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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:
Huntler · 22/05/2023 18:27

It's not a slip road though. From a petrol station you have to stop at the lines and then join the traffic at speed as best you can from zero. Sounds like she CBA to wait for a suitable time but on a 70 road there isn't always a suitable time.

Lol @ "manners"

Glad you're ok OP. Sounds like she misjudged it but thanks to your reaction no one got hurt.

discan · 22/05/2023 18:28

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

You know dual doesn't mean 2 lanes?

Æthelred · 22/05/2023 18:31

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

It's the presence of a central reservation that makes a dual carriageway rather than the number of lanes, friend 😀

The other motorist was out of order but road rage is stupid - don't do it.

Iyiyiiii · 22/05/2023 18:32

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.

So she was coming out of the letrol station, and she went round someone waiting to go in to the petrol station? Or someone waiting to pull back into the left (driving) lane? * *

FergalforPM · 22/05/2023 18:33

missmollygreen · 22/05/2023 18:24

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

Show quote history

But it doesn't mean you can't anticipate people - if you slam into the back of them "it's my inalienable right to drive at 70" isn't a great answer.
I swear 90% of the issues are intolerance. OP could have lifted off a bit or even braked gently in anticipation - hard to say without being there, but to just carry on blithely ignoring surroundings because "you're in the right" doesn't really help anyone.

Shade17 · 22/05/2023 18:36

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

🤣 I see others have already educated you

Original poster
Monkeypuzzlegane · 22/05/2023 18:39

Iyiyiiii · 22/05/2023 18:32

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.

So she was coming out of the letrol station, and she went round someone waiting to go in to the petrol station? Or someone waiting to pull back into the left (driving) lane? * *

@Iyiyiiii yeah I explained that badly! There was a car waiting as it was so busy trying to come out the petrol station to join the dual carriage way.

She went round them and pulled in front of me.

Both cars trying to join the dual carriageway she decided not to wait and queue

OP posts:
Iyiyiiii · 22/05/2023 18:53

Oh christ, so she overtook the person waiting to come out on the slip road,

Redebs · 22/05/2023 18:57

So many aggressive drivers out there. I find myself anticipating terrible driving more and more, but even then there are drivers like that who push into stunning levels of incompetence and selfishness.

bookworm44 · 22/05/2023 19:03

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.

I think the clue is in dual carriagway 🤔

MakesMeFeelSad · 22/05/2023 19:04

bookworm44 · 22/05/2023 19:03

I think the clue is in dual carriagway 🤔

Show quote history

🤦‍♀️

discan · 22/05/2023 19:41

@bookworm44

I think the clue is in dual carriagway 🤔

Dual doesn't mean '2 lanes'

bloodywhitecat · 22/05/2023 19:47

bookworm44 · 22/05/2023 19:03

I think the clue is in dual carriagway 🤔

Show quote history

Yes, dual carriageway not dual laneway. A dual carriageway can have one or more lanes but there are two carriageways, separated by a dividing strip.

GoodChat · 22/05/2023 19:55

If you could see cars waiting and had the chance to slow down you should have done anyway.

She's in the wrong but you made it harder than it needed to be.

Neilsfavouritechilli · 22/05/2023 20:04

Nah fuck all of this, a dual carriageway doesn't mean two lanes and those who join should do so safely and not pull out in front of moving vehicles unless there is the space to do so. I'll sometimes slow down if I can see a car waiting or if there is a second lane, move over. That's a courtesy, i have right of way though.

CharlottenBurger · 22/05/2023 20:11

Petty, I know, but I do wish people wouldn't write 'breaks' when they mean 'brakes'.

Alargeoneplease89 · 22/05/2023 20:34

VisionsOfSplendour · 22/05/2023 17:54

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?

Show quote history

Highway code and expectations are two different things. I always move over but doesn't mean OP is at fault... its give way and if you were to pull out, you are the one at fault.

Alargeoneplease89 · 22/05/2023 20:35

Neilsfavouritechilli · 22/05/2023 20:04

Nah fuck all of this, a dual carriageway doesn't mean two lanes and those who join should do so safely and not pull out in front of moving vehicles unless there is the space to do so. I'll sometimes slow down if I can see a car waiting or if there is a second lane, move over. That's a courtesy, i have right of way though.

Spot on

VisionsOfSplendour · 22/05/2023 20:43

Alargeoneplease89 · 22/05/2023 20:34

Highway code and expectations are two different things. I always move over but doesn't mean OP is at fault... its give way and if you were to pull out, you are the one at fault.

Show quote history

Absolutely, the OP isn't at fault, but just because you don't have to pull over doesn't mean that common sense/courtesy doeant make it a good thing to do when you can

Why run the risk of an accident simply because the highway code gives you the right of way when there's an easy way to stay safe?

And yes I know this doesn't apply here, its a general musing

Shade17 · 22/05/2023 21:06

bookworm44 · 22/05/2023 19:03

I think the clue is in dual carriagway 🤔

Show quote history

The clue is in the meaning (and spelling) of the word “carriageway”

discan · 22/05/2023 21:11

@Shade17

You are hardly in a position to be picking posters up for their mistakes here Hmm

discan · 22/05/2023 21:11

discan · 22/05/2023 21:11

@Shade17

You are hardly in a position to be picking posters up for their mistakes here Hmm

Oh fuck me just ignore that I read the wrong post

What a tit (me of course)

NewNovember · 22/05/2023 21:45

missmollygreen · 22/05/2023 18:24

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

Show quote history

Both are correct

caringcarer · 22/05/2023 21:51

You're right she should wait until a break in traffic to join. She was lucky you could stop in time.

Tiddlypomtiddlypom · 22/05/2023 22:49

I always find reading any threads on here about driving to be really, really disconcerting.

So many people know so very little, and don’t mind publicly posting about it on threads. 😳