I know when it's going to happen because generally, the vehicle joining my road is either traveling at a slower speed, or at the same speed as the faster traffic - which in my case is around 50mph. I know it's going to happen because it's so bleedin' obvious that whoever's behind the wheel hasn't a clue about 44 tonne traffic coming up on their right hand side.
It's almost as if they expect to simply drive out into the traffic and be protected by some sort of all powerful traffic angel.
Traveling down the A47 south of Norwich recently, I had a guy who expected me to brake and let him in, instead of him accelerating and filtering in where there was space ahead or behind me.
Unfortunately I didn't have the luxury of moving over as there were vehicles already overtaking me. (Bear in mind I'm traveling at 50mph with 26 tonnes of freight, so a fully laden truck on a dual carriageway is not something you'd instantly want to argue with!)
So this guy simply continues to trundle along the ever diminishing slip road as I come alongside his driver's door. It takes a couple of seconds before he realises there's a truck next to him and he slams on the brakes. (Naturally with no thought for those behind him...)
When he does eventually drive out onto the A47 he's totally mad that I didn't just slam on my brakes and let him in, and intent on blaming me for his bad driving. He pulls alongside my truck and starts to move over in an attempt to cut me off! Talk about having a death wish!
Once again, when I didn't brake, and as it was his wife in the passenger seat who's face was getting closer to my spinning wheel nuts, he worked out that he was at a slight disadvantage. Eventually he drove off, never to be seen again.
But this isn't a rare occurrence. If I drive five days, I'd lay money on it happening on at least four of those days, and I can't quite work out why it's happening so often. It's not only women drivers and not just BMW's. It's not only new or old cars, and in fact it could be a van as often as a car.
Why do people have no idea how to join a faster road or motorway? Why are people so careless with not only their lives, but mine as well?
I was driving along the A14 today and in the space of ooh, 30 miles it happened at three consecutive slip roads!
Section 259 of the Highway Code deals specifically with joining a motorway. In fact here's what it says:
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should
* give priority to traffic already on the motorway.
* check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane.
* not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder.
* stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway.
* remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking.
Seems pretty clear to me. Of course the alternative (see below) is something I dread happening, but unfortunately I expect it will sometime.
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