A question for car drivers... what would you do?

[meriad]

There are two ways for me to get from my house to the station and back; one leads via back roads and the other goes through Send and then up via Old Woking. Now the back road has been closed for 6 months so they can do repairs to a weak bridge which means there is loads - and I mean LOADS - more traffic on the other road and very few gaps between cars; so anyone turning into the road generally either has to wait for quite some time or rely on another car letting them in.

This morning there was a car trying to pull out and turn right, ie had to cross the lane I was in and then join the oncoming lane (if that makes sense). I could see that it was jammed behind me so I slowed and flashed at him so he could pull out. Now the oncoming traffic was equally heavy and no one slowed down so after a few seconds I carried on and said car was still waiting to get across. Now if that had been me - and from experience - the only way for this driver to have managed was to have gone 1/2 way over using the gap I'd given and then one of the other cars would have slowed down. Not totally legal I gather but as said - it's sometimes the only way, esp given current traffic conditions.

What would you typically do in this situation - same as me and pull 1/2 way out (knowing it was safe to do so) or wait until both sides were clear?

Just wondering?

[pederito1]

If I am in a moving queue and a car from a side road tries to join I usually hold back to allow it to do so provided such is safe. Applies particularly if traffic on the other side is stopped by a car half way.

[Ally]

Over here it's a case of Geronimo! and go for it!

[molly]

I would do exactly the same as you, half way out and wait for a gap or kind driver to let me in…….or just barge if nobody let me in

[Workingman]

I'm right behind Molly pushing and barging.

[miasmum]

Me too, go half way and push in. There is a junction near here where you always had to go half way to turn right, except they've only gone and painted a flipping yellow box on our half so you can't pull out until both sides are clear.

[TheOstrich]

I'd be very wary about flashing drivers "out".

I had this recently - the driver was trying to come out from my right, turning right across the road to join my stream, and there was a gap for him in the oncoming traffic, so I flashed him. But he didn't come. And a stream of traffic started to come the other way, so as he had missed his chance, I drove on. But what if he'd made a last minute dash for it and charged out? He could have hit me. Who would be at fault? Technically him - because "flashing" people to come out is not an authorised signal in law. But would you want to risk the argument?

There is also (and it's prevalent in the cities, including Birmingham) the crash for cash insurance scam. They see you waiting and flash you out, you go for it, they don't decelerate and hit you broadside or in the rear - and you are at fault as you should not have pulled out in front of them - because as I've said, "flashing" people to come out is not a recognised signal in law.

So one of my new driving resolutions now is - don't flash anybody. I know that by doing so, you're doing someone a favour, but it could lead you into a can of worms ....

And what if I need to come out of a side-road and turn right across a busy traffic flow? I don't do it. I turn left when there's a gap, and go "round the block" or round the next island.

[cruiser2]

I have been told recently by a driving instructor that flashing headlights only means that the headlamps are working.
If I had been the driver in the side road, I would have come out and blocked one lane of traffic. I have done this and usually a driver in the other lane will stop to let you drive away letting the traffic flow again on both sides.
I have also turned left into the traffic, then turned into a side road on the right, done a u-turn and turned left again into the main road so that I am going in the direction I want to go. This has been quicker in some cases as vehicles in the first side road can still be waiting to come out.