There was a case in the Courts about this, where a car driver pulled out in front of a truck, and then hit the brakes, causing the truck to tap his rear end.
the Truck driver was charged, I think, with dangerous driving.
In court, an expert witness was called, the Editor of Truck and Driver magazine, Scanny you may remember this.
Dave Young, the Editor, explained that as part of his job, he and his team had test driven hundreds of different trucks, and this particular model, DAF 95 xf, and explianed that they had brought up visibility questions with the manufacturer, and also that this particular truck was fully laden, the suspension was on air, the cab mounts were on air and the drivers seat was on air, so the Truck Driver would probably not seen the brake lights of the car come on, and more than likely wouldn't have even felt such a minor impact.
He then asked if rule 233 of the highway code and laws RTA sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10(1), 16(1) & 25 had been repealed.
The truck driver was exonerated, and the car driver then charged with dangerous driving.
Basically, the joining traffic gives way to the already on the motorway traffic.
We truck drivers WILL allow other vehicles to join safely, if it is safe to do so, but if the traffic is flowing quickly, and there is traffic in the lane next to you, there is now way that we can without potentially putting those other road users into danger.
RANT
I myself am sick to death of numpty car drivers, even those in powerful cars, who snails pace onto a motoway, then hold a truck in the middle lane while they find out where the accelerator is, and when they think they have screwed up the previously rapid but stable traffic flow enough, then stick their toe down and zoom off into the sunset, often with fingers waving.
I can't count the times I have had cars crawling up the sliproad, finding me in their way, because there is nowhere for me to go, they then drop in behind me, then zoom out into lane 3 and give ME the finger, like Errr, what did I do wrong, other than nothing.
I have also had cars, And trucks, pull out of laybys with little or no indication, expecting me to be able to stopp 44ton of truck in a few yards, or pull out into solid traffic on the outside of me.
RANT OVER.
_________________ Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.
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