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Difficulty: MediumJoining the Motorway

Drivers already travelling in the left-hand lane of a motorway have a legal obligation to change lanes or slow down to allow vehicles joining from an entry slip road to merge into the traffic flow.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. Vehicles already travelling on the motorway hold priority; drivers joining via the slip road are legally required to give way.
According to Highway Code Rule 259, drivers joining a motorway must give priority to traffic already on the carriageway. Although drivers in lane 1 may move into an outer lane to assist merging traffic when it is safe to do so, this is a courteous driving practice rather than a statutory legal obligation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the statutory regulations governing motorway entry.
UK Highway Code Rule 259 establishes the legal rules for joining a motorway from an entry slip road and acceleration lane.
Statutory rules dictate the legal priority and duty of care between joining traffic and main carriageway traffic.
2
Determine which stream of traffic holds priority at an entry junction.
Traffic already on the motorway carriageway has right-of-way; joining vehicles must give priority.
Joining drivers must match their speed to available gaps and merge safely without expecting existing traffic to alter course or speed.
3
Evaluate whether main carriageway drivers have a legal obligation to yield.
While motorway drivers may move over to an adjacent lane as a courtesy if safe, there is no legal obligation compelling them to do so.
Because priority belongs strictly to main carriageway traffic, the statement is false.

Key Concept

Priority rules when joining the motorway via an entry slip road
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Joining the Motorway

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