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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dual carriage way near miss

64 replies

Monkeypuzzlegane · 22/05/2023 17:22

I’m pretty sure I’m in the right but please let me know if something has changed.

Driving along a dual carriage way at 70. Petrol station and a young women decided to speed up coming on from the petrol station and just pull in front of me, I had to slam on my breaks. There was a car waiting to pull in but she went round them and just joined the carriage way.

She then flipped me off so I wasn’t too grown up and sounded my horn and flipped her off too.

I was always taught that people on the dual carriage way have right of way and it’s a give way basically. You wait till it’s clear to join.

OP posts:
CRbear · 22/05/2023 17:23

Shit drivers everywhere but some slip roads from petrol stations are dangerously short

britnay · 22/05/2023 17:29

Was there space for you to move over to the right hand lane to let her in?

PositiveLife · 22/05/2023 17:31

You're right, it's her responsibility to check she can safely join. I tend to pull out if the right hand lane is clear and I can see someone is trying to join but it's not always possible.

whatdoidonowffs · 22/05/2023 17:31

Joining traffic has no right of way
the guy who opened the side of his van like a tin of sardines when he tried wfirce his way into a gap that didn’t exist found that out the hard way 😂😂😂

Alargeoneplease89 · 22/05/2023 17:33

britnay · 22/05/2023 17:29

Was there space for you to move over to the right hand lane to let her in?

It doesn't entitle someone to join the motorway... its give way.

StopFeckingFaffing · 22/05/2023 17:36

Yes it is ultimately the responsibility of the vehicle joining the road to pull out safely but vehicles already on road should try to assist by leaving adequate spacing and/or pulling into the next lane if it is safe to do so

It shouldn't be necessary for cars in the slip lane to come to a standstill and wait for a space

Its hard to comment without having been there

SunshineLollipopsAndRainbows · 22/05/2023 17:37

Brakes

towriteyoumustlive · 22/05/2023 17:38

Joining traffic needs to give way but drivers on the dual carriageway need to read the road ahead and move out to the right to allow others to join if they are able to do so.

Therefore... if the right hand lane was free and you could have moved over, then YABU, but if the right hand lane had a constant stream of traffic and you were unable to pull out then YANBU.

Malarandras · 22/05/2023 17:40

It was her responsibility to wait for the road to be clear, she did not have right of way. But recent driving experience tells me that not having right of way doesn’t stop a lot of people from going unfortunately!

Blinkingheckythump · 22/05/2023 17:42

Those of you saying that the op should have moved over, whilst yes if possible drivers should move over, i think you're missing the point that the car leaving the petrol station swerved past another car in front of them waiting to leave to force themselves onto the dual carriageway. I'd say there's no way that the op was in the wrong with the other car driving like that

Xrays · 22/05/2023 17:43

You were right.

So many shit and entitled drivers around at the moment.

Shade17 · 22/05/2023 17:48

Therefore... if the right hand lane was free and you could have moved over, then YABU, but if the right hand lane had a constant stream of traffic and you were unable to pull out then YANBU.

There may not even have been a right hand lane of course.

WonderingWanda · 22/05/2023 17:48

She sounds like an idiot from your description of the manoeuvre overtaking someone elseto leave the petrol station.

We have a horrible junction here with a petrol station and exit slip all in one. When you indicate to come off onto the slip road oblivious idiots from the petrol station pull out and stop across the slip road. I don't know how more people aren't killed there.

Original poster
Monkeypuzzlegane · 22/05/2023 17:50

Sorry should have added rush hour traffic super busy and couldn’t move over. If I can I do tend to move over to let people out

OP posts:
VisionsOfSplendour · 22/05/2023 17:54

Alargeoneplease89 · 22/05/2023 17:33

It doesn't entitle someone to join the motorway... its give way.

Show quote history

It doesn't but if you can see someone waiting to pull out why wouldn't you move to the outside lane if it's empty?

Redebs · 22/05/2023 17:55

I tend to pull into right hand lane well before services or joining junctions. I stay there until I'm well past.

You do have to watch out for people in the left hand lane suddenly pulling over to let joining cars in 🙄, but if you're ready for it, it's not too bad.

Also have to watch out for the crazies coming up from behind at 90 and threatening to undertake, but they usually work it out and realise why I'm there, doing only 70.

Redebs · 22/05/2023 17:57

Alternatively, I leave a big gap when a joining lane is coming up. Slow down well before to give them a chance.

BertieBotts · 22/05/2023 18:01

The highway code doesn't indicate that drivers already on a carriageway in the left most lane should move over.

It's a cultural norm in the UK but it's not an official rule. Funny that many people think it is.

twilightsleepiness · 22/05/2023 18:03

There may not even have been a right hand lane of course.

Then it wasn't a dual carriageway

Redebs · 22/05/2023 18:03

BertieBotts · 22/05/2023 18:01

The highway code doesn't indicate that drivers already on a carriageway in the left most lane should move over.

It's a cultural norm in the UK but it's not an official rule. Funny that many people think it is.

Oh gawd yes, and they start to pull out, all full of entitlement, even when there's no space

NewNovember · 22/05/2023 18:08

You should be anticipating people joining.

Original poster
Monkeypuzzlegane · 22/05/2023 18:10

NewNovember · 22/05/2023 18:08

You should be anticipating people joining.

100% but someone cutting in front of me and I had to break heavily I wasn’t expecting while doing 70

OP posts:
FatAgain · 22/05/2023 18:19

Surely it’s just manners to move over..: I automatically move over coming up to slip roads on motorways

missmollygreen · 22/05/2023 18:24

NewNovember · 22/05/2023 18:08

You should be anticipating people joining.

No, people joining have to give way to cars on the carriageway.

Original poster
Monkeypuzzlegane · 22/05/2023 18:27

FatAgain · 22/05/2023 18:19

Surely it’s just manners to move over..: I automatically move over coming up to slip roads on motorways

@FatAgain i couldn’t move over thinking super busy rush hour traffic. I would normally move over for people when I can.

OP posts: