How to enter a Dual Carriageway via the acceleration lane(slip road)

[@KennethSwaby-j9d]

Many many drivers don't do what you talked about, they don't give way on the slip road. They just signal and think they can just come onto the inside lane. They don't realise that the duel carriageway or motorway is the major road which means they should give way until it's safe to join. 🤔

[@JamesTravis]

You are correct. Not sure why they think this. As an experienced driver you spot the bad drivers and avoid them.

[@Jack-hv3uj]

@@JamesTravis I did a mock test and a lorry was next to us already on the dual carriageway when we were joining. And my instructor stopped the car.... 1st time this had ever happened to me, as lorries are rare in this road - - the next mock test we did, it happened again, so I slowed right down, and my instructor told me I should have sped up and over took it??? When do you let a vehicle overtake you and slow down and join behind them, and when do you accelerate past them to join the dual carriageway? Thanks! Love your content!

[@jamief6507]

The basic concept is easy however the checking over your shoulder and making sure there isn't any threats, I'm never sure if I should be looking out the front side window or the back side window.. and also judging the speed of other cars whilst keeping an eye on your own speed and adjusting that, all together makes this very hard for me.

[@JamesTravis]

It does take practice.

[@alexfoley1039]

I've failed each driving test because of dual carriageways 5th test in the morning

[@jonnyw819]

@@alexfoley1039did you pass?

[@nannaomatsola3146]

@@alexfoley1039same here 😢

[@alexfoley1039]

@@jonnyw819 I passed on my 6th back in June

[@David-sw2fn]

Good video as usual. Problems I experience 1. Vehicle in front on the slip lane does not accelerate prior to joining. If possible I try to increase my gap to them initially so I can get my own speed up before joining 2. People on the carriageway being oblivious to the risks of joining traffic. If you’re on the main carriageway, you need to be thinking how you’re going to be managing that risk of joining traffic as early as possible. If you can’t move over, be looking to adjust your speed to help people out. The joining traffic have a lot of planning and obs work to do very quickly, so please be considerate.

[@JamesTravis]

Great comment. Lots of points

[@svr5423]

DO NOT adjust your speed. You have the right of way and the joiner will be adjust his speed and position to match. If you slow down, you will not only make his life harder because he has to deal with that fact, you will also cause people behind you to change lanes to overtake because they will try to keep their speed.

[@annelister1074]

I asked you a question about this so it’s brilliant you’ve uploaded this! Very helpful, thank you!

[@JamesTravis]

You gave me the idea, thank you

[@emmazulu2290]

My test is tomorrow and I am so nervous about this your video has helped and I can only hope for the best

[@JamesTravis]

Safe driving on your test🤞

[@aishailyas5702]

Thank you so much for this video! I live in Glasgow and have a driving test tomorrow. I am extremly anxious on dual carriage ways and slip roads and can't really go at the speed it says on the signs. But this video made it so much easier to understand slip roads and dual carriageways.

[@JamesTravis]

I hope you passed.

[@aishailyas5702]

@@JamesTravis I actually didn't sadly. ☹ It was only my first attempt so I didn't mind too much. However, as my theory is expiring on the 9th of this month, I will only get one last shot this Tuesday coming. So hopefully I'll pass this time. 🤞

[@JamesTravis]

@@aishailyas5702 fingers crossed 🤞

[@lloydnaylor6113]

Near where I live to access the A19 from a village is up a bank so as I accelerate up the bank to build up speed to join the A19 there was a mobile speed camera van so I'm expecting a ticket , there isn't time because of the short distance from the van to the A19 to build up enough speed to join it at a safe speed. If I kept to the speed limit (30), I'd probably hit the A19 at about 40 -45 where traffic is travelling at 70.

[@JamesTravis]

Hopefully you will be ok

[@darrentaylor3111]

I’ve been a HGV driver for over 35 years. Today I had the worst example of your example. Artic vehicle,empty,building up speed onto a duel carriageway onto a 50 mph,I was doing 55,Land Rover in left hand lane was behind on my acceleration,nothing in right hand lane,indicated,and instead of moving over,just sped up to my side where I had to brake and get in behind him,where he decided to break to 35 mph ,wind his window down and basically shrug his shoulders with his arm out of the window.This caused traffic behind me to break and I let them overtake before trying to overtake the Land Rover that suddenly found his acceleration again. Yes,it is a give way,but it needn’t have been if drivers learn to read the road and keep traffic moving without causing anyone to lose speed.

[@JamesTravis]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope others read your post and learn from it.

[@kadimetsamagi6417]

Thanks for good explation, i found it very helpful,xxxx

[@JamesTravis]

Glad it was helpful!

