What Do You Do Prior To Lane Closure On Dual Carriageways?

[The Dark Knight]

After seeing a recent YouTube video, I wondered what people's thoughts and actions were in this situation. Vote away!

Here is the video in question:

[Preee]

Haha fair play to the guy who stopped him, he got his just deserves.

[Russ]

Saw a similar event once on the M90 but it was a van that pulled out blocking them, one of the funniest things I've seen

[WES180]

I hate tools that think they have the right to block lanes. If they choose to sit and wait rather than drive up to the cones and then merge one for one they shouldnt be surprised when people go past them. Slightly different in that video though as it is causing an undertake rather than over so I cant condone it. If it was the right lane that had to merge in at the end instead then people should get tickets and fines for causing an obstruction in a live lane just because they dont want people overtaking them.

[Goodkat]

Use both lanes, merge in turn. Definitely. Improves traffic flow and shortens massive tailbacks. I don't think it is actually classed as undertaking (as an offence) to be moving faster than the traffic in the right hand lane if the right hand lane is blocked and the left not. I could be wrong, maybe Stoney could confirm as he is Fuzz.

Those who block people at the merge point are sour-faced gits, just because they are daft enough to wait ages in a jam when another lane is clear, shouldn't take it out on those who don't.

This happens all the time in local roadworks and junctions around here. I am one of the inconsiderate fools who will use the clear lane then drop in. Life is too short to spend it queuing with the lemmings.

Sent via the 'Clacks'

GNU STP

[MarksST]

Agree with Wes and Ben,

The signs tell you when the lane is going to close, it's hundreds of yards ahead not miles back, the best thing to do is use both lanes then be sensible and merge in turn, unfortunately people aren't sensible and don't like to let someone ahead of them, it doesn't delay them at all.

That scenic driver should have just let him past, why wind someone up ( someone you don't know or what they are like in that sort of situation). The merc driver was probably going a bit faster than necessary but that's all he did wrong until he was blocked. Undertaking in that situation is allowed.

[b1g_dav3]

I go down the hard shoulder to get around these fools... They go so slow looking for a place to get in, just blast down it and force your way in with the side of the car... Damn wussy drivers.

Disclaimer: I accept no responsibility for people who copy this and blow up and/or die.

Disclaimer: I blew up and died when I did this once.

On a serious note, why use one lane? It backs up a butt-ton, go to the cones, merge at the cones in a sequence and the traffic will flow much better, people will be less stressed out and the tools will have to wait.

[Marks12]

the option i wanted to vote for on the pole would have been would you block them and then drag them out of the car and shoot them! :P

[The Dark Knight]

Mark, wouldn't you also be tempted to say "You're all puppets, tangled in strings. STRINGS!" ;)

[Marks12]

Mark, wouldn't you also be tempted to say "You're all puppets, tangled in strings. STRINGS!" ;)

Yes that is true indeed YOUR ALL PUPPETS TANGLED IN STRINGS

[simcor]

I agree with people saying they should merge in turn in plenty of time, there is always plenty of notice indicating lanes are reduced yet people still barrel down as fast as they can and then expect to be let in right at the end where the cones block the lane off. It is shear ignorance of others to expect you have more of a right than people queuing patiently. You often see people sitting in the lane where everyone is queuing then suddenly decide to pull out and undertake people just to jump a few cars. These are the ones that royally annoy me and usually get the blocking treatment.

If everyone merges in plenty of time the traffic will flow a lot faster than two lanes trying to merge at the last few hundred yards, evidence based to back this up, nearly 20 years of driving for a living, taxis. vans and trucks. I have been in jams where the traffic is not moving from the start of the signs saying lanes are closed, once someone stops the vehicles that all want to beat the queue doing so the vehicles move much quicker, seen it so many times.

I do sometimes use my vehicle to stop people undertaking like that, however if they start being dangerous or threatening then it is not worth the aggro in this day and age and if they want to resort to driving along the hard shoulder to get past they clearly do not care in the slightest about anything.

However if people drive slowly alongside the cars queuing and indicating to merge I will let them in, the ones that barrel past clearly have no intention of trying to merge until they have got past as many cars as they can.

