Driving without due care and attention - mitigating circumstances

[loopyloo111]

I am pleady guilty guilty by post to the above offence, I pulled onto a dual carriageway from a junction without giving way forcing two cars to swerve into lane 2, no accident happened but a police car saw it happen.
I have never driven on the road before and have only joined a dual carriageway through a slip/filter road, so did not realise i was meant to stop.
I have noted my lack of experience in driving on such roads.
Is it worth mentioning that my 18month old daughter was sat next to me which can be distracting, but my car is not suitable for a baby seat to go in the back, I have learnt from this I really need to try and block her out whilst I'm driving.
Should I also mention how serious I realise it is and could have been?

[sara3]

I think you're making yourself sound like a liability. you could have injured your own child.

address the real problems if you're distracted whilst driving... you can't keep driving around like that.

plead guilty and apologise, and say you are addressing these matters. and do it, before there is some real harm done.

[sara3]

you could also consider an Advanced Driving course.

[HARPY]

All the new buses have a low floor entry point suitable for pushing a pram on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-8Js0ZSCIc

[R1Geezer]

take no notice of the J'Arthurs above. Like most on here they are clueless about driving.

You do not have to stop, in fact stopping is very dangerous, what you have to do is merge, ie you have to fit into a gap between two cars that are already on the DC, usually they will cooperate as long as you are not being a plonker, essentially maintain your joining speed and "drift" into a space, try and avoid braking or accelerating. Your daughter should not be a distraction at all, you must concentrate on the road especially in a junction type situation.

Offer only your lack of experience and general contrition, you'll get a lenient sentance.

[redcrx]

r1, how can you say that loopy doesnt have to stop. We dont know the junction.

Believe it or not there are give way junctions onto dual carriageways that do not allow for merging from a sliproad.

[sara3]

R1, if she doesn't know to stop at a Give Way sign I can only suggest "drifting" into a space will result in damage and most likely injury.

what planet are you on?

[jake-the-peg]

Much as I hate to come to Geezers defense I think everyone is actually agreeing but not reading each other's post carefully enough - you shouldn't stop but merge. If however you cant merge safely you are forced to stop because you don't have the right of way - but this is very undesirable.

Notes from the Highway code

259

Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

* give priority to traffic already on the motorway
* check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane
* not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
* stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
* remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking


I don't think your duagther is sufficient mitigating circumstances and I think you could be opening a whole can of worms - hold your hand up and move on

[R1Geezer]

A slip road has a Give way line at the end, for motorways and dual carraigeways they are nearly always elongated to facilitate merging. Usually you should not stop although be prepared in extreme circumstances. Like I said most of the idiots above are clueless. Yes there are on occasions standard T junction approaches to Dual cairrageways, very rare, but yes you should give way on those an be prepared to stop.

[ABerrant]

Jake - rules for motorways apply to motorways not dual carriageways.

[HARPY]

I hope you don't drive in Manchester because if the cars don't get you the bollards will. All the cars and vans in this video clip have gone past a no entry sign

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCSsope5vOA&feature=fvw

[redcrx]

"I have never driven on the road before and have only joined a dual carriageway through a slip/filter road, so did not realise i was meant to stop. "

so, R1, was this one of those "rare" (though fairly commonplace in East Anglia) junctions?

The OP said in her question that she had only ever used sliproads before and yet you still bang on and on about merging etc.

[sara3]

silly me, I assumed all these drivers were adults!

a Give Way sign.. you have to look at the traffic on the road you want to join, and judge whether you have to stop. sometimes you may not have to stop, but sometimes you DO.

if you want to start confusing the poster... bear in mind that she didn't have any idea what to do. don't confuse her, for heaven's sake. she needs to learn the basics which is YOU MAY WELL HAVE TO STOP AT A GIVE WAY SIGN.

[loopyloo111]

Sara3 thanks I have since signed up for an Advanced Driving course and will note this in my mitigating circumstances. I fully realise it was a Give Way Junction and should have stopped, however the area that I live in only has filter/slip roads, I am pleading guilty I understand I was at fault.
I only wanted some advice as to what would count as mitigating circumstances, to save me spending hundreds of pounds to be told the same by a solicitor.

[R1Geezer]

zacsmaster, I believe Ihave already said all that above.

[R1Geezer]

Nok, because they tried to berate the questioner without even offerring an answer. Jake did have a go, as did I. zacs has got a bee in his bonnet because of the middle lane thing, so is blind to any reason and the others are clueless like I said. You have offerred no constructive opinion at all.