[@boyo57]

Yep the name says it all its an acceleration lane people its a junction. The amount of times people just sail straight out is unbeleivable, thinking they have the god given right to pull out in front of on coming traffic. Its all about timing your run in and giving good space for other users. Heavy goods and a lot of big vans as well as cars often move over but "please please" if they do this let them back in the lane again, the trouble is with this manoveoure is that more often than not traffic is screaming down the right hand lane and you can be or in or cause a dangerous situation by doing a good deed. I prefere to keep where I am and to adjust speed to let them on and hopfully they will read the script and "accelerate" on in front. But its amazing the amount of people who make hard work of it. I have an HGV licence and have been on the road for over 38 years but I the main things ive noticed over the years is and increase of speeding and just travelling too close and taking peoples space "gap" away. Stay safe all of you .😊

[@JamesTravis]

Wise words

[@maz2825]

I hate looking for any cars in the lane that I'm tryna get into... its like I cant wrap my head around seeing what's in the lane I'm tryna go into and the one next along. Always feel anxious doing this bit. And I feel like I cant look long enough to properly check without chances of crashing too as speeding up to get onto the road is so distracting

[@JamesTravis]

Sounds like you know what to do, but just need to keep practicing to feel more confident

[@LifeFoodandTravel]

I was reading the theory book and I didn't understand how to react to trafic joining from a slip road. Your video helped me a lot. Thank you

[@JamesTravis]

Thank you for watching. Safe driving

[@scotthammond-drummer]

Helpful video - thanks. At 1 minute into the video you say "right signal". As this is not a motorway would it not be a left signal as you are turning left. Can't seem to find any videos that explain when you do a left or right signal - especially if it's not a slip road but a very angled juction. If you indicated left at an extreme angle, the cars wouldn't see it. Can you help? Thanks!

[@JamesTravis]

Hi, the right signal is to warn drivers who are already on the dual carriageway that you want to enter right onto the left lane. You will find that the right signal at this point will if space prompt the cars on the carriageway to move to the right lane to give you space.

[@scotthammond-drummer]

@@JamesTravisThanks for your helpful reply. So is it only a right signal in this situation if it’s a dual carriageway? What if you were about to join a one lane road but at a similar angle?

[@Cozzi0]

A trick I've found useful is leaving the car in fourth gear while using the slip lane, does rev up your car more but easily allows you to use engine breaking just by easing up on the accelerator pedal if necessary to get safely behind a vehicle. Particularly with lorries where I find I often have to slow down slightly to safely merge behind them.

[@JamesTravis]

Interesting

[@elizabethj5294]

Do you have a video on letting people in when you're on the dual carriage-way? I've been building up courage to go on a 60mph carriageway & on my 1st journey on it, I pulled over to the right-hand lane to let a car join. Some distance behind it was a lorry so I pulled back into the left-hand lane where I felt safer, ensuring that there was a large gap behind me. However the lorry driver seemed to think I should have let him in as well & drove 'in my boot' for several miles until he turned off. I guess he wanted to undertake. I know he should not have driven so close behind, and tried to just not be intimidated. I was driving at just over 50mph as this was the speed of the car in front of me; which he would've been able to see from his higher vantage point. When we came to 30mph roadworks he did eventually back off a bit. Should I have done anything differently & somehow known the lorry was going to want me to let him in too - he was quite some distance behind?

[@JamesTravis]

Unfortunately i don't because every time I film a video the opatunity to show it does not happen. Sounds like you did everything right.

[@julians2337]

You should show the right mirror to us when you are merging..that will help

[@JamesTravis]

Next time I will. Thank you

[@akaleez881]

It’s really hard when you don’t have a long slip road and also joining a dual carriage way that’s high up is scary.

[@JamesTravis]

It takes practice to get used to short slip roads.

[@shahrukhzaki3268]

Agreed

[@na-up6gs]

Great video thanks so much 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@JamesTravis]

Safe driving

[@travels29]

What if you get confused in the dark and don’t understand if cars there or other lane, shoulder check?

[@JamesTravis]

The more practice you do the more you remember the rules and not get confused.

[@bloodangel7731]

My instructor always tells me I need to slow down before I get to the end of the slip road. Is this a good thing to do?

