Poll: Merge in turn - why does nobody get it?

[George Hincapie]

We are British, not German.

British like to queue, Germans push to the front.

The majority of UK drivers move to the inside lane at the earliest opportunity when they see a closed lane.

Leaving the cheeky, important ones to race to the front and 'push in'.

The FACT is, if you are sat in the inside lane, be prepared for a long wait as you watch people pass you repeatedly.

As soon as the outside lane is blocked (usually by a HGV straddling the lanes) Everyone moves faster.

I fully understand what merge in turn means, but in reality I've never seen it work.

The FACT is that I'd merge in turn. How would you stop me? You are required to alternate, it's not your place to make up the rules as you go along.

 

[( |-| |2 ][ $]

Merge in turn definitely.

But on the other side I can see why people choose to queue early. It's because people don't let you in.

We're so used to people "closing the gap" that most people don't want the hassle.

 

[Rroff]

It tends to happen quite often here:

Happens a lot going the other way on the A303 just before Stonehenge - literally half the time it only backs up there because you get a small delay while 1-2 people are turning off and sooner or later someone "skips" to the front of the small queue that forms, people get funny about letting them in, by the time someone does someone else has come up behind them, etc. and half an hour later you've got 200 cars backed up which continues for most of the rest of the day - the moment your past the bit where the 2 lanes come together its usually moving fine.

If people either merged in turn properly or didn't try to use both lanes whether queuing "properly" or just trying to get ahead when there is only a small queue it would far less often be backed up there.

 

[Lima]

For the people saying it's 'rude' or 'antisocial' do you not understand that these terms are a cultural perception and you can't compare it to the Highway Code, rules of the road. If people want to move over early, fine that's up to them, but you don't 'have to' move over super early and queue. If you move over early, just accept that other people might prefer to use the lane space provided and merge when the cones/ lanes merge. It has nothing to do with being rude and loads to do with overly cautious/ nervous drivers that prefer to get in lane early because they are too nervous about the impending doom up ahead. They then feel insecure and hate on the people that zoom past.

 

[George Hincapie]

Exactly Lima. It annoys me if I am driving and have left a safe braking distance to the car in front and someone pulls into it forcing me to brake. I don't see people complaining about that.

 

[div0]

The highway code says you're wrong Please hand in your license at the nearest Police Station before you kill someone!

Unless you're prepared to quote something specific, I think you'll find I'm right and you're wrong

The highway code actually states exactly what I'm saying:

268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.

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.

Basically, it says that it is ok for traffic to move slightly faster in the left-hand lane, during queueing traffic. But the lanes should be moving at similar speeds.

Then it basically says that during congestion, you should stay in lane as long as possible and only change when necessary - using merge in turn when safe and appropriate.

Those two points are exactly what I have been saying.

If you can produce evidence to the contrary I'll consider handing my licence in - otherwise perhaps you should take your own advice and spare all those children whose lives you're recklessly endangering with your inadequate knowledge of the rules of the road

 

[iaind]

Related query - the Merc's "flashing" brake lights? Is this because the brake lights flash intentionally or something to do with the camera's recording speed/fps?

It's an effect from the camera that seems to happen with LED lights on cars. You see it on car programs on TV all the time - no cars flash their brake lights like that

 

[norm]

I don't agree with either driver, the Renault's actions were dangerous, but the poll has obviously been worded in a biased way.

I agree with the Mercedes driver, there was no need for him to be blocked like that.

There was also no need for him to jump the queue. As much as the self-professed highway code experts want to massage their egos about being right about merge-in-turn at the point of the obstruction, it clearly wasn't being followed by the majority of those there. The merge point was behind the point of the queue.

So in effect what the Merc driver was doing by jumping the queue was slowing the majority down, because the queue would have to stop at the obstruction to let him merge because he was too ignorant and/or impatient to merge earlier.

 

[[TW]Fox]

So in effect what the Merc driver was doing by jumping the queue was slowing the majority down, because the queue would have to stop at the obstruction to let him merge because he was too ignorant and/or impatient to merge earlier.

I believe the majority were slowing themselves down by believing they knew better than the traffic planner who set the roadworks up in the first place.

The only thing the Merc was doing wrong was arguably driving too quickly.

 

[Kenai]

It's an effect from the camera that seems to happen with LED lights on cars. You see it on car programs on TV all the time - no cars flash their brake lights like that

Pretty sure new Mercs flash their lights if the brakes have been stamped on.

