We’ve been through this before. I don’t know the rules in Italy but you are 100% not allowed to do that here. https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/joining-the-motorway.html
I assume you are talking about joining a motorway and using the hard shoulder? If so, then sorry JD, you are absolutely wrong. Ask any road traffic police drivers or professional Driving instructor and they will tell you the same. I am not talking about traffic jams (you obviously should not use the hard shoulder except to stop in an emergency or when directed to do so by signage) but it is the CORRECT AND ONLY WAY to join a heavily congested LH lane on motorway assuming traffic is not actually stationery (in which case you should never undercut using the hard shoulder) . Again you must spend the minimum time travelling on the hard shoulder (indicating right) whilst trying to merge into the left hand lane on the carriageway. The other option (stopping at the end of the slip road) means the speed differential between your 0 mph and the traffic flow would make it impossible to join the motorway safely without causing existing traffic to brake. Furthermore you risk a rear end shunt from traffic following you down the slip road. PS your highway code extract is normal circumstances. What I am describing is abnormal exceptional conditions not covered by that. It is very rare that the sitaution arises (in almost 50 years of driving I have encountered it on only a handful of occasions) but it is still worth knowing how to handle it. A bit like learning how to apply 'escape line braking' Something I have only ever had to do once but saved me having a bad shunt many years ago in ice and snow in the centre of Sheffield. Similarly I bet 99% of UK drivers on the road have never been on a skid pan or learned how to properly control a car on snow and ice or practised those techniques.
Cos I aint! . From what I can see this site has no official links to the DoT or any official Govt links. On the face of it your source seems to be a social media site albeit setup by an ADI/journalist the aim of which ultimately is to sell courses. As such it has no more validity than me or any other current or former ADIs. In fairness none of us are infallible and there are always opinions about rights and wrong sof certain actions.so I WILL investigate and contact the people (principally Rebecca Swann) running the website to find out where they have got that advice or instruction from as it is not in either of the two main guides -Highway code and Roadcraft (Police drivers manual) and definitely , as I have already said, contradicts what I was taught and told. At the same time, try to rationalise what I wrote and why I believe the advice to Stop on a slip road is potentially dangerous. I base my comments on having been an DoT ADI with my own driving school for several years as well as specialising in assessment and teaching pupils with various physical handicaps. , I also knew a number of friends who were RTA police and actually told by one such officer what I should do if in a situation as I explained.
My source is the Highway Code that I already posted. I don’t need to rationalise what you wrote as you are wrong, you may not agree with the rule but you are still wrong. Can you point to me in the Highway Code or Roadcraft where is says that it is a legal and recommended action to take?
Lost the will to live now! The point is the Highway code and Roadcraft do NOT state that it is wrong or , as you alleged " illegal" There is no "rule" covering that scenario nor every single situation that can arise on the road. Your highway code source said nothing of the sort . If you choose to take issue with me fair enough but I am speaking as someone who was a professional qualified instructor, also qualified to assess and teach disabaled drivers and attended many specialised courses practical, and theory. I have given my reasons why 'stopping' is dangerous Common sense needs to be applied in the absence of rules. but if you choose to disregard what I have stated that is up to you.
It literally states don’t do it. You don’t need to get angry at me just because you’ve been breaking the law and teaching your students, including disabled students because it’s relevant to single them out apparently, to break the law too.
There isn't always hard shoulder on motorways nowadays so there would be no choice but to stop on the slip road and wait for a large enough gap in the traffic
I have it on good authority that in that scenario you have to drive along the grass banking/verge until there is a gap you can slide down into.
I've lost the will to live too. You're completely and utterly wrong. There are only 3 occasions (other than a genuine breakdown) when it's legal to drive on the hard shoulder: - 1) If/when directed to do so by a police officer. 2) If the hard shoulder is in temporary use due to roadworks, and signed as such. 3) On a smart motorway when the signs indicate that the hard shoulder can be used for traffic.
In the words of Black Adder, “Opinion seems to be divided on the matter. Most people say you can’t use the hard shoulder road to enter a motorway. You say you can.” I’ve just asked six different people. They all looked at me like I was idiot when I said you could use the hard shoulder in the way you suggest. One said they wouldn’t get in a car with me if that’s how I drove. Another was an ex-traffic policeman who said he’d pull over anyone over who did that. Another was Hungarian.
It's illegal, £100 and 3 points, there isn't a shred of doubt about it. It's a horrifying thought to realise that people may have been advised to do this. But I'm still giggling about my image of @JamDrop driving along a grassy bank with her car at a 45 degrees angle, weaving in and out of trees, looking for a gap to slip into the inside lane. Proper beating about the bush
This might be the only post @Redhelen doesn't like, but I find that 80% of tailgaters are female. The other 20% boyracers.
I'm surprised at that statistic. Ime it tends to be older males. But tbh I don't always see who's driving, I drop back and let them get on with it.