There is a difference between driving steadily and indicating to merge from the start of the countdown to lane closure warning and going at whatever speed you feel like because the lane is empty and expecting someone else to allow you to merge right at the end.

It can depend on the scenario, for example a hill near me which anyone from around this area will know where I am talking about.

Single carriageway NSL, short hill with two lanes at top of hill it merges back to one lane and a set of traffic lights a few hundred yards away, the reason the two lane stretch is there is fro slow moving vehicles to be overtaken struggling up the hill, however when it is busy it queues down the hill to the start of the two lanes, people regularly see the queue with nowhere to move and use the outside lane to get past the cars waiting patiently. Sorry is it just plain rude to queue jump others in life full stop.

If you were in a queue elsewhere on foot say Alton Towers, would you just allow someone else to jump in front of you in the queue without asking ( fair enough if someone is old and cant stand for long or has a disability etc and asks if they can jump in). It is the same principle.

Then again I don't like people much to be fair and can't stand people being selfish lol

Some road works now have signs saying use both lanes and merge in turn, I know for a fact it does not work it slows the flow of the traffic down even more, when traffic is light enough then yes using both lanes and merging in turn works but when it is already stationary and people just want to gain as many places as they can it does not work.

That's me thoughts and I am sure some will agree with me and others will disagree but everyone is entitled to an opinion.

[WES180]

Where is the thumbs down icon on here lol! LANE BLOCKER!!!!!!

[MarksST]

I agree with people saying they should merge in turn in plenty of time, there is always plenty of notice indicating lanes are reduced yet people still barrel down as fast as they can and then expect to be let in right at the end where the cones block the lane off. It is shear ignorance of others to expect you have more of a right than people queuing patiently. You often see people sitting in the lane where everyone is queuing then suddenly decide to pull out and undertake people just to jump a few cars. These are the ones that royally annoy me and usually get the blocking treatment.

If everyone merges in plenty of time the traffic will flow a lot faster than two lanes trying to merge at the last few hundred yards, evidence based to back this up, nearly 20 years of driving for a living, taxis. vans and trucks. I have been in jams where the traffic is not moving from the start of the signs saying lanes are closed, once someone stops the vehicles that all want to beat the queue doing so the vehicles move much quicker, seen it so many times.

I do sometimes use my vehicle to stop people undertaking like that, however if they start being dangerous or threatening then it is not worth the aggro in this day and age and if they want to resort to driving along the hard shoulder to get past they clearly do not care in the slightest about anything.

However if people drive slowly alongside the cars queuing and indicating to merge I will let them in, the ones that barrel past clearly have no intention of trying to merge until they have got past as many cars as they can.

There is a difference between driving steadily and indicating to merge from the start of the countdown to lane closure warning and going at whatever speed you feel like because the lane is empty and expecting someone else to allow you to merge right at the end.

It can depend on the scenario, for example a hill near me which anyone from around this area will know where I am talking about.

Single carriageway NSL, short hill with two lanes at top of hill it merges back to one lane and a set of traffic lights a few hundred yards away, the reason the two lane stretch is there is fro slow moving vehicles to be overtaken struggling up the hill, however when it is busy it queues down the hill to the start of the two lanes, people regularly see the queue with nowhere to move and use the outside lane to get past the cars waiting patiently. Sorry is it just plain rude to queue jump others in life full stop.

If you were in a queue elsewhere on foot say Alton Towers, would you just allow someone else to jump in front of you in the queue without asking ( fair enough if someone is old and cant stand for long or has a disability etc and asks if they can jump in). It is the same principle.

Then again I don't like people much to be fair and can't stand people being selfish lol

Some road works now have signs saying use both lanes and merge in turn, I know for a fact it does not work it slows the flow of the traffic down even more, when traffic is light enough then yes using both lanes and merging in turn works but when it is already stationary and people just want to gain as many places as they can it does not work.

That's me thoughts and I am sure some will agree with me and others will disagree but everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Agree with the part about driving steadily.

Your Alton towers analogy is not the same, Alton towers would have 1 lane not 2 with 1closing, if they did have 2 lanes they would tell people to use both till they got to the gate. Don't they have express queuing? Basically letting people push in for money?

