"Move out regardless"

Sir,
Some years ago, the correspondence columns of Motor Sport featured a prolonged debate concerning he correct use of slip-roads.

One school of thought maintained that it was preferable to keep one’s speed fairly low, looking all the time or sizeable gaps in the traffic stream. It was accepted that, should no suitable gaps be found, it might be necessary to actually stop and wait at the end of the slip-road. This can be called “the gap system”.

A different view was held by others, who favoured “the speed system”. They argued that the slip-road should be used to build up speed to equal that of the traffic about to be joined. The assumption was that (provided speeds were accurately matched) there would always be a big enough gap to slot into.

More recently, however, a third system has been developed and now seems to be in general use. The new approach cleverly dispenses with the essential elements of both previous systems, in that drivers using this method neither match their speed nor look for gaps. Indeed, looking over the shoulder at the traffic stream about to be entered is apparantly prohibited in the ‘move out regardless” system. Use of Indicators is evidently optional, and the key to this approach lies in attempting to drive into a vehicle already on the major road, thus neatly putting the onus on the other driver to get out of the way. Priorite a gauche, in fact.

David Landers, Morpeth, Northumberland