Woman flying along with newborn in the front

[Ithastobeacbeebiesday]

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.

The onus is not on those in lane 1 to move over to Lane 2.

Legally, no. Considerate drivers who think ahead automatically try to move across when approaching a slip road. I was taught to do this when I was learning to drive 30 odd years ago.

I was taught to do this when I was learning to drive 30 odd years ago.

you can’t go on a motorway as a learner, so someone may have told you but you weren’t taught it in practice when you were learning to drive

if there is plenty of gaps in the traffic there is no need anyway to change lanes in any case

Indeed.

The only time I have stopped at the bottom of the slip road is in a traffic jam where the motorway is chocka, three lanes of traffic barely moving.

In normal driving conditions, never. Although I have seen people sitting in the sliplane at a standstill, indicating while they wait for a gap. Idiots.

It applies equally to dual carriageways. And, yes, I was taught it in practice - on the a non motorway section of the A1.

Yes I did a lot of learning on the Edinburgh city bypass / A1 which is a dual carriageway with sliproads and so on, but not a motorway. Stood me in good stead for driving on official motorways.

You're embarrassing yourself now.

You're going to feel pretty stupid when you finally figure out what the rules and guidance actually mean.

Well if you go to France, Spain or Portugal, don’t expect it to happen on a motorway. They are much more Lane conscious than Brits driving and don’t change Lane unless overtaking. Added to which often the slip rds are very much shorter than in U.K.

Anyone who truly believes that vehicles entering a motorway from a slip road have priority over vehicles already on the motorway should hand in their licence, or throw it on the fire in the case those on this thread who got theirs from a Christmas cracker or the back of a cornflake box.

Even learners will know you can't barge your way onto a motorway from a slip road as you do not have priority. www.learnerpod.co.uk/motorway-slip-roads/

Highway code rule 271 does not mean you can't stop on a slip road if you can't join to motorway, it means you can't stop for a cup of tea or to make a phone call, which only an idiot would be confused by.

Here is rule 259 clearly stating the facts about joining the carriageway.

I regularly drove on a 3 lane duel carriageway while learning, so very similar to a motorway in practice. I also had ‘pass plus’ lessons on a motorway.