[Goodkat]

Diagram time! Now in these two images, figure 1 shows, on average, what happens on Great Western Way at peak times. There is substantial roadworks occuring here at the moment, and the majority of people pull into the right hand lane early. As you will see, there are knock on effects of doing this.

The roundabout is blocked, that is because by this point no-one wants to give right of way, yet the left hand lane remains clear.

If people actually merged in turn, with a bit of patience (and not being a 'holier than thou' ponce), the cars using both lanes up to the closure point would use up approximately the area shown in Figure 2.

On some days, traffic levels will exceed capacity but by using a bit of common sense and merge in turn, it can and will ease major tailbacks.

Here are a couple of gifs to nail my meaning.

Zipper Merge - 'Merge in turn' (Which I think is better)

Early Merge - What everyone has a problem with because few can grasp the concept of the prior concept...

[WES180]

If people actually merged in turn, with a bit of patience (and not being a 'holier than thou' ponce)

LMAO!

[MarksST]

The people not willing to or who can't work out that it's for the best cause delays on the M25 (anticlockwise) to M23 slip road everyday, traffics flows freely on the M25 and then stops on the 2 lane slip only to flow again when you get on the M23.

These people will sit there moaning about being held up when they are part of the reason for the hold up.

[MONDEO TXS 2.2]

A compulsory retest every 5 years would soon empty the roads of woodentops & airheads . . . free if you pass, compulsory retraining if you fail.

[simcor]

Actually the biggest problem is people not reading the road or signs ahead.

When you know a lane is closing your speed needs to be adjusted in plenty of time to allow the cars to merge, but people do not do that, they barrel down at whatever speed they feel like and then adjust there speed when there is nowhere to go or deceleration area. The other issue is people who drive too slowly through the lane closure and slow the traffic down even further which then causes the tailbacks by which time those that have merged in turn in good time and adjusted their speed are now at a standstill. Then everyone decides that the clear lane is available to carry on at any speed and then try and get in lane at the last second and most people won't let them in.

It is all about being patient and anticipation and being courteous, something the majority of drivers do not do.

[simcor]

Double post

[Trewithy]

I'm for zip merging at the appropriate time and that means If two lanes are open then two lanes should be used right up to the cones. Those self appointed traffic enforcers who block lanes are idiots who need to get themselves a current copy of the highway code.

[Phil 87]

Use both lanes, merge in turn. Definitely. Improves traffic flow and shortens massive tailbacks.

I've been wondering about this and it does make sense, because the tailback will be shorter if all the available lanes are used. I usually merge early and wait, thinking that I'll only be helping myself by driving further and pushing in. But if everyone driving up to the cones and merging actually gets the traffic through quicker, then I might start doing that. It's just that everyone else will think you're being selfish and won't let you in.

[Trewithy]

Phil 87,

I understand your dilemma but if more people use all the available lanes it will soon come to be accepted as common practice. I know most people do not look at the Highway Code once they have passed their driving test so they are probably unaware that Zip Merging is now included under Rule 134.

[Phil 87]

^ I had a look at rule 134 and it doesn't specifically say anything about this, unless I didn't understand it. There seems to be a divided opinion on whether it's better to use all the available space or merge early so the traffic can flow through more easily.

[Goodkat]

Rule 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.

It is quite ambiguous.

I think by having a campaign on Rule 134 to the masses, billboards, social media, etc then they may be able to get people doing it. Well, maybe a few more than normal anyway. Phil, do it anyway. People will hate you for it, but you will get to your destination faster and a couple of others may start to follow suit, start a revolution!

[Phil 87]

^ I actually have started doing this occasionally, especially on the way to work where there is a 2+ lane after coming off the M1. There's often a long queue of traffic with the left lane completely empty, and signs before the 2+ lane starts telling you to "merge in turn". So I take this as an excuse to do just that and save myself some time by going up the left lane :)

At roadworks though which only have signs telling you when the lane ends, I think most people will not be happy to let you in so I would normally go with the stress free option of merging early, or being in the correct lane before the traffic even starts slowing down.