davegtt

No thats the points its a rolling road block so people all drive approx the same speed and merge sensibly rather than lane travelling at 20mph and lane 2 travelling at 40-50 all rushing to the front then before you know it theres a back log of traffic trying to merge. the signs warning you every 200yds to merge when you can, theyre not telling you quick quick rush to the front theres another 400yds before you have to get into line

Rabid

The point is that some vigilante trucker isn't fit to run a rolling road block, neither can this be relied on as a measure that contributes to road safety.
What would happen if everyone just drove as normally and then filtered across shortly before the blockage point is exactly what you describe above.
This is the situation in every other country I've driven in. It's just the UK with it's bizarre mentality where it seems to be a problem. A place where idiots dive across to form a queue at the earliest possible opportunity then get all self righteous when people carry on using open road space. Of course the opposite is true as well, there will always be selfish ******* who drive at an unsafe speed and then force their way in dangerously at the last minute. I believe the queuing sheep actually reinforce and enable this behavior. If everyone did as they were supposed to there would be no problem at all.
What I tend to do is slow to a reasonable and safe speed for the conditions in the empty lane and then merge safely while the less informed sit in a mile long queue trying their hardest to keep a minimal gap between themselves and the traffic in front.
The only reason you get people zooming down the lane that is to be closed is because the majority of ill informed idiots have formed a queue far too soon.
It's not me telling you this either- I'm recounting best practice as endorsed by the experts.
That's why the opinion of people who support this is WRONG.

davegtt

you tell me what you'll like, you'll see I did say in an earlier post that in practice it works but the UK is full of ignorant annoying ba$tards who will litterally go straight to the end brake sharply and litterally push in rather than merge, it happs, Ive seen it happen alot... You might merge sensibly at 50-100yds from the end and fair enough but your one of very few in this country where it happens.

Trucker Ted

Well done davegtt, nice to see there are some people with good roadcraft and manners out there.Your talking sense my friend !

Spoon

Unfortunately Ted, the scenario that Dave now quotes was never in question. Bad manners are bad manners whichever method is used.

As often happens on a thread when somebody starts on a loser, their posts tend to go off on a tangent.

NotoriousREV

Half the problem is that when you're trying to merge (as opposed to cut in) is that the brainless morons who like queuing won't let you merge so you have a choice of stopping before the lane closure (pointless, dangerous etc.) or continuing closer to the closure in the hope that someone sensible will let you in. It's the whole Jasper Carrot "you're not getting in here, I'm sticking to the back bumper of the car infront" mentality that makes the system fall apart. When I am in the open lane, I make a point of allowing merging traffic plenty of space.

DazW

iTrader: (1)

& multi-storey carparks? @ the entrance/exit two 'lanes' converging into one ...which one do you choose?

Rabid

The point with the most authority on this thread is that advanced driving experts endorse zip mergin in turn at the point where the lane restriction starts. I'm happy to follow their advice and I suggest that anyone with half a brain would do the same.

Sport160

Why would you try to merge 50 -100yds before the merge point ?

Sorry, but I don't understand why merging at the merge point is bad manners.

use both lanes and take it in turns, but don't get upset if you meet someone who won't let you in, just go behind them. Life to short to get wound up by things like that.

speedking

Why not set the cones up so that the first part of the restricted area is in the middle of the two lanes and then move it across to avoid the roadworks? Then merge-in-turn would be the obvious way to approach.

RJMS

iTrader: (2)

Probably too much work as you would then need two lines of cones However it does seem like a pretty good idea.

DaveD

iTrader: (2)

This is exactly the point - the signs are there to give you advance warning of the lane closure, this is to give you enough time to move into an available gap in the traffic in the next lane - ie: merge-in-turn.

If all the traffic has managed to merge-in-turn before the very end of the lane (which it ought to - travelling at 50mph headlong into a set of rather large & heavy cones isn't good for the paintwork) then so what? Traffic should still observe the merge-in-turn rule - ie; remain parallel to rhe traffic in the adjacent lane. Rushing past 400yds of queued cars isn't merging - it is blatant 'queue jumping' and that just adds to the congestion.

jasey

No that's merging in turn at the place where you need to merge in turn. Just because there's 400 yards of premature mergers isn't the "Jumpers" fault .

Sport160

What he said

dsmith

Rolling truckers are complete retards with zero awareness of whats happening beyond their own little cab.

e.g.
A14 outside Ipswich. The Orwell bridge needs relatively frequent checking/repairs so lanes get coned off for some time every few years. *if* the queue gets long enough to hit vital junctions to the east and west the entire local area grinds to a halt. *if* 2 lanes form and merge nicely this doesnt happen hence "merge in turn" signs etc.

But no...some visiting trucker from retardsville comes out of Felixstowe dock and immediately decides he knows much better than the local police, residents and highways agency and we should all uses just 1 lane.

Inconvenience is spread too many more thousands who could - if the relevant junctions were kept clear - avoid the congested area completely.

