because I think I'm being sensible and courteous when..

[MARGOsBeenPlayingWithMyNooNoo]

driving on the motorway.

Dh was designated driver on Sunday and had to brake (albeit only slightly) to let someone on to the motorway from the sliproad.

I think that you should make an effort to get into the 2nd lane before you reach the sliproad. He thinks not.

He had to do exactly the same thing on the way home.

IMO it's dangerous driving. There are signs on the motorway to indicate the approaching sliproad so you have plenty of time to indicate into the 2nd lane.

I appreciate there are nervous drivers who would prefer to stay on the left hand lane. These drivers are usually slower than my dh, it's no hardship for him to go into the next lane.

(I must add that I am particularly edgy when it comes to sliproads as my great aunt and uncle died in a car accident when they came off a sliproad and collided with another vehicle)

You are right just common sense. Just like indicating before you change lane - you know who you are

Totally agree with you. Your DHis inconsiderate (as is mine!) especially in view of your poor rels.

It makes me so nervous getting onto a mway and any help is gratefully received.

I thought that it was drivers coming onto motorways responsibility to judge it correctly, no one on motorway should have to brake surely? But then I can't drive at all so no idea why i'm responding to this, should just got to bed really

the highway code says that the oncoming drivers should judge and match their speed to slip in. It is only in recent years that everyone has started moving over.

Slightly braking in the inside lane is OK but your way is better.

Oh and I always leave my indicator to click three times before I manouvre on a motorway. I've fully checked my mirrors to ensure it's clear.

And before I overtake a lorry, I ensure the 3rd lane is empty just in case the lorry blows a tyre. (Actually my instructor told me this as a basic safety tip)

I think your way is fine.
IMO if someone driving onto the motorway causes the car they are then driving ahead of to brake, they should have waited. You should only drive onto a road if you can do so without affecting the traffic already on it.

having literally just passed my test - it is the driver on the sliproad's responsibility to join the moving traffic safely - not the left hand lane drivers responsibility to move to the middle or right hand lane to 'make space'. The joining traffic has to wait for a safe gap.

Margo, it's not ocd to keep checking your mirrors, it's common sense to know what's in front, behind and around you at all times.

Although it is the responsibility of the driver coming onto the motorway to merge safely, it is only common courtesy to pull out if you are already on the motorway, can see traffic on the slip road and are able to move across. This is what the IAM would recommend.

If you enjoy driving, why don't you do the IAM's Skill for Life programme? You will then be more qualified to tell your DH how to drive and he might even see the benefits and do it as well!

PigeonPie - I'd love to!

It is the responsibility of the driver joining the motorway to adjust their speed to "slot in" with the motorway traffic.

There's nothing wrong with moving over if you can do so safely but a problem arises if the merging driver assumes you will do so and carries on regardless (which often happens, ime). What if there is someone on your outside and you can't move out?

The Highway code has to have absolute rules but there are pragmatic things that good drivers do which make better intuitive sense. One of these is to anticipate traffic joining from the slip road and either braking progressively to let them in or as you suggest Margo, moving into the middle lane.

You can't really expect traffic on the slip road to come to a dead stop before finding an opportunity to join... accelerating from stationary or almost stationary to join traffic moving at 70mph plus with only a few hundred yards to speed up is an accident waiting to happen ...."the joining traffic has to wait for a safe gap" - babblington, congrats on just passing your test - now you can learn to drive

handlemecarefuly - much like mshighwater I have been repeated cut up by complete bloody idiots who assume that I will move out their way and then have the audacity to beep at me when they have nearly run me into traffic in the middle lane, so forgive me if I am a little about this. Whilst I am quite sure you are of course right, I have enough experience to know most other drivers are selfish b@stards who don't give a damn about oncoming traffic.

I do sympathise babblington - there is a lot of bad driving on the road!

roads even! (it's not one particular road affected by bad driving, lol)

when the middle lane is empty it is bloody obvious that you should move over, it is the expectation that you will move over regardless of whether there is traffic preventing you from doing so that pisses me off.

I honestly have hardly come across that scenario though ChasingSquirrels..

oh! it is all I ever seem to come across, bloody A14.

But then, if I can't pull into the middle lane I brake progressively and slow down to enable the slip road traffic to join...so that is perhaps why I can't recollect it having been a problem for me...For safety reasons I think reasonable measures should be taken to enable slip road traffic to join fast moving motorway traffic, rather than to oblige them to decelerate dramatically (making it hazardous for them to join the motorway)

Is it a real traffic hotspot with drivers getting impatient and pushing their luck? Sounds like it might be...

I agree with what you are saying in theory - I guess traffic volumes are the problem.

One of the worst sliproads was the one where you join the M25 (clockwise) at the junction in Dartford (A2). It was extremely short and the traffic would be closely packed but quite fast moving (the fools were not obeying the 2 second rule). I've had a few close shaves there.

When learning to drive I was taught to move over to let the car on the slip road have a clear lane, so to speak. And I've noticed that most other drvers do this as well.