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On the Motorway - Do you shoulder check?

CrazyInWeston

By CrazyInWeston
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CrazyInWeston

CrazyInWeston

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It says within the DVSA website, that whenever you join the Motorway OR change lanes, you need to "glance sideways" as it puts it before making a such manoeuvre.

I look over the rear side passenger window before moving from lanes 3 to 2 or 2 to 1. Reverse true if I'm going to lanes 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 but on the drivers side rear window. This is because THATS where the blind spots are on my car.

Now I've had someone on YouTube who just insists that I'm crazy by name to even do this.

These checks has saved me from getting into accidents numerous times on the Motorway, but this dude calls me mad because he doesnt do it cos you're travelling at 70mph!
In fact, a quick glance through these windows in the direction of a lane change is no different to a quick glance at your mirrors.
 Both actions take your eyes off the road in front. But he says he never does it at 70mph as thats just stupid.
What are your thoughts? Do you do this (shoulder check) or not? Is it silly to do so at that speed?

Personally, with regards to taking your eye off the ball (so to speak) when checking your mirrors, a blind spot check isnt at all that different!

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TRL

TRL

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Do it everytime. Lesson learned when checking just mirrors and nearly drove into someone in the 3rd lane in my blind spot.

 

Also you can't legislate for ********* who treat the motorway as their own race track and drive as fast as they can where ever a space appears.

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CrazyInWeston

CrazyInWeston

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14 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said:

Mirrors for me but I make sure I`m aware of what is in the other lanes and know if there`s an idiot screaming up behind me in one of the other lanes before I change.

It`s more the dipsticks that change lane clearly not having looked at any ******* thing at all that are the problem.

Well look, its not that I do it everytime, I'm a well adjusted driver with a good memory to assess the situation sometimes to change lanes without needed to have to, but more often than not, cars in the other lanes will either speed up or change lanes (which my mirrors CANNOT see) and thus a shoulder check is required to see for definate that they HAVE changed lanes while I'm overtaking them.

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Lanterne Rouge

Lanterne Rouge

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17 minutes ago, CrazyInWeston said:

Well look, its not that I do it everytime, I'm a well adjusted driver with a good memory to assess the situation sometimes to change lanes without needed to have to, but more often than not, cars in the other lanes will either speed up or change lanes (which my mirrors CANNOT see) and thus a shoulder check is required to see for definate that they HAVE changed lanes while I'm overtaking them.

Everyone has a way that suits them best but I find it safest to assume that all the other drivers are idiots! The ones that really bug me (talking about blind spots) are the clowns that you pull over to let on to the motorway who then proceed to match your speed exactly just in your blind spot. Them and the ones you let out who immediately cream across in front of you cutting you up as they can`t possibly stay in the inside lane for a second longer.

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CrazyInWeston

CrazyInWeston

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9 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said:

Everyone has a way that suits them best but I find it safest to assume that all the other drivers are idiots! The ones that really bug me (talking about blind spots) are the clowns that you pull over to let on to the motorway who then proceed to match your speed exactly just in your blind spot. Them and the ones you let out who immediately cream across in front of you cutting you up as they can`t possibly stay in the inside lane for a second longer.

Whenever I find myself in a situation where I know for a fact that there is a car in my blind spot, I'll wait a few moments and if nothing happens, I speed up to get out of the situation. It is allowed to temporarily break the speed limit to get out of danger.... I worry for these "new" cars from 2022 that will be GPS speed restricted.

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Lanterne Rouge

Lanterne Rouge

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1 minute ago, CrazyInWeston said:

Whenever I find myself in a situation where I know for a fact that there is a car in my blind spot, I'll wait a few moments and if nothing happens, I speed up to get out of the situation. It is allowed to temporarily break the speed limit to get out of danger.... I worry for these "new" cars from 2022 that will be GPS speed restricted.

Is that right? I hadn`t heard that. It`s madness, How are you supposed to accelerate out of trouble?

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CrazyInWeston

CrazyInWeston

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2 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said:

Is that right? I hadn`t heard that. It`s madness, How are you supposed to accelerate out of trouble?

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/mandatory-speed-limiters/

Its stupid in my opinion, the example I just said in my previous post wouldnt be possible if had this limiter. Although you CAN override this limiter by stepping on the gas, the general public wont know this.

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Erithacus

Erithacus

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The better driver will have a good look and appreciate what is going on around them, modern electronic gizmos or not. Shoulder checks (both sides) are good practice before moving, either on the motorway or in an urban crawl. Awareness and anticipating other road users is a key component of safe motoring. Of course, the main focus is ahead as that is the normal direction of travel, moving across lanes or other hazards simply adds to the emphasis on observation.

The person who says they don't need to check at 70mph is heading for a sudden and severe education. Perhaps they are a WUM. Perhaps they are a problem waiting to happen, with the Grim Reaper riding shotgun.

Motorbikers are taught to use the shoulder check, but they know it as The Lifesaver - because that is what it does!

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Guest

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12 hours ago, CrazyInWeston said:

I think its good that you do, and not 100% relying on a machine.

I reckon it goes back to being on a bike for 2-3 years.  I do reckon if everyone rode a bike/moped for a year at 16/17 they'd become far better car drivers thereafter. 

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Major Isewater

Major Isewater

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On a similar subject I witnessed a driver reversing from a side road onto a main road, which involved passing over a zebra crossing.

She nearly took out a pedestrian who skipped out of the way to avoid being run over.

When I asked her if she had seen the pedestrian she replied ‘ I didn’t hear a bip ‘.