On one occassion I've seen a traffic car get to the front of one **** rolling road block and pull the idiot over. Should happen more often.

Lee_1075

iTrader: (1)

Hmm, how clever is that awnser . Just how many of the persons that have awnsered in this thread actually drive a 40 ton + Truck??. Go away and do it on a daily basis for a week or 2, then come back to this thread and then lets see your awnsers!. You will then actually understand why the driver did what he did. Truckers are also car drivers too. Lets see it from a truckers point of view!. Hmm roadworks ahead, mirror check, no cars behind me there all in the fastlane , hmm they must have missed the signs about the sigle file with speed limits??.. the car driver ignores the limit, speeds up just to make sure he can push himself infront of the truck, but wait Sh*t there no space infront of that truck ahh who cares that fits, im sure trucks have the breaking power of F1 cars nower days . opps obviously they dont and his 40 tonnes has just made my nice Benz into a Corgi car , what a wan**er the truck driver is, he must have left his crystal ball at home. Jesus i could sit here all day and rant and rave at all the things that you car drivers do to annoy me whilst in my truck, but why bother?. Only difference is we can see it from both perspectives! can you??

Daft Lad

I can't, but I do believe you've missed the point slightly my friend. We're talking about trucks blocking lanes a large distance before the merge point, not cars cutting trucks up at the last second......aren't we?

Chip

Well said Peter.

Chip

Brit_in_Japan

It's all about the perception of "fairness".

People who drive to the end of the outside lane before merging are seen as pushing in, queue-jumpers. However if everyone did it, each taking their turn to merge, one-by-one without someone trying to jump a few cars, it would be fair and I think it would be accepted.

I have to say I was once of the same mind as the truckers referred to by the original poster, however seeing how well the system does work if done properly, I am now convinced merge in turn is the best way.

Lee_1075

iTrader: (1)

Sorry but i thought the topic was called "Please explain why truckers do this".. Ive explained why. They do it so the cars dont cut them up in the last second.

Sport160

Sorry still don't get it, if you know that 2 lanes of traffic are going to merge into 1 at a fixed point (e.g. where the cones start to block the road) then you can plan for it and therefore you won't need the brakes of an F1 car.

If nobody has a clue where anyone is going to merge (50 yds, 100yds 1/4mile whatever) then thats when you need F1 brakes and a crystal ball.

Sport160

Spot on in my opinion, where I have seen "use both lanes" and "merge in turn signs" everything seems to move easier.

Lee_1075

iTrader: (1)

What dont you get?, if everyone done what Brit in Japan said then there wouldnt be any problems at all, unfortunatly 9 times out of 10 it isnt like this on the roads, its more like the way i posted. Therfore the brakes and ball are needed infact i would say i experience this atleast 5 times a day, so to make it eaiser and to avoid a accident were us truckers end up hitting the back end of a car we can simpily narrow the whole road.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

thats why i have seen truckers hold up the fast lane in a traffic jam when there is over 1 mile of clear road in front of them when peole try to be clever with me in that way i can always be just as clever with them once the hold up is finished !!

Lee_1075

iTrader: (1)

Ok im fighting a lost battle . Im just trying to explain to the car drivers that have no idea what driving a truck is about. Getting 40 tonnes rolling and stopped isnt as easy as doing it in our everyday cars. Like i said go out for one for a day or two and then lets see your awnsers.

Holding up traffic for a mile or more is pointless in my mind, but there is always a few bad apple truckers that give us all a bad name. @Steve thats not the way to solve things mate. We all use the roads, so why not together instead of against another!.

Regards
Lee = Trying his hardest to explain it from a truckers point of view.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

i would never just pull straight in front of a truck or a large vehicle for exactly the reason you have stated, braking distance!! i wouldnt want to be a **** to the trucker, if i was gonna pull in i will always put my indicator on 1st and ill sit in the fast lane for a little bit so the trucker knows im gonna pull over and i would never pull in his safe gap at speed

davegtt

Well it'd be nice if everybody did and we could come to a compromise. But if you drive on motorways everyday (you probably do for all I know) you'll realise that the majority of car drivers are oblivious to other traffic and common curtosous ono the road, How many middle lane hoggers do you see on the road for one? how many lane switches without indicating do you see? let alone the others who sit in the fast lane forgetting to pull over to let others past etc etc, the list is endless.

Scooby Soon!

I had to go to Norfolk today, cant tell you what road it was A12? (I just follow the sat nav) and passed 800 yards of vehicles unitl I got to the front of the queue

I had a huge smile across my face when I got to the front and "pushed" in thinking about all the silly ***** that had dived in to lane 1 at the first roadworks sign, made me think of this thread and some of the people on here that love to queue x 10

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

there is no common courtesy on the roads at anytime now its all i want to be there NOW !!! personally i think people who hog the outside lanes are much worse than people who pull in at the last minute in traffic queues

Scooby Soon!

I forgot to say that I agree that everyone should get in to lane 1 as soon as possible













(accept me) that will ease my drive to the front of the queue so I can "push in"