Was told this at the AMG experience at Brooklands - if you see a newish Merc in front and the brake lights are flashing, start braking as hard as you can, because he'll be coming to a stop pretty bloody sharpish!

Regarding the traffic situation - ideal world merging in turn works well, in the real world, once everyone has queued, the people driving all the way to the front to be met with people unwilling to let them in ultimately causes slower traffic as everyone tries to stay bumper to bumper preventing people from getting in. It's utterly pathetic really and everyone loses out, as the singular queues would be moving faster if there weren't people exercising their right to merge at the end.

Can't help but feel some simple signage would help

MERGE AT END OF LANE

MERGE IN TURN

No doubt many would still elect to form a singlular 40 mile long queue but it might help a bit. There's only so much stupidity you account for.

 

[iaind]

Pretty sure new Mercs flash their lights if the brakes have been stamped on.

Was told this at the AMG experience at Brooklands - if you see a newish Merc in front and the brake lights are flashing, start braking as hard as you can, because he'll be coming to a stop pretty bloody sharpish!

They flash when you brake HARD. What's happening in that video is much more random flickering, that's the effect you see on a lot of car lights when filmed. I don't know why it happens but you see it on interior and exterior LED lights all the time - if you've ever watched top gear you'll see it

 

[rare]

Pulsation of LED lights, can't be filmed very well.

The Renault guy was an idiot. End of.

 

[Kenai]

They flash when you brake HARD. What's happening in that video is much more random flickering, that's the effect you see on a lot of car lights when filmed. I don't know why it happens but you see it on interior and exterior LED lights all the time - if you've ever watched top gear you'll see it

I haven't even watched the video so wasn't sure what flickering was going on

The effect of the 'random' flickering is the PWM used to control the brightness of the LEDs and the fact it's effectively turning them on and off at a rate that's different to the refresh rate of the video camera.

 

[iaind]

Yep quick google, it's because they use PWM to regulate brightness as you can't dim them by dropping voltage

 

[squerble]

There was also no need for him to jump the queue. As much as the self-professed highway code experts want to massage their egos about being right about merge-in-turn at the point of the obstruction, it clearly wasn't being followed by the majority of those there. The merge point was behind the point of the queue.

So in effect what the Merc driver was doing by jumping the queue was slowing the majority down, because the queue would have to stop at the obstruction to let him merge because he was too ignorant and/or impatient to merge earlier.

Please hand in your drivers license at the nearest police station. The merge point is at the cones. It doesn't magically move because idiots like yourself move too early. Additionally, he's not "queue jumping" in any manner. The queue doesn't have to stop at all, it only stops because people drive too close and cause everyone to stop.

This is the simplest ******* thing in the world yet you're still refuting it.

 

[esoteric]

268
Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.

This happens all the time on my way home. Left lane which is left turn or straight on only moves so much quicker and every day I see people drop out of right and into the left and further down the road at the junction try and get back into the right lane, if they don't get in then they start drag racing at 1 of the 3 set of lights to try and get ahead and then move over. I've even seen people drive over the chevrons.

The other driver is the one who stays in the left when he joins the road even though he knows he's going right a few miles down.

Who ever is lawfully right(the merc is right) it's easy to see why people are hating on the, Merc and cheering the, Reno.

 

[Tummy]

Whenever people are mistaken on the internet, it's nice to know that people respond to them in a civil, polite and friendly manner.

The entitlement / pushing irks me as I said.

 

[Kenai]

Whenever people are mistaken on the internet, it's nice to know that people respond to them in a civil, polite and friendly manner.

The entitlement / pushing irks me as I said.

Does it irk you because deep down it makes you realise you've just sat in a pointless queue that you didn't need to be in and wasted your own time through nothing but your own ignorance of the Highway Code?

 

[DB_SamX]

I thought it was a merge in turn scenario but friend who works in temporary traffic management just said this:

"...this is not a merge in turn scenario due to the fact that black on yellow signs on the verge are distance plates until the lane is shut, this called your lane change zone whereby all traffic should be in the correct lane well before they approach the arrow and taper...Minimum distance should 200yds before the arrow with the ideal distance being 800yds before...The cone from start of taper to finish extends another 137yds but the idea behind an advance lane change zone is to reduce potential risk to driver and road worker by given them plenty of advance notice regarding the lane being shut the idea being that if the miss one sign they will see the next in plenty of time to change lane."

I personally would have merged closer to 200 yards rather than sooner.

 

[scottomus0]

I genuinely thought it was best to move over at the earliest convenience, I guess due to etiquette, mannerism, whatever. How wrong was I!