[@keith6400]

The Department of Transport has tried to reduce the number of two lane acceleration lanes and often on motorways the two joining lanes are separated by ghost islands. If there is a right hand joining lane I like to make sure it does not contain traffic which is catching up. This means accuracy in your lane is not as crucial veering left is extremely undesirable. This frees you up for easier right hand side main road observations and assessments. If you can keep your steering steady, shoulder looks are helpful as is moving your head closer to the door mirror by leaning forward to see more. My approach speed is guided significantly by using the last vehicle to have passed. The gap behind this vehicle is always moving at the same speed (yes, gaps move along the road). I use that vehicle as a pacer. The only problem with gaps is where their size reduces as that is where you intend to place your vehicle. Provided your speed is close to the traffic flow speed the next driver coming along the main road is more likely to let you in. In general the closer you speed is to flow speed the smaller gap you can safely use to join.

[@JamesTravis]

Good points

[@shenbot8491]

Thank you so much

[@JamesTravis]

Happy to help. Safe driving

[@classfriend]

How do teach on really short slip road?

[@JamesTravis]

I covered this on some of my motorway videos.kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIPVmpmnZZ2nfcksi=qVSLICWzII_xY4NC But you would need to be building your speed up very quickly and signal early and be looking for a gap straight away.

[@hayahamdard9644]

How are you guys seeing the car with the type on they screen

[@nannaomatsola3146]

What if there’s no gap for you to join? What do u do then?

[@JamesTravis]

You would need to give way. But as long as you build up your speed, you will find a gap.

[@nannaomatsola3146]

@@JamesTravisbut what if there’s no gap as u approach? All the vehicles are in top speed. Do u stop n wait, or ?

[@JamesTravis]

@@nannaomatsola3146 I get asked this question by all my students. If you bring your speed up to match the traffic and show a signal, a gap always happens. If what you describe is happening where there is gap and no one is letting you on, then yes, you would need to give way. But this never happened to me in over 35years driving.

[@nannaomatsola3146]

@@JamesTravis thanks for the explanation. Hope u do a video of it someday

[@nannaomatsola3146]

@@JamesTravisthanks a lot. Really appreciate

[@na-up6gs]

Can u make a video on motorways please?

[@JamesTravis]

This is the first of a 3 parter on motorways How to enter a Motorway | Enter via a slip road | Acceleration lane | Series part 1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/epqQqJKYfbiYipo You can find the other 2 on the description of the video. Or I even have a playlist on motorways on the channel page. Hope it helps

[@na-up6gs]

@@JamesTravis thank you very much 👍👍😄😄😄

[@secretsuperhuman]

i needed this vid thanks! but can hardly hear what your saying thank god for subtitles :-)

[@JamesTravis]

I have better audio on my newer videos

[@svr5423]

Most common error people do is not accelerating. Second most common error is changing lanes without giving way to cars already on the lane. Don't know if they do this on purpose, often they turn a standard situation into a near accident for shits and giggles.

[@JamesTravis]

Thanks for sharing

[@travels29]

What if cars keep coming and don’t let you off slip road

[@JamesTravis]

If there is a lot of traffic and no space to get on, then you would need to slow down and give way at the give way line. But that is very unusual. Most of the time you can spot gaps and other traffic let you on.

[@adyculea4411]

This video does not explain a very important situation : What are you doing if you have built up speed on acceleration lane but is not a safe gap to join the main carriageway.

[@margo.3466]

Good question, I'd like to know that.

[@I-HATE-YOU-gg6]

I guess it’s slow down and merge BEHIND a car instead of front 😢

[@phillippabarrett-mowatt5634]

he does at 1:12

[@dan13127]

With the slip road having two lanes, I have seen people that initially are in the left lane going slower than me in the right lane. When approaching the merging point, they have occupied both lanes causing me to have to slow down. What are the rules for this?

[@JamesTravis]

If its two lanes as you reach the end of slip road, then its wrong of them. But if the slip road starts to narrow then you just need to accept they are going to come across.

[@Ace-tq7vk]

Cars should slow down and give way its way more safer than finding gap

[@JamesTravis]

Who should slow down?

[@duchessduke5507]

You speak way too fast to understand 😴

[@JamesTravis]

I will bear that in mind on my future videos. Thank you for watching

[@TheChyamp]

Terrible road design

[@JamesTravis]

It does work well

[@TheChyamp]

@@JamesTravis the lanes should be separate for high speed roads. That's the safest option

[@JamesTravis]

@@TheChyamp yes

[@powerplay8355]

You might be a good driver but you have no idea of doing sound levels on a KZbin video.

[@JamesTravis]

Thanks for watching and your comment. I am always trying to improve my videos.

[@romanegila2591]

I have a question for you recently I have been having problems with this as people in front are always slowing down instead of Accelerating to join and almost nearly cause a car crash how can I avoid this please thank you

[@JamesTravis]

Drop back at the start and it will give you more room as you reach the end.