How to Merge into One Lane

[coltle6920]

I already said my piece in a thread that I probably started not too long ago. I gave as an example 3 lanes cut down to 2 right before an intersection controlled by a traffic light.

My policy is simple... Traffic lights don't last that long. Once the "train" gets moving don't expect it to slow down to let you in. As Spock would say "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few". When the light turns red then and only then would I think about letting you in.

There's nothing arrogant about how I feel. People are always allowed to merge when traffic is already stopped. I see it every day. Traffic stopped at a light and someone is trying to exit from a gas station (or similar) to get on the road. No problem. Just don't try it once the traffic is moving.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Rudeness begets rudeness.

Courtesy begets courtesy.

Kindness begets kindness.

Put me down for the last two.

 

[ladder13]

Road behavior is very impersonal, drivers gonna do what they please, especially the ones with illegal tint, and then we have the German imports and Dodge Chargers.

Good luck leaving 10ft ifo you nevermind 204. You never saw four cars try to piggyback when you let one in?

I get a kick out of the drivers who try to get around the last second mergers when there is virtually no pavement left.

 

[Tom S.]

Good points, LVSteve. In the USA, if you leave a safe following distance between you and the car in front of you, somebody will dive in and occupy it.

In Germany, in addition to the speed cameras that adorn the highways, there are automatic tailgating cameras in use. While I really hate the whole Big Brother aspect of this, from personal observation I can tell you that drivers in Germany do not tailgate for the most part...

Tailgating detection

What's the next logical step - shutting off a car that made a turn without using their turn signal?

 

[Alton]

If traffic is heavy go to the end of the lane before merging, if traffic is light merge asap

 

[kozmic]

There are usually signs well in advance of lane closures and areas to merge lanes. I may not necessarily switch with the first sign a mile out, but more often than not within a 1/2 mile or so with my blinker on and a friendly "thank you wave" to the person who let's me in.
As far as letting folks in, please don't come screwing up behind everyone at highway speeds and then try to cut in at the very last second. Chances are you'll be waiting until I've passed. I'm all for courtesy to other drivers, there are limits.

 

[Breakaway500]

So I guess using the barrels as slalom run is a no go?

 

[zeke]

If traffic is heavy go to the end of the lane before merging, if traffic is light merge asap

As pointed out, there are varying circumstances. When merging into normal traffic at normal speeds, am going to merge as soon as safe. Am not considering this the same as backed up stop and go traffic, which requires someone to let you merge. We have constant construction on the main north-south highway just outside of town. Am going to merge over as soon as safely possible, as the speed limit drops from 65 mph to 55 mph. Driving up to the choke point and then trying to merge into fast traffic is dangerous, and ill advised (am trying to be polite here).

As far as traffic engineers pushing "zipper" merging, it appears to just use the blocked lane for storage and making the traffic line shorter. If people followed it, it may also keep people from being stuck in the blocked lane for excessive time periods.

Only so many cars can pass a single point at a time. The only way to increase the flow is to increase velocity. My respect for our states traffic "engineers" stopped when they tried to ignore centuries of concrete construction to eliminate joints in the concrete. Granted they figured it out after paving the highway from southern to northern boundaries years ago.

 

[Greyman50]

Gee, what happened to alternate merge???? Used to see signs posted years ago.

 

[Onomea]

That's the "zipper" method mentioned above. In some countries, this is the custom. No signs needed because everyone does it.

(Other countries, e.g., India, it's absolute bedlam. Much worse than anything over here.)

So far, a mere 22% zipperheads on the forum.

 

[cndrdk]

I believe it's the law in Oklahoma. Signs announcing a lane closure also state "merge now, it's the law".
I kind of like that!

 

[ladder13]

Naples Rules: Make a new lane….
For those who have driven in Naples IT, you know what I’m talking about……

I didnt drive in Naples as I was a passenger. There were no pavement markings, but signs advising of narrow road or 90 turn coming up.
Those Italians can drive, except the ones with body rash on both sides.

 

[Onomea]

I believe it's the law in Oklahoma. Signs announcing a lane closure also state "merge now, it's the law".
I kind of like that!

"Merge now" signs make sense. Do they happen 2 miles in advance or shortly before lanes must merge because one is ending?

 

[NYlakesider]

During my many trips back and forth to the big car shows in Hershey and Carlisle I drove I-81 (Always serious work going on).

Some of the things I saw at merge points should have went on Ripley's Believe it or not!-

 

[glenwolde]

It defies logic that drivers leave a lane open and then get mad when someone uses it. If the drivers in the main lane don't like it, fill up the merge lane! You are the ones causing the problem, not the merging traffic. You're also responsible for the traffic being slower that it has to be!

"Studies conducted by the Colorado Department of Transportation showed that the zipper strategy can reduce delays by up to 40% in heavily congested areas, and a 2008 study by the Minnesota Department of Transportation proposed the method could reduce traffic by somewhere between 40 and 50 percent."

In Texas this is now actual law. If you're sitting in the main lane and refuse merging traffic at the end, you're in the wrong.

I've seen an empty merge lane and traffic backed up blocking an intersection. Good job all you lane defenders!

 

[cndrdk]

"Merge now" signs make sense. Do they happen 2 miles in advance or shortly before lanes must merge because one is ending?

It's usually a ways back, no last second cut ins, and no guys in the big dually pickups straddling the line to make sure no one can make the last second cut in.

 

[Onomea]

"A ways back" being, say, a half mile? That makes sense. Two miles does not.

 

[CalifEd]

I do the early merge thing.
Then I feel superior when I, begrudgingly, let one of the edge runners in.
To PO the rest of the line, I generally back off to let big rigs merge if they use their turn signals.

 

[LVSteve]

I do the early merge thing.
Then I feel superior when I, begrudgingly, let one of the edge runners in.
To PO the rest of the line, I generally back off to let big rigs merge if they use their turn signals.

Me too. Something to do with driving a diesel SUV, perhaps.

 

[Beemerguy53]

What's the next logical step - shutting off a car that made a turn without using their turn signal?

Well...that wouldn't be very successful. They use their turn signals over there, almost without fail. They use them when pulling out from a parallel parking place; when changing lanes; when turning right or left; and even when leaving a roundabout.

Here's something else they do that we don't: They actually stop at stop signs and red lights. (And there is no right-turn-on-red allowed.)

They drive in the right lane, and use the left lane for passing. They never cruise in the left lane, and they never pass on the right...either transgression is strictly illegal, and will get you in trouble with the Polizei...

Where there are speed limits, they obey them religiously. There are programmable speed limit signs on the Autobahn, that can be changed according to weather conditions. Motorists will hit their brakes to slow to a legal speed, and then drive at that speed until signs indicate an increase.

The biggest difference between driving here and driving there is that in Europe (at least in Germanic countries) motorists treat each other as kindred spirits, whereas here we treat each other as adversaries to be bested in some sort of manhood test.

It's very strange...