He could`ve let the car in but chose not to. Simple.
Technically correct, but not a nice person.
Is that junction 11 Cherstey anticlockwise?
Had the same nearly happen to me a few times before, but I’ve always either slowed down or moved over when it became clear the car was going to force its way in. There’s no way the lorry driver in the vid didn’t see that car, he just thought “my right of way so screw you”.
Surprised he was cleared of any blame.
EDIT - Obviously it was ultimately the car drivers fault, but because the lorry driver didn’t want to loose 5 seconds by easing off he ended up adding an hour or two to his day what with swapping insurance details and getting the police involved. Or maybe he was just one of those people who wanted the crash to teach the car driver a lesson.
syramax:
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?
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 "
[/quote]
My correction…
“Be prepared to alter speed and position to let other road users join the motorway if it is possible and not going to jeopardize road safety”, as you quite rightly say does not appear in The Highway Code. It does however appear in The Driving Manual devised by The Driving Standards Agency (an executive agency of The Department For Transport). This publication by its own description is “to promote road safety through advancement of driving standards”.
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?
147:
slow down and hold back if a road user pulls out into your path at a junction. Allow them to get clear. Do not over-react by driving too close behind to intimidate them
Ok, its just “like it” . 
albion1971:
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.
I guess this is aimed at me? I will reply anyway, I’m not saying that this is what I do, in fact I feel I’m more accommodating than most when out on the road, if I can I will move over and will back off the cruise if traffic is heavy to let others in. However if there is a MASSIVE gap in front or behind and there is traffic on my right I’m sorry but it’s up to the driver joining to get on the road safely not me.
Too many people expect you to let them in, sorry but I don’t make the rules up.
I work on this theory…If there are a large number of vehicles joining the motorway then I will either ease off the gas a little or if there are too many joining I will pull over into lane 2, if there is just the odd vehicle joining I will stay put in lane 1, after all I do have priority!
NewLad:
albion1971:
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.I guess this is aimed at me? I will reply anyway, I’m not saying that this is what I do, in fact I feel I’m more accommodating than most when out on the road, if I can I will move over and will back off the cruise if traffic is heavy to let others in. However if there is a MASSIVE gap in front or behind and there is traffic on my right I’m sorry but it’s up to the driver joining to get on the road safely not me.
Too many people expect you to let them in, sorry but I don’t make the rules up.
No it was not really aimed at you but I am surprised at the attitudes of some.We are meant to be professional drivers.Most car drivers are morons with not a clue how to drive however why do so many truck drivers have the big attitude problem of I am right and they are wrong so I will not do anything about it and to hell with the consequences.
That is not the way to be as a professional driver but a way to cause accidents and worse.
Yes I know some expect you to let them in…It bugs me as well but if I can I will.
My point is the truck driver in the clip was an arrogant nob with absolutely no regard for anyone’s safety.All he had to do was ease off…simple as that.
His type should not be allowed to have a vocational license.
albion1971:
My point is the truck driver in the clip was an arrogant nob with absolutely no regard for anyone’s safety.All he had to do was ease off…simple as that.
His type should not be allowed to have a vocational license.
Are you aware that the video camera is positioned very high up and the driver does not have the same view?
Do you know a car can see a big lorry its about to drive directly into ?
Are you aware that that footage cleared the driver of all blame and prevented any insurance claiming against him?
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 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!
Couldn’t agree more…
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. That’s more or less what the Canadian Highway code says. Should be the same here
SWEDISH BLUE:
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
I think that’s just the ‘fish-eye’ effect of the camera, if you stop it at 41 seconds, the car is completely in the lane. Just to the left hand side of the lane.
Mike-C:
Are you aware that the video camera is positioned very high up and the driver does not have the same view?
The driver has a better view than the camera IMO not only that but the camera doesn’t have the advantage of seeing the mirrors.
Do you know a car can see a big lorry its about to drive directly into ?
Yes but the car in this case was caught between a rock and a hard place, his options even with hindsight where to floor it, slam the anchors on or get over to the left but what actually appears to happen is lift a bit and get all confused and no doubt a bit scared. Yes its bad planning by the car but it happens all the time. We plan for it, we expect it and coffee beans are at the ready for when the daft push in occurs.
Are you aware that that footage cleared the driver of all blame and prevented any insurance claiming against him?
Not when judged by his peers in the same profession it doesn’t. The insurance company seeing this footage would realise its futile to pursue and too time consuming. Insurance companies will bog each other down with paperwork and in this case the highway code is on the dash cam drivers side even if his actions or more accurately inaction’s contributed to the collision.
If the camera could see everything the driver could see it might be a different story.
Mike-C:
albion1971:
My point is the truck driver in the clip was an arrogant nob with absolutely no regard for anyone’s safety.All he had to do was ease off…simple as that.
His type should not be allowed to have a vocational license.Are you aware that the video camera is positioned very high up and the driver does not have the same view?
Do you know a car can see a big lorry its about to drive directly into ?
Are you aware that that footage cleared the driver of all blame and prevented any insurance claiming against him?
Yes I am well aware of all these things but that leaves me wondering what your point is?
I take it you are defending the truck driver and trying to say it is all the car drivers fault?
Firstly if that driver did not see the car joining he must be blind or looking elsewhere.
