Merging in from the Right.

[George7941]

I just do not understand this! Someone please explain.

Why is it that when there is a lineup of cars in two adjacent lanes and the right lane is ending up ahead, the right lane always moves at least twice as fast as the thru lane? People in the thru lane are always stopping to let two or three cars from the right lane merge in before proceeding. What is wrong with the cars in the right lane having to wait a bit before they merge in?

I don't think it is right that if you do the responsible thing and change lanes in advance, that you should be held up by people who will wait till the very end and then do their lane change.

My own theory is that it is a learned behaviour among drivers, the ones who leave their lane changes till the last minute are the aggressive ones and the average driver has a learned behaviour in them to yield to the aggressive drivers.

 

[JHZR2]

IMO, it is stupid to try to go in early. In PA, at some construction sites, they had large signs that said:
"STAY IN LANE TO THE MERGE POINT" and then "THIS IS THE MERGE POINT", "ALTERNATE MERGE HERE", "TAKE YOUR TURN". And it worked, beautifully in fact.

There is no reason to go in early other than fear that the other drivers will be too rude to let you in quickly.

Generally, I drive to nearly the end, in a slow, controlled manner, so as to mot create a huge delta in speed between the lanes. Then I take my turn.

When I am in the thru lane, I let ONE car get in at the merge point. If a second tries to squeeze in, I blare on the horn and not allow them. It is an alternate merge. I also do not let folks in early, because they can wait their turn to get into the thru lane, until they are at the merge point.

Its so simple, I wonder how folks screw it up so royally. Especially with gas so expensive, folks need to learn to use the roads and traffic controls properly.

JMH

 

[GMBoy]

JHRZ2 - that sounds like a good process you have there in PA.

Anyhow -What about the people that are trying to merge onto a 55-65mph highway at 40mph?!! These are the one's that tick me off. I will NOT let these people over because they are not trying to merge - plus they are usually effecting the people behind them in their chance to merge on.

End of rant

 

[George7941]

If ALTERNATE MERGE truly worked properly, both lanes would travel at roughly the same speed. Unfortunately, at least here in Toronto, it does not work that way. The thru lane slows down to a crawl while traffic is moving along in the right lane. It is so bad that some drivers in the thru lane will move over into the right lane so that they do not get held up.

I find it dificult to blame the drivers who move to the right lane. The person I blame is the idiot at the front of the thru lane who will bring the entire lane to a halt and let a number of cars merge in from the right before moving on.

 

[ffracer]

It is simple, the highway has the right of way. The merge lane has to find a place in traffic. It is their responsibility to going the proper speed with the enough room to merge. They need to use a turn signal and use their mirrors properly to see where the cars are.

No one needs to move over to let them in. They have to figure out how to get in, by adjusting their speed and position.

If everyone did this, traffic would be predictable and obvious what everyone's role is.

Auto racing is the same structure. Ever see anyone move over for those exiting pit lane? F1, Indycars, ALMS, NASCAR? Nope.

Traffic rules dictated by the FIA used around the world.

 

[JHZR2]

that is all well and good until you get too many cars for the road, which occurs in most any congested place... then the natural spacing necessary to align everything cannot exist.

The next most optimal scenario is a matched speed with an alternate merge.

And when there is just a standard merge of an onramp to a highway, it is poor road courtesy to stay in the lane that gets merged into, when there is no real considerable traffic in the other lanes. While it is indeed the requirement of the lane merging to sync up properly (and 40 MPH isnt courteous on the part of the merging person, they should be nearly at speed), it is a waste of momentum and fuel for the person traveling to not get over if they can.

And, if the merging person is up to the speed limit, and the person in the traveling lane is doing 15 over, the person traveling is actually in the wrong if they get held up. Remember, we have a speed limit. Merging below the traveling speed is discourteous, but traveling above the speed limit is illegal.

JMH

 

[NYSteve]

Like a venturi...same thing getting on the subways here. Always be right next to the door, right against the subway car, and you will beat the people who are four deep directly in front of the doorway.

 

[GMFan]

If I see someone on the entrance ramp on the right and they are a hundred or so meters ahead of me I will move to the left if it is clear.

It does bug me when people merge onto highways doing 40mph.

 

[George7941]

I will generally move out of the right lane near an exit/entrance because I prefer not to slow down.

People who stay in the right lane, no matter what, have no right to be upset if they end up having to slow down because of merging traffic, that is just the way it is.

 

[01rangerxl]

I generally merge as soon as the line separating the merging lane becomes broken up or when there is a clear opening. If the lines are broken up, you can change lanes, so I don't see a reason to run to the end of the merging lane. My speed is always up to the same speed as the traffic before I ever get to that point anyway.

What bothers me is when the left lanes are open, and people are merging, but nobody in the right travel lane wants to move over for the people merging. I always move over to allow people who are merging plenty of room. I know it isn't required, but it is a nice thing to do for people.

 

[The_Jeff]

The "Yield" sign is on the island between the merging and the adjacent lane. It applies to both lanes.

However, I assign the driver already on the road the minimal task of remaining predictable: not changing speed, or getting out of the way.