It’s 4.45pm and you’re driving along the A14 dual-carriageway in Northants… You’re driving a 400hp wagon, you’re not far off max weight and the road is level. The conditions are good with a dry road.
You need to stop for a break so you decide to pull into the layby ahead. You pull up, have your break/whatever and now it’s time to get back on the road.
You pull up to the end of the layby and put your right indicator on and wait for a gap. The traffic is heavy but it’s flowing along at normal speed, ie. trucks doing 56mph.
Eventually you see a wagon coming up the nearside lane and you can see there’s a gap in the cars in the outside lane. The driver indicates right and gives you a good flash. The wagon is a good 100yds back and you see it starting to move into the gap.
Me, I would stay where I am, 100yds is not enough for him to get over to lane 2 at 56mph (Or should that be 50 ) Apart from that, what’s behind him also doing 56?
Once I’m sure he has cleared lane 1 and it’s clear behind him, then I would pull out…
Yep, I’m with you on that one Martin. And in any case, if it’s a car behind him you can almost guarantee that it won’t pull over.
On the other hand you could assume that the truck driver is enough of a professional to have checked behind him before giving you the signal to go but that’s a dangerous assumption to make and is based on the fact that the other driver can definately see that there is not a “repmobile” behind him who is munching on a sandwich, drinking coffee and reading last months sales figures all while driving in the blind spot of the truck he is following, so he wouldn’t know if it moved over a lane anyway, or if he did, he wouldn’t have a clue why it has moved over.
Jeez, that turned into a bit of a rant didn’t it
Having re-read my post, and looked at the later replies, I think I need to add something! The ideal situation should be the ability to pull out without the traffic in lane 1 needing to slow down, but in the real world that’s hardly likely to happen!!! (Unless it really is a very quiet road)
Today I sat for all of 5 minutes trying to get out of an awkward angled junction on to a very narrow A143, a very nice lady (Blonde too!) stopped and gave me a quick flash to let me out, guess what, I stalled the pigging thing!!!
Tomcat:
that there is not a “repmobile” behind him who is munching on a sandwich, drinking coffee and reading last months sales figures all while driving in the blind spot of the truck he is following, so he wouldn’t know if it moved over a lane anyway, or if he did, he wouldn’t have a clue why it has moved over.
Jeez, that turned into a bit of a rant didn’t it
I agree with your point, but I normally find the reps have more of an understanding of whats going on and will pull over or let you out to overtake, the problem is normally those who only use the road to go to work or shopping. They travel the same road everyday and are on auto pilot, they also don’t look any further down the road than the end of their bonnet, by the time they have reacted to you they have passed the layby.
Rob, that A14 is a ■■■■■■■ nightmare to get out of laybys! I know what youre up against mate. I dont know what Id have done because I do different depending on whats going on at that time. I have found a method that works better tho, the old hand signal! Yepp, it really does work better than indicating, mad aint it.
) Apart from that, what’s behind him also doing 56?