Lane Merges on Highways

[Sue]

Next thing you'll tell me is that you guys actually know how to pump your own gas too.

 

We sure do, but I'd much rather have it done for me.

[terrancew_hod]

There is warning to get over so do it. If not there will be a huge bottle neck at the merge point. Believe it or not it actually speeds up the process overall.

 

Exactly.

 

I posted something like this a while back where a lighted sign over the highway said "right lane closed 1500 feet" and people were still in that lane. I got over, then moved an extra lane to avoid the last minute changers.

 

There where about 10-13 cars stuck in the right lane and couldn't get over because no one would slow down to allow them to change lanes. If you see the sign that says move over, do it. It helps to keep the traffic moving.

 

Terry

[Coasterlvr_nc]

What I hate is the Outer loop of Charlotte, when im headed home from work sometimes I get stuck in rush hour traffic, it is the slowest because the highway goes from 3 lanes to 2 lanes. Even when it is not rush hour it is still backed up from this bottleneck. What has really made me angry is that while i have merged into one of the 2 correct lanes, everyone else despite signs has to stay in the right lane which is an exit only lane where the bottleneck is, causing more backups as they try and merge.

 

What also makes me really mad are those, " Ohh well im more important than you so im going tol drive on the shoulder for a couple miles past this backup, because clearly I'm more important than you guys stuck in traffic and i deserve better than to sit in traffic." Those people make me sick.

[larrygator]

Public hangings would make a perfect deterrent!

[VegasCoaster]

People who wait to the last minute or move into the lane that has no traffic are the people who cause backups. If everyone saw the sign and moved over then you wouldn't have people slowing down so they don't hit barriers and forcing everyone else to slow down to let them in. Its that whole I need to get there faster mentality, though I'm not sure if there are any benefits overall. If I still had my transportation engineering book I'd crack it open since I think I remember something about this being in there.

[Gav]

I know here in Aus the way the line markings are done make it the fast lane gets right of way when it goes down to one less lane. So really, there is no rule saying when to move over, but anyone with a brain should be able to see that moving over early is better because then you get priority at the merge.

 

I think though with lane closures (eg due to roadworks) then people should just zip merge at the point where the lane ends and then it would be simple.

[terrancew_hod]

^"zip merge"?

 

I hope that isn't the same as darting in front of someone at the last minute at the closure point. That's how accidents happen. The sign is there so you have enough time to safely get over; otherwise there would be no need to even put the sign there.

 

In Miami, you have so many driving cultures on the road at the same time; you literally have people from all over the world driving. You HAVE to be paying attention at the road because they sure aren't. I read that Miami has the worse drivers: people that don't properly change lanes, hit the brakes for no reason or recklessly drive in rush hour traffic. And trust me I've seen people jump multiple lanes at the last minute to make an exit, drive slower than everyone then get in front of you for no reason and then hit the brakes, or dart in your lane at 100mph and it's jammed pack on the road. Yesterday, someone sped in front of me, hit the brakes when there was no one in front of him (which pissed me off) drove slow then got back over to make an exit then decided he didn't want to get off the highway then tried to get back over almost hitting my car, then slammed on the brakes and almost hit the sand barrel barrier at the exit. And I knew he was going to do all that so I was trying to get away from him when he almost hit me. That's what you have to deal with in Miami.

 

So it helps to pay attention to the signs posted, because you don't want to deal with that and the bad drivers at the same time.

 

Terry

[Adrenaline_Rush]

So yea its a FL thing too (the further south you go the worse they are)

 

Heck yeh, I hate those kinds of drivers, I also hate when say Downtown Disney roads theres traffic, so your courteous and let 1 or 2 people goand turn, well then a WHOLE freaking lane of people go and ruin the whole being curteous thing out of proportion, its CRAZY!

[Gav]

^"zip merge"?

Zip merging is where when 2 cars are in 2 lanes, the car behind has to give way to the one in front. So when there are a lot of cars everyone merges in order from frontmost car onwards. It is called a zip merge because its like the teeth on a zipper going together. It actually works pretty well since there is a clear way of doing things.

[terrancew_hod]

^That doesn't work in Miami; any time there is a merge involved traffic is backed up because they don't either know how to let people over or get over. You're better off just getting over before you can't or it becomes dangerous. The drivers aren't courteous here so you just need to be in the right lane and look out for the other drivers that will force their way over then hit the brakes.

 

Terry