Me vs HGV (Was I 8n the wrong)?

[Mogodon]

4A14 Northamptonshire (3 lane duel carriageway)

Going down slip road long line of hgv's in lane 1.

Looking to join I am rapidly running out of slip road lorry by the side of me looks like could safely move over to lane 2 to let me join but doesn't.

I then had 3 choices.

Run out of slip road and run off road and up the embankment.

Run out of slip road and into side of the lorry.

Accelerate and slip in tight gap between lorry that seems to not want to let me on and one in front of him.

Chose third and made it in (lorry seemed to try and close gap though when saw me accelerate )

Anyway, he then preceeded to continuously sound his horn, flash his lights and very closely tailgate me in heavy traffic (must admit to when I pulled off at next junction to get him off my back, I wound window down and gave him the middle finger).

Did I do the right thing (or what should I have done) ?

Should he have changed lane to let me in (he knew I was there there) ?

[macafee2]

It is your responsibility to fit into the traffic in lane 1, not their responsibility to make room for you. That said, it is perhaps best traffic flow or at the very least courteous that traffic in lane 1 makes room for traffic joining from a slip road if they can safely do so.

Was there a 2 second gap in front of you and a "4" second gap behind you when you got into lane 1, if not then the gap you went into and put yourself in danger was to small.


4th choice, slow down and stop if needed and let the lorries pass?
Were you fixated with "must joining the main road"


Have you dash cam footage?

macafee2

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by Mogodon

4A14 Northamptonshire (3 lane duel carriageway)

Going down slip road long line of hgv's in lane 1.

Looking to join I am rapidly running out of slip road lorry by the side of me looks like could safely move over to lane 2 to let me join but doesn't.

I then had 3 choices.

Run out of slip road and run off road and up the embankment.

Run out of slip road and into side of the lorry.

Accelerate and slip in tight gap between lorry that seems to not want to let me on and one in front of him.

Chose third and made it in (lorry seemed to try and close gap though when saw me accelerate )

Anyway, he then preceeded to continuously sound his horn, flash his lights and very closely tailgate me in heavy traffic (must admit to when I pulled off at next junction to get him off my back, I wound window down and gave him the middle finger).

Did I do the right thing (or what should I have done) ?

Should he have changed lane to let me in (he knew I was there there) ?

The main thing is no one got hurt and your car escaped from getting bashed up. Bad luck you encountered a HGV who wasn’t very sympathetic to you. I found most of the HGV drivers in the UK are patient and courteous. I wonder if he was having a bad day or had a thing against Nissan Micra’s, answers only known by the lorry driver.

With hindsight, could you have done anything differently?

[Mogodon]

Originally Posted by macafee2

It is your responsibility to fit into the traffic in lane 1, not their responsibility to make room for you. That said, it is perhaps best traffic flow or at the very least courteous that traffic in lane 1 makes room for traffic joining from a slip road if they can safely do so.

Was there a 2 second gap in front of you and a "4" second gap behind you when you got into lane 1, if not then the gap you went into and put yourself in danger was to small.


4th choice, slow down and stop if needed and let the lorries pass?
Were you fixated with "must joining the main road"


Have you dash cam footage?

macafee2

I get what your saying but it was like being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Do as I did.

or, stop at the end of a slip road (with traffic coming down the slip further behind me) and then try to join a line of continuous traffic moving at 60mph from a standing start

[Rogue]

What you should have done was to slow down and merge behind him. The Lorry driver has no obligation to move out of your way. It is your obligation to merge safely without causing any drivers on the main carriageway to have to manouvre to compensate for your actions. If it is not safe to merge then you do not force the issue and if you have to you stop.

Sorry but it is one of my pet peeves when people pull out of slip roads causing others to have to avoid them.

[macafee2]

Originally Posted by Mogodon

I get what your saying but it was like being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Do as I did.

or, stop at the end of a slip road (with traffic coming down the slip further behind me) and then try to join a line of continuous traffic moving at 60mph from a standing start

I don't know the visibility you had or how long the slip road is but where was the traffic behind you going to go, lane 1 was in use?


macafee2.

[SD1too]

Hello Robert,

You've described a situation which I'm sure we've all encountered and is becoming increasingly common as traffic is heavy, speeds are high and patience is low.

