Re: FAO BMW drivers !

On Sun, 18 May 2008, MrBitsy wrote:

In the majority of cases, it is possible for drivers to merge safely into
the flow of traffic, without any need for anyone already on the motorway to
move right. In some cases, it can be helpfull to move to the right to help
traffic to merge, if this can be done safely AND doesn't force other drivers
to change direction or speed.

Are you write-only on Usenet? I asked you about how moving over looks
to other drivers. They cannot know whether it was an automatic
manoeuvre (as many drivers would make) or an informed decision (as you
or I would make).

Unfortunataly, it appears to me that many drivers now believe it is the
joining driver who has priority, leading to unsafe and aggressive joining.

In the past you've claimed that it is what you call "over-courtesy"
which leads to this. People moving over supposedly sends the wrong
message to drivers on the sliproad, who supposedly learn that they're
entitled to barge into the flow of traffic.

Would you care to finally explain the contradiction between your views
that 1) you can move over if it's safe and helps people, and 2) that
moving over is part of the problem?

Or, as I suspect, have you dug yourself into a rather large hole by
pursuing this?

FWIW, since I don't believe that moving over somehow sends the wrong
message, I have the luxury of moving over as and when I think it's safer
and helpful to do so. You don't.

I had two example today on a short trip on the A1.

[snip encounters]

Somehow I just don't seem to have these problems, with flashing lights
and sounding horns, that you have with sliproads either way. Nor do I
indicate right when joining, as the information is of little use - the
sliproad may continue into a lane, in which case I should stay in it,
and if not, where else am I going to go?

But they do give a perfect example of why you would want to move over in
advance had you been able to. As I've said before, they're not going to
learn anything from you there and then, and you know nothing about them.
For all you know they passed their DSA test yesterday and this was their
first time joining a motorway.

--
Chris
.

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