Show 257 - Slingshot

April 9, 2026·39 min·2 clips

Lane-two and lane-three exits can trigger crashes, shunts, and motorway backups.

1. Dipod episode 257, 'Slingshot,' turns a SADSA correspondence thread into a debate about roundabout queue-jumping and motorway lane exits. 2. Peter King, an ADI from St Albans, talks with Elliot Portis and Nicky Butt, and the episode again credits the ADI NJC as sponsor. 3. The episode asks whether a driver who uses the empty right lane to circle a roundabout and take a left exit is simply impatient or also careless. 4. The term 'slingshot' is explained as taking the right-hand lane, going round the roundabout, and exiting left. 5. The hosts compare that move to a U-turn on the roundabout and note that the Highway Code does not explicitly ban it. 6. Peter King argues that the manoeuvre is rude because it can block the junction and force other drivers to keep stopping. 7. They connect the same behaviour to motorway exits, especially drivers who leave from lane two or lane three when lane one should be used. 8. A Hatfield Tunnel example follows a Mercedes moving from lane three to lane two, then a silver car squeezing in, then a Vauxhall coming off beside the learner. 9. Rule 163 comes up in the discussion, along with the claim that careless or inconsiderate driving can bring a 100 pound fine and three penalty points. 10. The talk also covers keep clear markings, yellow boxes, and the idea that drivers sometimes need to edge forward at junctions near Marshallswick and Morrisons. 11. Peter King says a learner on test can still pass after missing an exit if mirrors and signals were used correctly and the rest of the drive stayed safe. 12. He challenges the line that 'the other driver stopped' by saying the other driver stopped only to avoid a head-on collision. 13. Nicky Butt answers with London-driving experience, saying he learned to edge out and block traffic because otherwise nothing moved. 14. The conversation returns to patience versus queue-jumping, with the speakers treating 'keep clear' as a traffic-flow tool rather than an invitation to hold back forever. 15. Peter King tells a Luton story about his wife turning into no entry, pleading guilty, and receiving an unconditional discharge. 16. He adds a borrowed-car stop near St Albans market, where a police officer checked the boot before letting them continue to dinner. 17. The tone is informal, argumentative, and full of corrections, with the three hosts interrupting each other throughout. 18. The format feels like a late-night table chat built from driving-school examples, roadside memories, and quick legal readings. 19. Best for driving instructors, learners, and motorists interested in roundabout etiquette. 20. Skip if you want a tightly edited explanation without digressions.

As heard by us

A lively, practical argument about impatience, forced waits, and the risky logic behind the slingshot.

Show 257 uses the slingshot idea to get at a familiar pressure point in driving: the temptation to move because another vehicle has paused, or because a difficult traffic flow appears to offer a brief opening.

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Why you'd press play

You want a lively argument about when a tempting gap in traffic turns into a trap.

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