Page 8 | Woman flying along with newborn in the front

Ithastobeacbeebiesday · 2022-11-28T16:18:50+00:00

Can’t get this out of my head. Yesterday, Dh, Dd and I were on the motorway and a woman joining onto our lane on the left, nearly crashed into us. She didn’t slow down or stop, so Dh had to slow right down, she came flying past and we saw she was talking/arguing? On her phone, gesticulating madly and that there was a buggy in the back and baby in a baby seat in the passenger seat. We were in such shock at first at the way she was driving and thought she’d crash into us, then saw, she was on the phone, then the baby. It was one of those tiny smart cars, so no seats in the back, is this legal? Dh was beeping loudly at her and said after that he wanted to follow her (we had to turn off) Not sure regarding laws (we’re in another country) but surely this isn’t legal, cannot get over how she could drive like that with a baby in the car, such a strange sight to see.

ellyeth · 29/11/2022 23:02

On the face of it, that sounds crazy.

Is there a possibility, though, that she was trying to deal with some sort of emergency situation? That doesn't, of course, justify her dangerous driving, especially with a baby in the car, but perhaps it does explain why she was driving so badly.

Your husband beeping couldn't have helped the situation.

Merryweather80 · 30/11/2022 05:46

You’re so contradictory in the details.

Have a cuppa and try to put it from you mind.

saffy2 · 30/11/2022 07:59

Shade17 · 29/11/2022 19:33

This. She has right of way here, she can’t stop while trying to join a motorway, because then she’s trying to join 70mph traffic from a standstill. In that scenario it’s your husbands responsibility to move over the another lane and let her in or adjust his speed so she doesn’t have to slow down but can speed up in fact to join the motorway at 70mph. That’s basic driving knowledge I thought!!

Are you suggesting that’s the case in Portugal or you think that’s how it works in the UK?

I hadn’t seen it was in Portugal before responding so I’m talking about UK. However, it being in Portugal doesn’t change my answer, physically you can’t join 70mph traffic from a standstill. That is dangerous. Common courtesy and common driving etiquette (in every country I have driven in) would mean that the driver driving at 70mph already would adjust, or move over to allow those approaching to merge. That IS just basic driving knowledge. Wherever you’re driving. It’s common knowledge that joining a motorway driving 70mph starting from a standstill will cause a crash, because people will be approaching you at 70mph and you would be going at 10mph…it’s just physics that that is not safe. At all.

saffy2 · 30/11/2022 08:01

saffy2 · 30/11/2022 07:59

I hadn’t seen it was in Portugal before responding so I’m talking about UK. However, it being in Portugal doesn’t change my answer, physically you can’t join 70mph traffic from a standstill. That is dangerous. Common courtesy and common driving etiquette (in every country I have driven in) would mean that the driver driving at 70mph already would adjust, or move over to allow those approaching to merge. That IS just basic driving knowledge. Wherever you’re driving. It’s common knowledge that joining a motorway driving 70mph starting from a standstill will cause a crash, because people will be approaching you at 70mph and you would be going at 10mph…it’s just physics that that is not safe. At all.

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And are you suggesting that’s not how it works in the uk?!?! 😂 when have you ever seen someone at a standstill while on the slip road to join a motorway 🙈 you haven’t, because the other road users on the motorway know how to drive and allow the joiners to merge safely. If they don’t, they are in the wrong and would be the ones to have caused a crash, not the merger.

Shade17 · 30/11/2022 09:05

saffy2 · 30/11/2022 08:01

And are you suggesting that’s not how it works in the uk?!?! 😂 when have you ever seen someone at a standstill while on the slip road to join a motorway 🙈 you haven’t, because the other road users on the motorway know how to drive and allow the joiners to merge safely. If they don’t, they are in the wrong and would be the ones to have caused a crash, not the merger.

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You couldn’t be more wrong. You stated that the person going up the slip road has priority - they don’t! The lines at the top of the slip road mean give way. You must stop there if you can’t join. There is no responsibility on the part of drivers in lane one to to move over or take any kind of action. It is common courtesy of course to be mindful of people joining and to make it easier for them and on the whole I think most drivers do that.

