Motorway driving habits.

[Lucan]

You need four to six car lengths headway at 60 mph, so slow down at the top of the ramp and let them get well ahead, then press the gas.

And how much well ahead should you let them get? Considering that I have seen drivers coming almost to a complete standstill as they approach the merge point, you would need to be crawling along from the top of the ramp and waiting until they have got completely away into the main stream before you press the gas; meanwhile you would have a lot of angry drivers behind you (if they could not pass) and probably be causing a log jam on the roundabout behind you as well.

Follow them down at six lengths, and that distance (or more) will soon vanish if they grind to a near halt at the merge point; and then when they do pluck up the courage to move on they will be hitting the slow lane at only 30-40 mph and forcing you to do the same if you follow, and it is you who will be rear ended by a 60 mph lorry, not them; or at best you can wait for the next gap in the lorries and like them be able to enter it at only 30-40 mph unless you are driving something like a Dodge Viper, and in any case those angry drivers behind will be pouring past you like a rock in the tide.

I'm not providing an answer, but like others have said, it is easier said than done.

 

[ashkeba]

Yes you may still get stuffed by a really bad driver, but it's much less likely than if you tailgate them down the ramp!

 

[D365]

Leicester Forest East southbound was a classic but I think it's been extended. In a reasonable car it took a lot of effort to reach 70mph by the end of it.

On the A1? I was thinking about slip roads between Peterborough and Grantham e.g. the A606 Stamford junction.

 

[Bald Rick]

On the A1? I was thinking about slip roads between Peterborough and Grantham e.g. the A606 Stamford junction.

Coming out at Foston was always a ‘drop the clutch, give it the beans and hope for the best’, until it was reconfigured.

 

[Bletchleyite]

On the A1? I was thinking about slip roads between Peterborough and Grantham e.g. the A606 Stamford junction.

M1, sorry. It's been fixed now, but it was the shortest motorway one I could think of before that.

 

[tsr]

On the subject of motorway slip roads, and having seen the M25 J9 one mentioned, I hope nobody here has to ever use the entry slips from Cobham services. Grim, to say the least.

The M1-bound entry slip on the M621 at J4 is another thing entirely.

 

[Meerkat]

On the subject of motorway slip roads, and having seen the M25 J9 one mentioned, I hope nobody here has to ever use the entry slips from Cobham services. Grim, to say the least.

The M1-bound entry slip on the M621 at J4 is another thing entirely.

I don’t remember the sliproads at Cobham, I probably didn’t notice as I was so pleased to have found my way in and out - how the hell can a brand new services have such a confusing road layout!