Entering and Leaving a Motorway. Section 1

   Entering a Motorway is done from a slip road which may vary considerably in length depending on the amount of Traffic that is likely to be entering from that General Area. The slip road allows the Driver to build up speed and when a suitable gap in Traffic is evident the Car can be introduced into the traffic flow smoothly without the existing Traffic having to slow down necessarily or take evasive action.

 It is very important for a Driver entering via a slip road to watch carefully for the gap and increase the speed accordingly. A moderate approach speed of say 60 kph in third gear is a good choice initially so that faster approaching vehicles can pass by before you attempt to move into the left hand lane. You can accelerate then to a faster cruising speed to merge successfully and safely with the flow.

Quite often fast moving Traffic will see you approaching on their left and signal their intention to move to the right hand lane or middle lane, not only to allow you in but to enable them to maintain their own high speed! This is a good technique providing correct signaling is carried out since very often a car entering the motorway from the slip road will either misjudge your approach speed and pull across in front of you or indeed deliberately speed up to beat you to it! The important thing is to check and recheck your mirrors and Blind spot before changing position

   Leaving a Motorway is much the same procedure as any left turn and requires you to know where you are going …to check your mirrors well and to time your signaling to coincide with the approach of the 100 meter marker. If you have completed your observations it’s a good idea to commence your signaling somewhere between the 200 and 100 meter markers.

By the time the signal is seen by other drivers you will be passing the 100 meter mark and at high speed you will be at your turn off point in a second or two. Remember… at high speed you are covering a huge distance in a very short space of time which is why the signs are so large and therefore very visible at substantial distances.

 You have to get it right first time since there is No stopping …No going back …and No U- Turns on a Motorway!