[u]link[/u] to dashcam video of a car that doesn’t quite make it into the gap between two lorries when joining the M25.
Sorry if already posted… I did check.
What I’m interested in is whether the car driver was ENTIRELY at fault. Thoughts?
I’ve not clicked on the link but I’m guessing its the same as the thread titled “dash cam footage”?. Personally the car drivers a tool it’s not there god given right to get infront off us but I think the lorry driver wants to use his mirrors more. I’m fairly confident in the fact I use my mirrors 10x more when passing a slip road before I even reach it I have a bloody good look at what’s happening on it I’m pretty sure with a bit more awareness he/she would of seen the car. I’ve had many a near miss but they’ve been easily avoided by checking my mirrors and adjusting my speed or position accordingly. It doesn’t make me less of a man for using that middle pedal!. Fair play for getting it on the hard shoulder though.
Already being discussed and some of us think that the lorry driver was not altogether blameless 
Mmmmmmm…We all know our mirrors can see just about everything for a loooong way. My personal opinion is that the wagon driver needs to change his attitude, (As does the car driver). Most safe driving is about attitude, and this wagon drivers isn’t all that. I’m not really one for quoting the highway code but it does say something along the lines of,
’ be prepared to alter speed and position to let other road users join the motorway ’
Similarly, when joining a motorway,
’ do not cause another road user to change direction or speed ’
If EVERYONE drove with these in mind we’d get more ‘thank you waves’ than five ‘knuckle shuffles’
I don’t often get caught out like this in lane 1 on the approach, along side, or after, to an entrance lane for this reason, I expect this to happen. Has anyone noticed that if it’s going to go pear shaped, it goes pear shaped around exits and entrances? It seems to go nuts, everyone is fighting for space. Once passed, it settles down…until the approach to the next junction. maybe that’s the Advanced driver in me, if everyone who approaches the entry slip expects this to happen and plans ahead etc etc and allow other people entering, the space and time to deal with it, the roads might be a better place.
I would imagine that there was no claim made by the car as the driver thought he would be 100% liable. I would have fought tooth and nail to assume 50-50 and employed a good Barrister.
One final point which will probably cause chaos here…There are NO give way lines joining a motorway
fleettraineruk:
I would imagine that there was no claim made by the car as the driver thought he would be 100% liable. I would have fought tooth and nail to assume 50-50 and employed a good Barrister.
And here is part of the problem, even when you know you’re in the wrong you would fight it. The driver probably got told, on numerous occasions, that he was in the wrong, because he was, and decided to put his hands up.
The highway code is what it says, a CODE of conduct.
“Be prepared to alter speed and position to let other road users join the motorway” is advisory if It is possible and not going to jeopardize road safety, whereas “Do not cause another road user to change direction or speed” is anything but advisory, do not means exactly what it says, do not. Added to this the max speed of a truck and the sheer size should tell most motorists that the truck already on the motorway has priority over the vehicle joining.
The adjoining slip road is an acceleration lane, although from what I see maybe it should be called a “dont bother accelerating or looking in the mirrors or over the shoulder till one is practically joining lane 1…oh sh.te theres a 44 tonne truck alongside… lane”.
In my opinion, to improve road safety, all drivers of all types of vehicles should be taught some insight into the different types of vehicles that use the roads daily and their requirements, this in itself would make passing the driving test more difficult thus keeping more idiots off the roads!
I’d say the accident could of been averted by the lorry driver but it’s certainly the car driver at fault.
I’ve said it before, they don’t teach you to drive, they teach you to pass a 20 min driving test.
First time I have seen that footage.Bad driving from both parties for sure.
For a start the truck was traveling too close to the one in front and the car driver obviously has no idea how to join a motorway safely.
If the truck driver was a professional he would have been traveling at a safe distance from the vehicle in front and would have eased off to let the car join if necessary.
If the car driver was any good he would have used his observation and acceleration and managed to join in a safe manner.
However not only was the truck too close to the vehicle in front it looks like he made no attempt at all to let the car join.
There was a thread a few months ago about joining motorways and I mentioned the fact some truck drivers do not leave enough room between each other which makes it hard for some drivers to join especially ones with very little experience but I was told it was always the car drivers fault.