So ‘  warning ‘ many  drivers with reversing radars or cameras don’t look in the direction where they are reversing ! 

 

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Undy English

Undy English

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19 hours ago, CrazyInWeston said:

It says within the DVSA website, that whenever you join the Motorway OR change lanes, you need to "glance sideways" as it puts it before making a such manoeuvre.

I look over the rear side passenger window before moving from lanes 3 to 2 or 2 to 1. Reverse true if I'm going to lanes 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 but on the drivers side rear window. This is because THATS where the blind spots are on my car.

Now I've had someone on YouTube who just insists that I'm crazy by name to even do this.

These checks has saved me from getting into accidents numerous times on the Motorway, but this dude calls me mad because he doesnt do it cos you're travelling at 70mph!
In fact, a quick glance through these windows in the direction of a lane change is no different to a quick glance at your mirrors.
 Both actions take your eyes off the road in front. But he says he never does it at 70mph as thats just stupid.
What are your thoughts? Do you do this (shoulder check) or not? Is it silly to do so at that speed?

Personally, with regards to taking your eye off the ball (so to speak) when checking your mirrors, a blind spot check isnt at all that different!

I always do this. Got 2 cracking blind spots in my car. If I didn't I would have been in multiple accidents.

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Lanterne Rouge

Lanterne Rouge

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2 hours ago, Slippin cider said:

I always tend to check and check again , my gripe recently are drivers who don’t move over to let traffic join the motorway from an adjoining slip road! ..meaning you have to either speed up to effectively undertake and join or slow down and join behind...boils me up!  :grr:

Half of them don`t even know you`re there mate. The other ones that wind me up are the ones that sit in the middle lane when there`s a lorry in the inside lane and you`re trying to get out and he can`t get over to let you. It`s because they`re terrified of going in the outside lane half the time.

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CrazyInWeston

CrazyInWeston

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Didnt expect so many replies, so thanks all who did, I responded to the YT guy who doesnt do it at 70mph (on the Motorway cos he thinks its dangerous to do so at speed and because you're taking your eyes off the road ahead especially at speed) by effectively saying that every time you look in your mirrors you're taking the focus off the road ahead, takes a quick second, same with shoulder checking so whats the diff? He hasnt replied back to me, so I'm now guessing an internet troll maybe?

Thanks for confirming that it is indeed the right thing to do, It has saved me on more than once occasion especially at night because your mirrors cannot see where the headlights are so easily. Are they in lane 1 or 2 as you overtake them in lane 3?

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Pickle Rick

Pickle Rick

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On 12/05/2019 at 21:15, CrazyInWeston said:

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/mandatory-speed-limiters/

Its stupid in my opinion, the example I just said in my previous post wouldnt be possible if had this limiter. Although you CAN override this limiter by stepping on the gas, the general public wont know this.

It doesn’t mean your vehicle WILL have to slow down if you buy a new car come 2022, it’ll be no different from those that currently have the tech already. My car has it and it makes no odds.

Many don’t know this. Like many don’t know how quite a few things operate within their vehicle.

As for driving on the motorway, I always look over my shoulder regardless of which lane I’m going into. As someone above mentioned, I’ll assume everyone on the road is an idiot.

Doing 25-30k miles a year, I’d put myself at higher risk so have to be extra vigilant to try and lower the consequence of a lapse on anyone’s behalf.

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CrazyInWeston

CrazyInWeston

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15 hours ago, Captain Hindsight said:

It doesn’t mean your vehicle WILL have to slow down if you buy a new car come 2022, it’ll be no different from those that currently have the tech already. My car has it and it makes no odds.

The consensus behind making it mandatory for having GPS limiters on all new cars by 2022 is get more and more cars on the road that have it. If you read the article, it says that eventually the option of stepping on the gas to override it will no longer be an option. When THIS happens, how are you supposed to speed out of danger? I regularly break the speed limit temporarily on a busy Motorway to get someone out of my bloody blind spot. You wont believe how some people are quite happy to trundle along in someone else's blind spots. Thats how lorry drivers end up sweeping cars.

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Pickle Rick

Pickle Rick

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1 hour ago, CrazyInWeston said:

The consensus behind making it mandatory for having GPS limiters on all new cars by 2022 is get more and more cars on the road that have it. If you read the article, it says that eventually the option of stepping on the gas to override it will no longer be an option. When THIS happens, how are you supposed to speed out of danger? I regularly break the speed limit temporarily on a busy Motorway to get someone out of my bloody blind spot. You wont believe how some people are quite happy to trundle along in someone else's blind spots. Thats how lorry drivers end up sweeping cars.

There is no set deadline to authorise such a feature, so it’s all a bit ‘meh’ to me. Same goes with the likes of autonomous vehicles etc. 

There needs to be more regulation and safeguarding of ‘what ifs’ before anything is actually sanctioned (legal issues and criminal or civil matters to be solidified).

Not saying it won’t happen, but infrastructure needs to exist which’ll take ages. We’re not even able to cater wholly for plug-ins, so I don’t think the speed limiting be on the road until after 2040 when new car sales are hybrid/electric only. Manufacturers need to be in agreement, as would DFT/DVSA and such like.

There’s too much on the agenda roadworthy wise to deal with at the moment, what with other political agendas as they are.

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RumRed

RumRed

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Always shoulder check, but then I still change through the gears when coming to a stop.  Apparently that’s not a thing now though, kids are being taught to coast on the clutch, so what do I know?

I’m also old enough to know that if you park your car in a dodgy area you remove the rotor arm.

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