ADUK Archive

Tonite I had my first encounter of road rage I was driving on a one-way street onto a main dual carriageway, during rush hour, so traffic was heavy. At the junction the road splits into 2 lanes to join the carriageway. I presumed the left hand lane is for traffic using the left hand lane on dual carriageway, and the right hand lane for cars wishing to take the right hand lane?? I was sitting in the left hand lane, next to me I had a huge 4x4 in the right hand lane. After waiting for quite a few minutes I see a space emerging in the left hand lane so start to move over the give-way line, I was halfway over it when the 4x4 next to me cut me up, and crossed straight infront of my path and into the left-hand lane. I braked hard to avoid hitting him.....sounded my horn (which I dont do very often)...only to get two fingers stuck up at me!! He then slammed on his brakes and indicated to move over into the right hand lane...the one he wanted in the first place. Its bugging me as im not sure that I am right in thinking he made the error crossing over into my lane and feel he should of waited til a space came in right hand lane or pushed out, without crossing over into mine? Im not sure if that all makes sense

I think I understand the situation but unless their are markings or signs I don't believe your assumption is correct. The 2 lanes probably had give-way dotted lines at the entrance to the DC and it's just an attempt to let 2 lines of traffic join the dual-carriageway.

I wouldn't assume the right lane should go to the right lane on the DC but rather it gives the chance for traffic to emerge and knit together however it feels fit! Perhaps you were a little slow in pulling onto the DC and the 4 x 4 had already taken the gap? It's a tricky one and yes you do need 3 eyes and quick reactions if it's busy!

I wish people were a little more tolerant and patient - in the word of 'Mind Driving' author Stephen Hayley: 'driving should be a team sport'.

Thanx Martin that clarifies it a bit better for me. I suppose in any situation a case of who is right and who is wrong is really quite irrelevant and much better that you work together. I do tend to see situations as black/white and right/wrong. Guess thats something that will come with more driving. As i use this road twice every day I will be more vigilant in future!!

x-Sonia-x wrote:At the junction

You will probably get more directed answers if you can identify the junction in Google Maps or Multimap - besides showing roads both can show overhead photographs or roads, (and everything), in vary degrees of blurriness. One or other, maybe both, may show the junction road markings clearly enough for people to comment further.

I havent tried to add link before but here goes

[uhttp://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=mulit+storey+parkway+chelmsford&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=8.438982,43.110352&ie=UTF8&hq=mulit+storey&hnear=Parkway,+Chelmsford,+CM1+1,+UK&ll=51.732895,0.469476&spn=0.00054,0.002631&t=h&z=19rl][/url]

I was coming out of Bellmead just after the roundabout.. if the link works

sorry guys that obviously didnt work

That got me to a roundabout where Parkway Chelmsford meets the A138. Could not identify where you were referring to.

One point to make - which I think you have already worked out - is that however badly someone else has driven, hooting to tell them off can hardly ever make things better. They know what they have done. If they did it deliberately they could not care less what you think, and may make things worse if you tell them off. If they did not do it deliberately, they probably already feel bad about it.

x-Sonia-x wrote:here

If you start a reply to my message, you'll see how to do the link.

Looking at that junction I would say that lane 2 IS for joining lane 2 of the dual.

2 vehicles exit at the same time - 1 lane for each

Gareth wrote:

x-Sonia-x wrote:here

If you start a reply to my message, you'll see how to do the link.

I am still not sure, but can view it from your link so thanx

ROG wrote:Looking at that junction I would say that lane 2 IS for joining lane 2 of the dual.

2 vehicles exit at the same time - 1 lane for each

That was my opinion as well. As I use this road soooooo frequently, and use both lanes, just after you enter the dual there is set of lights to turn off right, which I also use, I always join the dual from lane 2 when I need to do this. Thats the way I see it, but as Triple S said on another thread, sometimes what you think is right isnt always the case.

waremark wrote: however badly someone else has driven, hooting to tell them off can hardly ever make things better

I actually used me horn, to warn him I was there, I was already moving onto the carriageway and it was my first instinct, though...he obviously thought I was having a go

x-Sonia-x wrote:I was coming out of Bellmead just after the roundabout.. if the link works

Looking at the map I would have said lane 2 was for joining lane two of the DC. I would have done the same as you and sat in lane 1 for a gap in the traffic and then joined the DC in lane 1.

Mitch