Theoretically, macafee2 is correct to say that you are required to give way to vehicles (the HGVs) using lane 1. Unfortunately this does mean that you should have come to a standstill and waited to join the traffic when a suitable gap became available. I accept that our instinct is to avoid this unexpected action for fear of a following motorist running into us but the alternative you chose risked just that! I also agree that the HGV driver's reaction to your perhaps unwise manoeuvre was unnecessary, provocative and unprofessional. I understand your frustration Rob, but you did yourself a disservice by resorting to an offensive gesture to the HGV driver.

Only yesterday, I was the last vehicle in 40 mph heavy traffic in lane 1 of the M25 passing an entry slip road. So to emphasise, behind me there was no traffic for at least 400 yards. Hurtling along the slip road at about 60 mph was a white Land Rover Discovery whose driver then braked and swerved into the gap between me and the car in front. This was not about speed, it was about inattention, poor judgement and lack of consideration for other road users. I didn't sound my horn or flash my lights, I just rolled my eyes and tutted to myself.

The root of the problem seems to be that although the rules state that a joining vehicle gives way to traffic already using the road, virtually everyone now believes that they have priority to join and it is the duty of other traffic to make room for them. I see this time and again.

But don't bash yourself up about it Rob. We all get it wrong from time to time. The important thing is to reflect on it afterwards, identify any errors of judgement and learn from our mistakes. As Gate Keeper says, it was only pride that was damaged.

Simon

[TBennet]

You should defer to traffic already on the main road unless you have absolutely no other choice. Too many unknown variables to say if you were in the wrong or not. (Perhaps you know deep down though.)

If you very occasionally find yourself coming into conflict with other drivers, that just means you met an idiot or someone having a bad day.

If you regularly find yourself coming into conflict with other drivers, it's highly likely that you are the idiot and/or need to chill out.

[Mogodon]

Originally Posted by TBennet

You should defer to traffic already on the main road unless you have absolutely no other choice. Too many unknown variables to say if you were in the wrong or not. (Perhaps you know deep down though.)

If you very occasionally find yourself coming into conflict with other drivers, that just means you met an idiot or someone having a bad day.

If you regularly find yourself coming into conflict with other drivers, it's highly likely that you are the idiot and/or need to chill out.

I have learned from this (I know I shouldn't have "fingered" him but sitting literally inches off my tail, flashing his lights and leaning on his horn for almost a quarter of a mile seriously wound me up).

Not a situation I remember being in before for years and I drive on the A14 five days a week to and from work.

Looking back, the situation was caused by traffic bunching being 3 Artics overtaking each other at the same time, all on their limiters, hence my only option to "get away" from him tailgating me was to get off at next junction and immediately rejoin so behind him.

Driving small, low powered cars in those conditions can be bum clenching at times !!!!!!!

[MSS]

Originally Posted by Mogodon

4A14 Northamptonshire (3 lane duel carriageway)

Going down slip road long line of hgv's in lane 1.

Looking to join I am rapidly running out of slip road lorry by the side of me looks like could safely move over to lane 2 to let me join but doesn't.

I then had 3 choices.

Run out of slip road and run off road and up the embankment.

Run out of slip road and into side of the lorry.

Accelerate and slip in tight gap between lorry that seems to not want to let me on and one in front of him.

Chose third and made it in (lorry seemed to try and close gap though when saw me accelerate )

Anyway, he then preceeded to continuously sound his horn, flash his lights and very closely tailgate me in heavy traffic (must admit to when I pulled off at next junction to get him off my back, I wound window down and gave him the middle finger).

Did I do the right thing (or what should I have done) ?

Should he have changed lane to let me in (he knew I was there there) ?

To answer your question, you did everything wrong. Firstly by getting yourself into the situation where none of the choices were really viable.

You should have slowed down and if necessary stopped well before getting to the end of the slip lane.

I would never expect a lorry, with all its limitations, to have to manoeuvre out of my way in order to let me onto the main carriageway.

Showing the lorry driver a finger was just you showing self-declared entitlement!

No sympathy for you, I am afraid. Time to read the highway code and retake the driving test perhaps?

I know it's not the British way to give a clear and unambigious response, but sometimes this is necessary in order to help people recognise the errors of their ways.

PS I drive a 3.0L XF and a Corsa 1.2 - the difference is no more than the need to adjust my driving style based on each car's capability. The fact that you were driving a Micra is of no relevance.