Safe Speed Forums

Apologies for the length of this post.

Last night I came within inches (literally) of being another statistic of
road rage - I'd be interested in any pointers on what other people think I
may have done wrong, or not have helped...

In "X marks the spot" style, I've driven the Avon Ring Road A4174
anti-clockwise and come to the roundabout where I intend turning right to
head along the A432. It's 8.30pm, but otherwise dry and clear.

http://tinyurl.com/ys6ucx

The roundabout is entirely light controlled, and has the usual multi-lane
arrangement. Approaching from the east, Lane 1 is for left/straight on, Lane
2 straight on/right, Lane 3 right. I've taken Lane 3 because of there being
the least amount of traffic in it and to avoid getting in the way of people
going straight on. After the A4174 westbound exit, you have another light
controlled 2 lane exit to take the A432 northbound. I've therefore
approached this stop line doing about 20 in 2nd (I know the sequence pretty
well and can usually time my arrival) in Lane 2. As the A432 splits off, the
motorway overbridge is where the 2 lanes merge into one - I hope this makes
sense. There are signs on the island saying "Merge in turn", which normally
works pretty well, until last night.

As traffic was pulling away, I'd targeted the "gap" between the two cars in
front and behind me as the one I was aiming at. Trouble was, the chappie in
front (so his back end was level with my front nearside wing) wasn't exactly
quick off the mark, and the guy behind (little did I realise) was going to
block me out. I wasn't too keen on flooring it to then have the sharp turn
onto the overbridge, and this all happened very quickly, but all I do
remember was...

- I'm in Lane 2 of the filter section trying to zip merge. Doing 20 or so in
2nd gear. 8 or so car lengths ahead where the lanes have merged, I'm heading
straight for a bollard. To my right is solid white lines and a steady stream
of headlights, and this chappie to my rear nearside three quarter is having
none of it. I've tried once to "politely" move over before I realised he
wasn't giving way, and I doubt there were more than a few inches between us.
Luckily my second attempt worked - accelerate hard to get enough "leeway"
while indicating left, and move my car's nose over just enough as far as I
dared to see how he reacted. Possibly not the best thing, but... it worked.
He backed off to make way and gave me a long horn blast and dose of main
beam. I was probably 3/4 car lengths short of the bollard.

So we're now in steady traffic doing an indicated 45 or so on the A432
northbound. This is a wide open 40mph section, where given traffic and
weather, 50mph isn't unsafe. This chappie is right in my boot, and I just
had a sixth sense that he would have considered an overtake in order to cut
back in and "teach me a lesson" - so I was positioning so as to keep him
behind me. I just knew that if I had sufficient control of the situation, he
was only a nuisance in the rear view but nothing more.

As the A432 goes under the railway bridge, the road becomes a 30mph so I
backed off to an indicated 35. The first crossroads is light controlled, and
the next I knew, this chappie is banging on the window shouting the odds". I
went straight for the central locking control and the lights went green. In
the rear-view he was walking back to his car while everyone else waited
behind him. He then turned off before me.

It was quite frightening, and short of backing off to "let him win" at the
lane filters, I'm really not sure what else I could have done. Perhaps he
did want to get past me on the long stretch and "get me back", I don't
know - but I was a lot happier with him behind.

Any thoughts?

Jon.

Clearly the catalyst for the events that were to follow was the fact that the chap you encountered at the merge point failed to prevent you from merging ahead of him. In his head you won a battle of wills in a situation where he thought he should have had right of way and, although you had no way of knowing that he would then proceed to continue the dispute as you made your way up A432 (was it?), 20:20 hindsight has probably told you that it would have been better to let him 'win' and find somewhere to merge behind him.
These territorial battles go on all around us particularly in crowded towns and cities and I personally have learned that if it becomes obvious someone is not going to give me the space I need to change lanes (or whatever) then I ease back and bide my time because someone behind normally will.

His view: You were in the "wrong" lane and should have given way.

Your view: There are a lot of "Merge in Turn" signs so what you did is OK.

Until people understand that the (still unusual) practice of Merge in Turn does not demean their manhood this sort of confrontation will go on.

_________________
Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Yep, that seems a fair summary.



True. Although I more shocked by the lengths to which this guy took it. I'm quite pleased to see "Merge in turn" appear in the latest Highway Code, although sorry to say I doubt the very people who should read it, will.

I concur with the "let him win". However, having got his goat, I think you might have exacerbated things by hogging the centre of the road and stopping him from doing what you view as a dangerous overtake.

If the road is open and I have the more powerful car, I prefer to be in front in a road rage situation. In virtually all other cases I prefer being behind.

Had he gone past and braked, you could have braked. Had he pulled to a stop, so could you, a few car lengths behind. When he got to your door, you could have gained 20 - 30 seconds on him by flooring it. If he blocked your path, you could have revcersed quickly and if necessary turned around having gone 50 yards.

I think simply giving way is often the best option. We all make mistakes and there is no point in getting tangled up in an altercation for the sake of a few seconds.

_________________
All views expressed are personal.

After pulling in front of him and realising it wasn't such a good idea it might have helped to put your hand up so as to say thanks / sorry.

_________________
Andrew.

Good point, Andrew. I do know of one person who sustained a beating for this - he had arthritis and the youth thought - very wrongly - he had raised a finger. Funny old world.

Oh dear!
Yes, hand good. Finger not so good.

I suppose it would show that you acknowledge that you did something wrong and therefore they wouldn't be able to feel like they had something to prove.

_________________
Andrew.

In the situation I am referring to, the youth in a car flashed the chap out at a junction of all things - and the acknowledgement was misread. He was hospitallised. A truly scary scenario. I forget how old he was. It was in Chelmsford and about 5 years ago.

Thanks for the useful pointers - all good points and help with help with learning from this experience. I must admit, normally I'm pretty good with holding a hand to the mirror as a "sorry/thank you". I guess I just felt a little more "in control" by being infront, rather than having the potential for even more conflict and risk etc, but who knows.. it's all water under the bridge now and I've certainly learned from it.

Hmmm even if someone does stick their finger up at you beating them up for it is a tad excessive.
I'm glad I don't come across not very nice people very often.

Being in front helps only if you have somewhere to go.

Otherwise it's better to be behind the eejit, then they can crash in front of you and you can have a chance to avoid it.

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Andrew.

Could you have indicated then taken up a dominant position earlier? I anticipate yer regular "hero" refusing to merge in turn and an earlier attempt at doing so would either catch him off guard before the merge point (morons never see further than their bonnets) or let you know you were dealing with a toddler and let him have his day, merge in behind him, instead of reaching break point....

_________________
Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

I would always rather have an idiot in front of me where I can keep an eye on him, from a safe distance.

If he had shot past then backing off in pre-emption of a brake test will usually urinate on their bonfire.

Although there is always the slight chance he will block off the road and pull a gun.

There was a time when you could have a light flashing remonstration with another driver, unfortunately those days are gone and I blame government meddling and lack of investment driving us all closer to the edge.