Reply With QuoteI don't think she had right of way as she was in the "closed" lane. She MUST wait for a gap or someone to let her in.Originally Posted by Penarth Blues
Additionally, as soon as she started hitting bollards, she should have stopped.
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I didn't say that, but the zipper principle applies at the end and once the car I front had let the first Audi in then the logical thing to do was let her in next as she was way ahead of him at one point. Don't get me wrong, there appear to be a disproportionate number of idiots driving Audi's but she really had right of way at that point. At this point he's decided he's been too nice rather than drive sensibly. The speed at which she arrived means she bears some responsibility for antagonising him but if she took him to court over damage to her car then he'd lose IMHO.
I don't think she had right of way as she was in the "closed" lane. She MUST wait for a gap or someone to let her in.
Additionally, as soon as she started hitting bollards, she should have stopped.
womans fault. she should have been ironing or cooking not driveing.
Classic example of this today. On the dual carriageway between Tredegar Park and Bassaleg, the left lane is closed right at the top by the Bassaleg roundabout, but everyone is queuing in the right lane for its entire length, that's about 600yds of one completely empty lane and the other with traffic tailing back and completely blocking up Tredegar Park roundabout, causing terrible queues leaving the M4 on both slip roads. All because people won't use both lanes and merge in turn at the end. It's just bloody idiotic.
Had a classic last week on the blooms roundabout in ST Mellons.
Slip road to the A48 backed up all the way around the roundabout, blocking up every direction.
The right lane of the slip road completely deserted, someone about half way down decided to take it upon themselves to move out to block both lanes, to stop people from "pushing in".
Merging is the bane of my life. There are so many merges into bridges and tunnels here. And so many lane closures due to construction. And no one wants to patiently do "the zipper". EVERYONE acts like a dick and tries to inch by and get in front. Add taxis, limos and ubers into the mix and it's a ****ing shit show. It can take me 45 minutes to drive a couple of miles sometimes. The average speed on my car is 10MPH and that includes several long trips on highways.
I've got quite a few American relatives, some of whom have recently moved over here, and they say the driving here is a lot more polite and orderly.
Take the opposite view here as I always get in lane early to avoid making cars stop to let me in later.The people who can't be arsed to get in lane before they absolutely have to are the ones that cause the traffic to stop/start at the point of the bottleneck.I try to remain calm but most see these people as arseoles that deserve what they get.I've been told by many traffic cops that leaving it late to get in the appropriate lane is the no 1 reason for delays
This ^. Every day I pootle (I drive well below the 40 limit on purpose) up the left hand lane passing cars on my right, while they beep and gesticulate. The queue does indeed go all the way back to the Tredegar Park roundabout when busy yet people refuse to use the unoccupied lane. It's British Queuing Etiquette taken to a new level.
I've ridden in a number of cabs in Manhattan and am amazed that there aren't more crashes. A cab driver seems to think nothing of cutting someone up to go into a clearer lane for literally 5 yards before cutting back in again. Everyone seems to do this. I've been to the states many times over the years and have driven quite a lot there, but no way would I even think about driving in Manhattan. I honestly believe I could walk ten blocks up 8th avenue quicker than someone could drive the same distance.
The Interstates, at least in Florida can be a bit hairy too, as a first time tourist I tried to tootle along the right hand lane to keep out of the way of the lunatics in the other lanes, only to find the lane I'm in just disappears. Around Miami it's worse, it is literally like being in a Nascar race, the wife usually shuts her eyes frozen in terror
Agree totally with this. I have only just come across this thread and cant believe that the person who started this all off last March was bring serious. The 'idiots' are the ones who think driving in the blocked off lane until the last second is the correct thing to do. They are only doing it for one reason - to save themselves time and couldn't give a monkeys about anyone else. What they are doing is dangerous, as very often they cut in at speed in front of another vehicle at the very last second before they mash up all the bollards. I always get into the lane marked as open before the 800m marker, which everyone should do and my policy is to allow vehicles, who indicate correctly, into the lane I am in in front of me up to the 600m marker. Anyone trying to get in after this is obviously deliberately taking advantage and I dont let them in. I get frustrated by the people in front of me who do let people in at the last moment, as they are allowing the idiots to believe that their brain dead behaviour pays off and they will carry on blindly doing it in future. Perhaps if more people blocked lanes and didnt let anyone in late then they would finally get the message that this sort of behaviour is unacceptable. The traffic police should also take a more active role and sometimes place their vehicle in the blocked off section and pull over/book culprits who cut in late, as this action is undoubtedly illegal.
Why so insecure about people "pushing in" ? In situations as described above where everyone using one lane causes a tailback to a roundabout or a junction further back, and blocks that, using both lanes is much better for everyone.
Special mention should go to the dullards ambling along before moving into a single lane right at the last second when going 50mph+
You can see the signs to move over from ages away most of the time. Just move into that lane when you see it is coming up?!.