The car driver was completely in the wrong however I suspect he thought he had cleared the truck(maybe thinking the driver has eased off as most would) or possibly just not driving very long,panicked and just got it all wrong.
A far as the driver being cleared of responsibility is just what you expect from this sort of accident.
Have you ever seen or heard about who decides these ludicrous decisions? Some of them do not even have a drivers license.
The decisions are rarely about who’s fault it is and more to making the paperwork easier.
Finally what is your view on the truck drivers traveling distance from the truck in front?
Not wishing to be a speculative-drama queen (well no more than usual), but if things had gone wrong in a big way and this became a serious matter then the video footage would not go quite as much in the dash cam drivers favour as when its a simple minor incident with a bit of vehicle damage minor whiplash and soiled undercrackers.
Those who apportion any blame to the truck driver here are quite wrong. No action of any kind was taken against him, he did nothing but merely progress lawfully in his lane; he did not cause the crash. The trucker was not responsible for the car effectively trying to get into the lane at the same time he was in it was he? Even assuming he had spotted the car, and they are often hard to spot down at the near side front when you’re so high up, then he was under no obligation to move over, though admittedly he could have adjusted his speed IF he was aware. I’ve been in the same position as the car driver (trying to change lanes on the motorway due to cones closing off my lane and not being let in) and had to come to a stop which is not pleasant on a moving motorway). I just hope the other driver has learned his or her lesson well.
Snudger:
Those who apportion any blame to the truck driver here are quite wrong. No action of any kind was taken against him, he did nothing but merely progress lawfully in his lane; he did not cause the crash. The trucker was not responsible for the car effectively trying to get into the lane at the same time he was in it was he? Even assuming he had spotted the car, and they are often hard to spot down at the near side front when you’re so high up, then he was under no obligation to move over, though admittedly he could have adjusted his speed IF he was aware. I’ve been in the same position as the car driver (trying to change lanes on the motorway due to cones closing off my lane and not being let in) and had to come to a stop which is not pleasant on a moving motorway). I just hope the other driver has learned his or her lesson well.
Yes he technically did nothing wrong, but can I ask what the following words mean to you - not in a legal way, just in a definitive way - due care and attention.
To me, that means, when driving you should have good attention and also care for other road users.
A driver who hits a person who runs out from parked cars is technically in the right, but they’ll try and avoid them.
I ended up crashing my motorbike into a fence many years ago (2003) after I was filtering down the outside of some stationary traffic and some kids shoved a pushbike out, not out as in right in front of me, just out enough that the front wheel popped out unexpectedly from infront of a car, I swerved to avoid it, into on-coming traffic which I then avoided and into a fence.
I was legally ok to do the manoeuvre I was performing at the time, and would’ve probably been cleared of any and all blame if I hit the cycle and injured a kid, but instinct took control and I didn’t know if there was anyone on it or not.
I was temporarily paralysed and could easily have been killed, and it turned out the kids saw me coming and were ‘joking around’
What you’re saying, Waynedl. is that the lorry driver could have avoided the crash?
Ched:
What you’re saying, Waynedl. is that the lorry driver could have avoided the crash?
In my opinion, as stated on the other thread about the same video, yes.
Or at the very least, he may not have been able to avoid the crash but he could certainly have done more to try and avoid it.
Snudger:
Those who apportion any blame to the truck driver here are quite wrong. No action of any kind was taken against him, he did nothing but merely progress lawfully in his lane; he did not cause the crash. The trucker was not responsible for the car effectively trying to get into the lane at the same time he was in it was he? Even assuming he had spotted the car, and they are often hard to spot down at the near side front when you’re so high up, then he was under no obligation to move over, though admittedly he could have adjusted his speed IF he was aware. I’ve been in the same position as the car driver (trying to change lanes on the motorway due to cones closing off my lane and not being let in) and had to come to a stop which is not pleasant on a moving motorway). I just hope the other driver has learned his or her lesson well.
Did you actually watch the clip or are you just a little biased? For sure the car was to blame but it is very obvious from an unbiased persons point of view the truck driver could have easily avoided the crash.
For a start he was far too close to the truck in front.If he had been following at a safe distance the car would not have had a problem but as I pointed out on another thread some drivers do not give car drivers a chance(especially inexperienced ones)and none of us know if a particular driver has been driving for 1 day or 10 years so we should treat them all as inexperienced and stupid and give them plenty space.
I see it most times when I am on a motorway…you get the really helpful ones and the really arrogant ones.
Part of being a professional driver is taking responsibility for other drivers mistakes and making every effort to help them and avoid any collision.
The main problem with a lot of today’s drivers is they will not ease off for anything.It is all about having the correct attitude and it appears a few on here have a very bad attitude when it comes to other drivers just like we see on the roads everyday.
Some LGV drivers pass a simple test and think they own the road and seem to love to intimidate other road users.
That is just bad driving and bad attitude.It is these types that give us all a bad reputation.
albion1971:
Finally what is your view on the truck drivers traveling distance from the truck in front?
I think he’s a bit too close. I also think the car driver dithered and caused his own demise, nothing passed them on the left hand side so the car not driving into the lorry was an option. Unfortunatley he decided to hang around in the blind spot.