was the lorry in the right hand lane in the first place if not overtaking (unlikely) or letting you out? Normally lorries tend to stick to the left lane and will slow down a bit so the faster car can accelerate and get on. It's a bit hard to call fault with only one side of the story but if there was no other vehicle there in the left lane then I can only assume he was letting you out and you perhaps were not as quick or something or were too quick?
I've had cars do this when they're not paying attention but without knowing the full situation I find it weird that a lorry would be randomly in the right lane. Not to say I don't believe you but I suspect with only a year to your belt you may have been partially at fault but it's clear that you took the right avoiding action to avoid an accident and at the end of the day - that's the important skill to be concerned with. Learn from it - always look in both lanes and don't assume other drivers will behave rationally.

CloudsCanLookLikeSheep · 26/09/2019 19:52

I always watch out for traffic changing lanes when I merge, did he have his indicators on?

LittleTopic · 26/09/2019 19:53

They were in the wrong - anyone with half a brain doesn’t move into the left lane when approaching a slip road!

Agree with other pps about making sure you’re at the right speed to merge as it does make it easier. Last week I got stuck behind someone attempting to merge onto the motorway at 30mph which almost caused a huge crash! Angry

CloudsCanLookLikeSheep · 26/09/2019 19:53

Also I try to join when both lanes are clear if I can do so without waiting an age.

Passthecherrycoke · 26/09/2019 19:56

People saying the lorry was wrong- OP didn’t see it. It could’ve been indicating to move left and not done anything wrong for all we know

Original poster
DesireLight · 26/09/2019 19:56

Thanks everyone so far for your helpful answers - The dual carriageway itself isn't 40 but what I had written is the slip road for merging into the dual carriageway is 40 (definitely so as it had a clear road sign saying it was)

OP posts:
CrohnicallyEarly · 26/09/2019 20:09

I’ve never heard of a slip road having a different speed limit to the main carriageway it joins. Are you sure that’s right- Is it maybe an advisory speed limit (white oblong) because of a hazard such as a bend, and once you’ve negotiated that you can speed up?

Itsallpetetong · 26/09/2019 20:15

a huge lorry seems to have moved from the right lane (fast lane on the dual carriageway) to the left lane (I think!)

Seems to have moved? Did you see it in the outside lane or was it actually in your blind spot?
Odd that the slip road has a 40mph limit, the slip road is for accelerating so you can get up to speed to join the carriageway and you should use the whole of the slip road if needed. Is it not 40 on the road before the sliproad then national speed limit? I can’t imagine there suddenly being a national speed sign at the end of the slip road.

can only assume he was letting you out and you perhaps were not as quick or something

This would be my thought, HGV drivers generally slow enough to let you on because they don’t have the speed to zip into next lane without causing chaos to those speeding in the overtaking lane. Don’t rely on that obviously but it would be pretty rare for one not to let you out.

NerrSnerr · 26/09/2019 20:16

Are you sure the slip road has a different speed limit to the dual carriageway? That would be really dangerous, you need to be speeding up to match the speed in the left lane (it's not just dangerous for you, it's really dangerous for the people behind you who are forced to join the road at a slow speed).

Passthecherrycoke · 26/09/2019 20:21

Tbf the junction i has daily to get on the motorway has a 50 speed limit. I guess it’s specifically to stop you trying to bash onto the motorway at 70? It’s the M1 so I obviously never get up to 50 or 70 anyway to try 🤣

Passthecherrycoke · 26/09/2019 20:21

Sorry the junction SLIPROAD I use has a 50 limit

Drogosnextwife · 26/09/2019 20:21

Lorries are fuckers for that. One actually sped up as I was merging the other day. He was plenty far away for me to come on, I had been watching him since the roundabout which leads to the slip road, it's quite a short slip road so you don't have long to merge and he actually sped up so I couldn't get on. I actually had to nearly stop in the slip as did the 2 cars behind me!

Maskin · 26/09/2019 20:22

The slip road will not have a lower speed than the dual carriageway itself.