Driving one - is it me?

[Fuckenstein]

On my commute I drive across a 60 mph bridge. The bridge is 3 lanes each way, lane A comes from traffic lights and leaves the bridge to a different exit, it is its own slip road so you would only want to be in lane A to come off in that place.

Lanes B and C both come onto the bridge from an expressway so traffic is moving at 60mph. Both lanes go to the same place and B has various slip roads.

So I come onto the bridge in lane A but need to leave from a slip road on lane B.

So often someone in front of me only builds up speed to 45mph, because lane B is moving at 60mph straight off the expressway it is very difficult to then swap lanes to B without matching their speed.

AiBU to think that actually it is very dangerous to drive at 45mph on a 60mph road and hold up those behind you? I am a fairly new driver so I don't know if I am missing something or being impatient.

Is it because lane A is pulling away from lights, so naturally going slower? Perhaps B and C should have a drop of speed limit to, say, 50 for the bridge stretch? It does sound difficult. Are there many accidents there?

The bridge is 3 miles long so plenty of time to build up speed, some people just choose to stay at 45mph. Shoukd have mentioned the distance in my OP maybe.

There are occasional accidents but I wouldn't say its horrendous. It flows really well most of the time.

You aren't missing anything.

Some people drive like that. That's why you get people like me driving cars that accelerate and brake quickly.

Not the best situation all you can do is give yourself enough space so you can accelerate into the gap as you speed match Lane b

Now I'm a experienced driver and the insurance is more affordable I have a nippy powerful car (with good brakes too) so I can drive out of sticky situations like the one you're describing.

Sometimes you might have to just stay in your lane and miss your turning because it won't be safe to move across.

Hopefully in 3 miles is there is a decent gap for you to pull into.

Biggest problem is that the cars in B and C are most likely driving too close together making it very hard for you to pull into lane B.

YANBU. As its a long bridge I would hang back and give yourself enough space to get up to speed. That's assuming no one gets in the gap though! Not much you can do it that situation except indicate and hope someone lets you in.

Slip roads are for matching your speed to the traffic on the carriageway. People do this on motorway slip roads too and it does my head in. There is presumably no good reason that they can’t accelerate up to 60mph other than they either aren’t confident at driving at speed in which case quite frankly they shouldn’t be driving there or they are one of the misguided that thinks slower is safer even when they are considerably below the speed of everyone else.

I have always managed to get over eventually, it's just so frustrating. I know its a limit and not a target but going 15mph less than everyone else is dangerous.

Someone stopped dead at the end of a slip road in front of me once. There was a couple of gaps they could have gotten in but they must not have been confident. It's much more difficult to join fast moving traffic from still!!

Ultimately a slip road does have to give way to the main carriageway, there is no "right" to pull onto it.

I would hate to have to try and speed up from stationary though 😳

It's not you.

You'll just have to keep doing as you are and hoping for a big enough gap to join the faster traffic at a lower speed, then speed up before the traffic behind gets to you.

These are the situations where you drop down a gear and boot it.

Saying that, as random says, the right of way is to the traffic on the road, so the slip way traffic does have to give way. I had to stop on a very short slip road once - there were 4/5 lorries in very close convoy, so nowhere for me to merge into - it was not a nice experience!

There is a nightmare motorway slip road here...

Maximum speed 35mph around a bend, then uphill on a short slip road, completely dependent on the other drivers making space for you and fast especially as they can't see the slip road until the last minute. Bloody awful and lethal design!!!

Some people are probably driving cars that struggle to accelerate enough. 45 mph should be OK for a 60 mph road I think. Certainly it's fairly common even when people join motorways that they are going fairly slowly, especially if it's a bit uphill or a short slip road. You need to indicate early to allow people time to let you in. Don't wait to indicate until there is a gap or you are up to speed.
Fact is, it's not unreasonable to drive at 45 on a 60 mph road, so if you are struggling to deal with it you need to change your own driving.

So difficult to match the speed of the lane you're moving into wirlth slowbellies in front!

I admire new drivers coping with all the pressures older drivers could gradually get used to!

YANBU. Driving significantly under the speed limit is dangerous.

Situations like these are why I love my (automatic) Velar. It's big, punchy and has a decent brake.

There's not much you can do OP apart from what you're already doing.
As a PP says, pull out when there's a space and boot it to create enough of a gap.

People driving significantly under the speed limit are just as dangerous as people driving significantly over it.

I'm sure a lot of it is to do with nervousness on motorways, which is why it's excellent that they teach those during driving lessons now.
I could never understand why they allowed people to pass a test without at least attempting one.
You know, have never driven on a motorway, instructor takes you to test, you pass, go home, get in car and can go straight to the M1 - it makes no sense!

YANBU.