Entering a Dual Carriageway

I decide to write this blog after having to deal with two incidents of cars forcing their way onto a dual carriageway. Over a period of a week I was forced to slow down to allow other drivers out in front of me. I also witnessed it happening to another driver in front of me on another occasion. In this case not only did they pull out and cause the driver on the carriageway to brake hard they then proceeded to move out to the right lane and stay there for about 5 kilometres.
Dual carriageways are becoming more common on main roads, and if used correctly they do help traffic move faster and more safely, but there are a number of special points to take into account.
Firstly I will give a few general pointers about using a dual carriageway.
Use lanes properly; stay to the middle of your lane until you need to move to another one. Lane markings do two things, both of them very important. They ensure that the available space is used to the best advantage. They also provide a guide for  the safety of the traffic. Your driving should be planned so that you follow a course without sudden changes. You should never move from one lane to another without good reason. Weaving in and out or straddling lines is bad driving. Remember that you should only overtake on the right ( except in a few special circumstances covered in the rules of the road ).
If there is a large amount of slow moving traffic  in the nearside lane, there is no need to go back into that lane each time you overtake. It might be better to stay in the right-hand lane  than to zig-zag in and out. However you must be sensible about this. Don't hog the right- hand lane and prevent others from overtaking you. If the person behind you wants to overtake you, you could make matters worse by infuriating them and encourage them to overtake you on the left. Remember even if you are already at the maximum speed, it is not your duty to stop others going faster by staying in the right-hand lane.

Entering a dual carriageway.

If entering a dual carriageway from a slip road, which leads into an acceleration lane, you should use this extra piece of road to adjust to the carriageway traffic and its speed before you become part of it.
You must yield to traffic already on the carriageway, taking your place only when there is a suitable gap in the left -hand lane of the carriageway.
If you have to wait for a suitable gap, then wait in the acceleration lane, and don't force your way into the traffic stream or drive along the hard shoulder. When you have joined stay  in the left lane  until you have time to judge the speed of the traffic already on the carriageway.
Your drive along the slip road and the acceleration lane should be timed so that you can match the speed on the left lane of the carriageway.  Ideally you should be able to slip into the traffic without losing your speed.  Keep a good eye on your mirrors and  just before joining check your bind spot by giving a quick glance over your shoulder. Remember that early observation and awareness means you  will find it easier to blend in smoothly with the other traffic.
Generally the slip roads on a dual carriageway are shorter than that of a motorway, so you must be more alert on your approach.
 As you approach and pass a slip road be always  aware of traffic about to join the carriageway.
If you are already on a dual carriageway travelling in the left lane and a vehicle is approaching on the slip road, if traffic allows you should move over to the right lane and let them enter easily. This is usually appreciated by truck drivers who are less able to adjust their speed to blend in with the traffic flow.
Use your MSM and also PSL routine before joining the carriageway.
MSM = Mirror - Signal - Manoeuvre
PSL  = Position - Speed - Look

I hope that this is of interest and helps someone out there on the roads.
Declan Duignan
www.duignan.ie