It just goes to show exactly what I say that drivers do not even realise when they are in the wrong.
Who in there right mind would be proud to post that clip?
After looking at the clip a couple of times,doesn’t that car cross over the hatched area from the nearside lane just before he contacts the truck,if so,no sympathy!
The problem is MOST people don’t realise that the line at the end of the slip is a give way, not a right of way, there is no obligation to the person already on the carriageway to make room or move over for the vehicle joining the carriageway. Until this is addressed it will continue to happen.
albion1971:
First time I have seen that footage.Bad driving from both parties for sure.For a start the truck was traveling too close to the one in front and the car driver obviously has no idea how to join a motorway safely.
If the truck driver was a professional he would have been traveling at a safe distance from the vehicle in front and would have eased off to let the car join if necessary.
If the car driver was any good he would have used his observation and acceleration and managed to join in a safe manner.However not only was the truck too close to the vehicle in front it looks like he made no attempt at all to let the car join.
There was a thread a few months ago about joining motorways and I mentioned the fact some truck drivers do not leave enough room between each other which makes it hard for some drivers to join especially ones with very little experience but I was told it was always the car drivers fault.
It just goes to show exactly what I say that drivers do not even realise when they are in the wrong.
Who in there right mind would be proud to post that clip?
Show me where in the highway code it states that he has to/should move over or adjust his speed to let the other vehicle join please.
It’s the joining vehicles responsibility to join the carriageway in a safe gap and at an appropriate speed, his vehicle is capable of higher speeds and has far superior acceleration compared to the hgv, therfore he has no exscueses
bestbooties:
After looking at the clip a couple of times,doesn’t that car cross over the hatched area from the nearside lane just before he contacts the truck,if so,no sympathy!
Just replayed it a couple of times meself. At 40, if you freeze it, you can see the car is coming off the hatched area from lane 1.
Again No sympathy for car driver.
Also No comment on truck driver
No sympathy for the car driver from me, they should get done for driving without due care…!!!:evil::twisted:
robbo99:
The highway code is what it says, a CODE of conduct.
“Be prepared to alter speed and position to let other road users join the motorway” is advisory
Where does it say that (or anything like it) in the Highway Code?
Roymondo:
robbo99:
The highway code is what it says, a CODE of conduct.
“Be prepared to alter speed and position to let other road users join the motorway” is advisoryWhere does it say that (or anything like it) in the Highway Code?
[/quote]
I couldn’t find that in my highway code (revised 2007 edition) but on page 86 item n0 259 it says "give priority to traffic already on the motorway " and " check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left hand lane "
NewLad:
The problem is MOST people don’t realise that the line at the end of the slip is a give way, not a right of way, there is no obligation to the person already on the carriageway to make room or move over for the vehicle joining the carriageway. Until this is addressed it will continue to happen.
The nail has been hit squarely. Adjust your speed when coming down the slip in order to safely join the traffic flow.
You’d think the 1st person driver here would at least come off his limiter, and just let the idiot squeeze in… He’s far too close to the wagon in front in any case, especially at the speed here.
The only blameless person in this vid is the truck driver in front, who isn’t doing anything wrong throughout. 
It is obvious from some of the attitudes on here that there is no professionalism in their driving and they really should not be on the road.
I suggest some of you do some reading up on how to drive professionally and show a little courtesy before you cause a serious accident.
Happened to me, car coming out of Cobham MSA M25 clockwise, saw the car in plenty of time, checked my speed, could not move over due to traffic. checked mirrors again
car now on slip slightly behind me, checked offside still could not move over, checked
again still there, still could not move over, checked again, car gone, must have gone in behind me. WRONG - caught brief glimpse of it in front windscreen mirror,as i jumped on brakes it hit me on the nearside corner. Spun in front of me, to be hit by another innocent
car in the next lane. Big mess but luckily no one was hurt at all.
Do you know what the first thing the driver said to us when we got to her?
Please help me find my phone I must have dropped it. Passed this information to the kind Police officer who breathalysed me, - Guess what - got a letter from Surrey Police stating
no fault in my driving, which now has pride of place in my personnel file at work.
My message to all car drivers and cyclists ‘Keep away from Trucks the driver may not have seen You!’