Sorry if this is the wrong place to pose this question, but here goes. 

 

So, your driving along a dual carriageway and you want to leave the carriageway by taking a road, off to the right.  Obviously, that means moving into the right lane of the carriageway you're on, and then driving into the central gap, where you wait for the other carriageway to clear before you cross it and then drive into the road, and onwards.  But, where do you position the car while waiting in the central gap?  My practice up to now, have been to wait on the left side of the gap (unless there are any 'stop' or give-way' markers to determine the position).

 

I can't find any advice in the Highway Code or any clear advice on the 'tinternet.

 

So, Briskoda gurus - what's your practice?

I find that nose out of one lane in front and arse out of the other behind with my lights on works best.

Depends how wide/long the gap is and the preceding road layout but in worst case scenario road layouts I try and keep the car roughly parallel to the DC and wheels ahead. Then if someone runs up my back I'll hopefully only go straight ahead (a bit if it's a 'tap') and much safer to steer back into the outside lane of the carriageway I'm leaving if it's a real shunt because at least I'm travelling in same direction as the traffic coming from behind. Positioned with any right lock on and getting shunted can have you straight into oncoming fast traffic and a much higher impact speed. Side on and shunted from 'behind' is into the drivers side and to be avoided too.

It's the same at traffic lights don't steer until you are ready to move as otherwise getting rear ended will launch you across oncoming traffic.

If possible, find a roundabout/slip road nearby that'd allow you get onto the other carriageway so that you can leave to the left onto the road you want to take?

That would always be my preference too and it's sometimes a strategy I use if towing. 

 

In the actual situation I found myself in, the two vehicles had wedged themselves into the gap, trying to join the carriage way I was on (to drive in front of me, as it were), but the weight of traffic, and it's speed, prevented them making any quick exit.  So I was faced with tucking into the right hand side of the central gap, which I avoided doing by stayed in the right (outside) lane of the carriage way, indicating a right turn, which subsequently annoyed the van driver behind me who also wanted to turn right.  However, if I'd been tempted to tuck in to the right side of the gap, the rear end of the second car which was stuck on the wrong side of the central gap( ( to my thinking 'wrong' anyway), would have obscured me safely seeing the traffic racing up the other carriage way I had to cross.  Also, it would have left me facing the wrong side of the road I wanted to drive into.

 

Despite the wait, it all worked out well, as the two 'stuck' cars eventually drove off, and I could occupy the left (correct?) side of the gap.   Also, at that point, the traffic in the carriageway I wanted to cross started to slow and eventually stop, due to the jam ahead, and two courteous drivers in the left and right lanes, signalled me to pass across to the other side and into the side road.  The van drive behind me was less 'shouty' when I reached the other side of my road, despite my 'inviting' him to discuss the matter further, so to speak :)

14 minutes ago, Ooopnorth said:

So I was faced with tucking into the right hand side of the central gap, which I avoided doing by stayed in the right (outside) lane of the carriage way, indicating a right turn,

Yeah, that's right if you can't fit your vehicle into the central reservation.