Another two who don't know the rules of the road and are so insecure they get annoyed about a car "pushing in". If everyone merged like they were supposed to the traffic wouldn't be even half as bad.
Rubbish. These situations are entirely caused by the people in the blocked lane not pulling in soon enough. If everyone pulled in correctly to the open lane when indicated by the signs then there wouldnt be any blockage and traffic would move freely. The people who cut in are not doing it because they believe have the right of way, they are doing it because they cant be bothered slowing down a bit and couldnt care less about delaying everyone else and 'cutting up' other traffic. As to the 'rules of the road' as you put it - these are presumably made up in the minds of people like you to suit your own ends. If you ask the police what they think I am sure they would confirm that the behaviour of who ignore the signs and cut in is dangerous and inconsiderate and would constitute an offence of driving without due care and attention, if an incident occurred. I have no objection to traffic 'merging in turn' at a reasonable distance from the blockage but this does not include the last 200 metres at speed. The warning signs are put there to get people into the one lane as soon as possible and are not there to encourage people to accelerate and race to the bollards which is a common occurrence.
The people causing the blockage are the ones in the blocked lane who race along it and cut in at the last second causing everyone in the open lane to slow down and stop, thereby causing the tail back. I cant believe that the people supporting this practice on here are so dull as to believe that they are in the right. Driving without due care and attention and dangerous driving are just two of the offences that come to mind if an incident occurred. Speak to the police if you dont believe me.
On second thoughts, I shouldnt really be surprised by the behaviour of the drivers in the blocked off lane. If my 40 years of driving on British roads has taught me anything, it is that there are many people driving on our roads who shouldnt even be allowed to walk around, let alone be given the keys of a metal guided missile with which to aim at other road users and cause havoc. Presumably those on here advocating that cutting in at the last minute is reasonable behaviour would also advocate the giving of loaded guns to babies and orher such pastimes.
Highway Code:
Section 134
You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed. In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed.
Section 288
do not switch lanes to overtake queuing traffic
https://www.rac.co.uk/forum/showthre...en-lanes-merge
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/drivi...erge-turn.html
I can see the arguments on both sides. It makes no sense to leave one lane empty for hundreds of metres up to a lane merger if the consequence is avoidable traffic back-up that blocks a junction or roundabout. At the same time the chargers and bargers are often arrogant queue jumpers who create interruption to smooth traffic flow by forcing their way in at the last minute, and cause greater hold-ups. I have no problem with 'merge in turn' where there are two lanes of traffic approaching the merge point at a low and steady speed - especially at permanent mergers - but I instinctively resent the queue jumpers at temporary motorway mergers.
We need some modern public information films.
Middle lane hoggers and lane closure zippers. If you make them funny / tongue in cheek enough people won't go all snowflake? Tell people the "rules" and everyone should follow?
My biggest driving (well parking) beef are drivers that park at junctions, parallel to the centre line that emanates from the junction. It means that if a car is waiting to exit that street onto a main road there is no space for drivers turning into that same street to pass. Surely parking like that deserves at least a tut?
Someone will be along in a minute to say that that kind of parking is actually the correct way of parking, and things would be better if only everyone was doing it.
Lane closures are bad enough, you're suggesting that drivers should voluntarily add nearly 1km in addition of lane closure?
If everyone used the full length of road, there would be no space for any driver to accelerate into. The 800m, 600m etc signs are there so drivers aren't suddenly caught out by a lane being coned off.
If everyone used the full road you would have 800m / 600 m etc to match the speed of the other lanes and merge smoothly, at the merging point, like you are supposed to.
Whereas the fella above has taken it upon himself to try to exclude anyone who tries to merge closer than 600m, which is definitely not going to help with congestion.
I think dml has missed the point a bit. I don't think anyone on this thread has ever advocated or suggested tearing up the empty lane and swerving in at the last minute! It's all about drivers in BOTH lanes keeping a reasonable distance apart and reducing their speed as the lane closed ahead markers reduce from 800, 600 etc allowing people to merge, hopefully keeping the traffic flowing and avoiding unnecessarily blocking up junctions and roundabouts for hundreds of yards or even miles behind. I prefer using common sense rather than some misguided sense of righteousness.
There are a lot of holes in your rationale. The lane is not blocked until it becomes blocked - if there are say 100 meters to go until the lane is blocked then it is to be used. People are not always racing along, sometimes they are travelling at the appropriate speed. In the example Barry and myself use above, the traffic is bumper to bumper and moves at walking pace causing a tailback onto a very busy roundabout. I drive along the empty lane, signal appropriately near the end of the lane and if no one lets me in, I stop and wait patiently. I am not causing anyone to slow down or stop and am not contributing to the tailback - quite the opposite. I don't do it for my own means but because as an advanced driver it is the correct thing to do. Much the same as joining a motorway, you are supposed to use all the road not cut across the chevrons when other drivers are not expecting it or before they have a chance to see you signalling that you are joining. We do have an odd sense of fairness in this country.
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