Joining dual carriageways/motorways

jor el

farva wrote: »

So you don't pull over from the left lane to the overtaking lane and allow people to join the motorway/dual carraigeway? If they are joining and pushing you out of the way where do you expect them to go when they are merging onto the motorway/dual carraigeway?

It really p1sses me off when people don't pull over and allow merging traffic join, it's very ignorant. I assume that its in the rules of the road to pull over and allow merging traffic join, but it's just good manners to do so.

Why is everyone jumping down farva's throat on this? He's bang on with what he's said here. Traffic in the inside lane should move into the outside lane to allow merging traffic to enter safely, if it's possible. There are plenty of cases where it's almost a necessity, as merging may not be possible if there's no space to merge. You should not force cars out of the way though.

Take a case when several cars are in the inside lane, at speed, and several cars come down the joining lane, at speed. Where do they all go when they get to the end of the merging lane, if the inside lane is full of cars? They can slow, or stop, but this defeats the purpose of merging lanes. If the cars in the inside lane can move into the outside lane, then they should. If the cars in the inside lane are traveling below the speed limit, or there are sufficient gaps between them, then merging should not be an issue. Simply go faster, or slip in between them.

Of course, they could merge individually between the cars in the driving lane, because nobody in Ireland ever drives tail to tail, do they?

There is always the case of where the motorway is at a stand still though, in which case merging is a different story. Moving out of the way is probably off the cards, and in this case, the merging traffic must simply wait for a gap to merge into, often depending on the generosity of those in the inside lane.

mcwhirter wrote:

It is different though when the roads are not bumper to bumper. It can be dangerous moving across lanes especially when forced.

If the road is reasonable clear, then changing lanes need not be dangerous. If it is dangerous, then you can't change lane. Nobody should be forced to do it, but if possible, you should, in order to not have any traffic slowing down.

jor el

MYOB wrote: »

This is a hypothetical Irish motorway, person moving out of way could be doing 70km/h or less...

If the person in the inside lane is doing 70kmph, then someone joining the road at 100kmph, should have no issue. If the general speed of traffic on the road is 70kmph, then the joiner should only be doing this speed (the merging lane allows you to reach the speed of the traffic after all), and there shouldn't be anyone coming up behind them at 120kmph.

It's very simple. If possible, move over. If the motorway is choc-a-block and almost at a standstill, then everyone must give or nobody goes anywhere. Merging lanes work when the traffic is moving. Even slow moving traffic must allow room for merging traffic. If it's at a standstill, then it may as well be a stop sign.

L1011

jor el wrote: »

If the person in the inside lane is doing 70kmph, then someone joining the road at 100kmph, should have no issue. If the general speed of traffic on the road is 70kmph, then the joiner should only be doing this speed (the merging lane allows you to reach the speed of the traffic after all), and there shouldn't be anyone coming up behind them at 120kmph.

It's very simple. If possible, move over. If the motorway is choc-a-block and almost at a standstill, then everyone must give or nobody goes anywhere. Merging lanes work when the traffic is moving. Even slow moving traffic must allow room for merging traffic. If it's at a standstill, then it may as well be a stop sign.

Except this is, again, Ireland meaning people try to join running motorways significantly below speed.

I only move over if its clear the driver coming on is unlikely to be able to match speed properly - e.g. if its a truck and I'm doing 120k; or its a Nissan Micra and I'm doing any speed more than 0.

jor el

MYOB wrote: »

Nissan Micra and I'm doing any speed more than 0.

Add Yaris, Corsa and Punto, and you'll be spot on. :pac:

Yes, if the people merging can't/won't join the motorway at the speed of the traffic, then again, the merging lane fails. If there's a gap there, then merging should be easy, and doesn't require anyone to do anything special, just to know what they're doing (which, granted, is a special requirement for a lot of Irish motorists).

Stark

jor_el wrote:

If the person in the inside lane is doing 70kmph, then someone joining the road at 100kmph, should have no issue. If the general speed of traffic on the road is 70kmph, then the joiner should only be doing this speed (the merging lane allows you to reach the speed of the traffic after all), and there shouldn't be anyone coming up behind them at 120kmph.

Emphasis on the word *should*. It's the responsibility of the person entering the motorway to match their speed to traffic already driving in the nearest lane. Provided the cars in the inside lane are leaving sufficient space between themselves and the car in front, then there is absolutely no reason for them to change lanes.