PeterRabbitHadACarrot · 30/11/2022 09:31

He wanted to follow her? That really jumped out.
What the fuck?
Your husband sounds disturbed.

mam0918 · 30/11/2022 09:40

Shade17 · 30/11/2022 09:05

You couldn’t be more wrong. You stated that the person going up the slip road has priority - they don’t! The lines at the top of the slip road mean give way. You must stop there if you can’t join. There is no responsibility on the part of drivers in lane one to to move over or take any kind of action. It is common courtesy of course to be mindful of people joining and to make it easier for them and on the whole I think most drivers do that.

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The warning marker lines are to ADJUST speed to relative to the traffic there not to STOP... if theres a traffic jam crawling they obviously cant fly out at 60mph but in full free flow its still other cars job to move, you can't join a flowing 50-70mph road from a stand still.

Theres also a blind spot looking back at an angle and no where else to move when joining from a slip road while OP DH has full visual and another lane.

Do you not understand basic physics?

Shade17 · 30/11/2022 10:15

mam0918 · 30/11/2022 09:40

The warning marker lines are to ADJUST speed to relative to the traffic there not to STOP... if theres a traffic jam crawling they obviously cant fly out at 60mph but in full free flow its still other cars job to move, you can't join a flowing 50-70mph road from a stand still.

Theres also a blind spot looking back at an angle and no where else to move when joining from a slip road while OP DH has full visual and another lane.

Do you not understand basic physics?

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If you can’t join you must stop. It shouldn’t happen on a free flowing motorway unless you’re a terrible driver who can’t match your speed to a suitable gap and I’ve never seen it happen but the fact remains, you WILL give way to traffic that’s already in lane one.

saffy2 · 30/11/2022 11:15

When you are taught to drive you are taught to always let people merge on a motorway, by whatever means necessary moving lanes or adjusting your speed so that the car merging can accelerate to the safe speed needed to merge with the motorway. That’s what is taught. because that’s how it is supposed to happen. The onus is on the people already going dangerously high speeds to allow others to join, not for a car joining to stop. That would cause an accident and would be severely stupid and dangerous. Which is why, when you learn to drive you are taught to ensure that doesn’t happen.

Shade17 · 30/11/2022 12:54

That’s what is taught. because that’s how it is supposed to happen. The onus is on the people already going dangerously high speeds to allow others to join, not for a car joining to stop. That would cause an accident and would be severely stupid and dangerous

Absolutely not! The onus is on the driver merging to join safely and they must give way to cars already in lane one. Please get some more lessons before you kill someone!

mam0918 · 30/11/2022 13:24

Shade17 · 30/11/2022 12:54

That’s what is taught. because that’s how it is supposed to happen. The onus is on the people already going dangerously high speeds to allow others to join, not for a car joining to stop. That would cause an accident and would be severely stupid and dangerous

Absolutely not! The onus is on the driver merging to join safely and they must give way to cars already in lane one. Please get some more lessons before you kill someone!

I really hope you aren't allowed to drive.

Common sense clearly missed you and you would be a danger to all other road users.

This is why motorway driving should be on the test because people like you have read a book and misunderstood but dont understand how it ACTUALLY works in the real world.

Shade17 · 30/11/2022 15:27

mam0918 · 30/11/2022 13:24

I really hope you aren't allowed to drive.

Common sense clearly missed you and you would be a danger to all other road users.

This is why motorway driving should be on the test because people like you have read a book and misunderstood but dont understand how it ACTUALLY works in the real world.

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No, you misunderstand. As I clearly posted up the thread the vast majority of motorway users have common sense and make life easy for those joining. I am absolutely NOT suggesting that people shouldn’t drive with courtesy. My issue is with PPs stating things like

its still other cars job to move

and

The onus is on the people already going dangerously high speeds to allow others to join

Which are 100% incorrect statements and beliefs like that are going to result in accidents.

The fact is that traffic in lane one has priority over those joining from a slip road.

Rainn21 · 30/11/2022 15:34

If someone is joining the motorway I move into the middle lane to allow them room to join, maybe your husband could have done that rather than beeping and potentially causing even more of a distraction to her and other road users. You can’t control how other people drive sadly!

ivykaty44 · 30/11/2022 16:13

Rainn21 That doesn’t tend to happen in Portugal or France in my experience.

Funkyblues101 · 30/11/2022 16:20

Saints alive, don't go to India, OP! Babies being held on the backs of motorbikes in their mother's arms, toddlers riding up front with dad. You wouldn't have enough hours in the day to judge them all for not abiding by laws that don't exist in their country.

HeraldicBlazoning · 30/11/2022 17:17

Yes we saw similar in Mexico. Mum, dad, three kids under the age of 5 all on the same moped.

Konfetka · 01/12/2022 20:22

@Shade17

The Highway Code, Rule 271

You MUST NOT stop on any carriageway, emergency area, hard shoulder, slip road, central reservation or verge except in an emergency, or when told to do so by the police, traffic officers, an emergency sign or by red flashing light signals.

SofiaSoFar · 02/12/2022 22:02

Konfetka · 01/12/2022 20:22

@Shade17

The Highway Code, Rule 271

You MUST NOT stop on any carriageway, emergency area, hard shoulder, slip road, central reservation or verge except in an emergency, or when told to do so by the police, traffic officers, an emergency sign or by red flashing light signals.

🤦🏼‍♀️

You are completely misunderstanding what the HC means.

Konfetka · 03/12/2022 15:34

SofiaSoFar · 29/11/2022 20:31

Yes Yes Yes - you do treat a slip road as a give way!

The vehicles on the carriageway have priority and you must give way to them. If you can't merge you have to stop.

Have you passed your test?

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Looks like Sofia needs to revise the Highway Code.

ivykaty44 · 04/12/2022 07:59

Konfetka You have definitely missed the point that Sofia is making, about Lane one having priority over those on the slip road.

the onus is on the driver joining the motorway to merge and the expectation of another driver moving so they can join is dangerous.

that’s for the U.K.

saffy2 · 04/12/2022 09:40

But the fact is you CANNOT stop on a slip road, it is not a give way in the same sense. You CANNOT safely join a motorway from a standstill, you have to keep moving, you can not stop. It is extremely extremely dangerous. I’m really shocked by the amount of people who would stop and then attempt to join a motorway from a standstill. Please don’t ever actually do this, you will die!!!!!!

Shade17 · 04/12/2022 11:33

saffy2 · 04/12/2022 09:40

But the fact is you CANNOT stop on a slip road, it is not a give way in the same sense. You CANNOT safely join a motorway from a standstill, you have to keep moving, you can not stop. It is extremely extremely dangerous. I’m really shocked by the amount of people who would stop and then attempt to join a motorway from a standstill. Please don’t ever actually do this, you will die!!!!!!

No, the fact is that if you can’t join lane 1 then you have to stop. If you find yourself in this situation it’s likely because you’re a terrible driver who can’t anticipate and judge speed to merge into a gap.

ivykaty44 · 04/12/2022 11:41

saffy2

Europe drivers rarely move over to allow you to join the motorway.

you have stated drivers are taught to move over, can you show which rule this is in the U.K. HC
I can’t find a section on moving over from Lane one to allow drivers to join, in any case if Lane 2 is full then it’s not possible

Konfetka · 04/12/2022 21:37

Interesting how people who haven't grown up in the UK think to tell everyone else how to drive in the UK. The reason you've never seen anyone stopped at the end of a slip road is because the Highway Code prohibits it. The reason you see drivers moving over to make way for vehicles joining from slip roads is because that's the standard of common sense and courtesy we've witnessed our whole lives.

ivykaty44 · 04/12/2022 22:04

@Konfetka I have seen people stopped on the slip road in the U.K. on the motorway, having failed to join safely, I’ve seen this more than once but not often. The onus is not on those in lane 1 to move over to Lane 2.

how do you know which countries people have grown up ?

just because I’ve seen someone stopped doesn’t mean it’s legal, but I don’t know if it’s an emergency either, as that is a permissible stop