Merging lanes: Who has right of way

dragon_lordMTB

Question:

If I'm in the left hand lane and right hand lane has road marking indicating to merge to the left, who has the right of way?

Should the car on the right stop and merge when it is safe to do so or do I give way and let right hand lane merge?

Thanks.

Cookie_Monster

like a zip

rameire

knit one sow one

Berty

Left lane has right of way and right lane should ATTEMPT to merge with left when able to but yes LIKE A ZIP.

Although, because people are assholes, this will not happen when traffic is heavy because people ASSUME those merging are trying to sneak past them on the right hand lane.

Mena

If people just acted like grown adults and had a little bit of respect for each other, there'd be no reason to specify who has right of way.

Can't we all just get along?

corktina

Who has right of way ? Me....:)

Zubeneschamali

dragon_lordMTB wrote: »

who has the right of way?

First trucks and buses, then BMW SUVs, other SUVs, other BMWs, then anyone whose car is already a bit bashed looking.

Guy:Incognito

Beer Baron wrote: »

Although, because people are assholes, this will not happen when traffic is heavy because people ASSUME those merging are trying to sneak past them on the right hand lane.

Thats because they usually are Theres always warning signs telling you a lane is coming to an end, thats when to merge, NOT drive right to the where the lane dissappears and assume everyone sees you coming.

corktina

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

First trucks and buses, then BMW SUVs, other SUVs, other BMWs, then anyone whose car is already a bit bashed looking.

...and last of all, meek people who whilst they might inherit the earth, wont get home as quick as me.

hoodie6029

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Thats because they usually are Theres always warning signs telling you a lane is coming to an end, thats when to merge, NOT drive right to the where the lane dissappears and assume everyone sees you coming.

so with 1 km or 500m before my lane ends I should try to move to the left and leave a clear stretch of road ahead of me making the tail back from the lane closure longer?

Or should I merge where my lane ends, where everyone else could reasonably expect people to merge and make full use of all the available lanes?

corktina

hoodie6029 wrote: »

so with 1 km or 500m before my lane ends I should try to move to the left and leave a clear stretch of road ahead of me making the tail back from the lane closure longer?

Or should I merge where my lane ends, where everyone else could reasonably expect people to merge and make full use of all the available lanes?

the second option...like a zip

biko

Usually the bigger/flashier car will go first.

BostonB

Depending on the junction, it could be merge in turn.

Big Nasty

Crane Truck > Artic > Bus / Coach > Rigid > Van > SUV > BMW / Merc / Audi > The Little People

challengemaster

Beer Baron wrote: »

Left lane has right of way and right lane should ATTEMPT to merge with left when able to but yes LIKE A ZIP.

Although, because people are assholes, this will not happen when traffic is heavy because people ASSUME those merging are trying to sneak past them on the right hand lane.

Well when they make it obvious by pulling out from directally behind you in a queue of traffic and then indicate to merge back in 3-4 cars up the road, it's sort of hard not to think so :P

Jimoslimos

Beer Baron wrote: »

Left lane has right of way and right lane should ATTEMPT to merge with left when able to but yes LIKE A ZIP.

I've noticed in Australia, when overtaking lanes end or 3 into 2 on a motorway - its the LEFT lane that merges into the RIGHT instead. Any reason why this is the other way around?

But yeah, like a zip, when the traffic starts to compact merge from the right - and drivers in the left lane, keep about 2-3 car length behind the car in front until someone merges

Paparazzo

If anyone ever drives along Mount street in front of the Maternity hospital here the opposite of the law applies. Cars on the right seem to think they have right of way.

biko

biko wrote: »

Usually the bigger/flashier car will go first.

When the ole lad started driving cabs years ago after a few weeks the boss asked him how was he getting on, the ole lad said he was happy enough but that 'twas hard to get from the lane to base was on onto the main street (one of the main roads in Cork City). The owner chomped on his pipe, and nodded, "indeed Bob he said, it can be hard alright" he said, "wait 'till a 95 is coming along and pull out, they'll stop" :pac:

Bigcheeze

Jimoslimos wrote: »

I've noticed in Australia, when overtaking lanes end or 3 into 2 on a motorway - its the LEFT lane that merges into the RIGHT instead. Any reason why this is the other way around?

Probably because nobody drives in the left lane and everyone drives in the "fast lane" so nobody has to merge from the left and nobody even notices that the road has gone from 3 to 2 lanes.

cyclopath2001

dragon_lordMTB wrote: »

Question:If I'm in the left hand lane and right hand lane has road marking indicating to merge to the left, who has the right of way? Should the car on the right stop and merge when it is safe to do so or do I give way and let right hand lane merge?

Since the right lane is for overtaking, and the overtaking regulations prohibit doing so if it would endanger or inconvenience another person, the cars in the right cannot cut in on you, force you to slow down or stop, as this would be illegal under the regulations. If they're already in front of you, then you'd have to let them in as you can't pass them on the inside as that would endanger or inconvenience them.

slimjimmc

^+1 what cyclopath2001 said, though the right lane may not always for over-taking (could be an unusual merging lane from a side street) but the same principle applies.

Guy:Incognito

hoodie6029 wrote: »

so with 1 km or 500m before my lane ends I should try to move to the left and leave a clear stretch of road ahead of me making the tail back from the lane closure longer?

Why would there be a tail back if everyone had merged in plenty of time?

The problem is that most people try to go right to the end of the lane then assume they can force their way in to any position that suites them and the traffic in the other lane should give way.

When the M50 was being widened and the outside lane was gradually being brought in to use there used to be huge tailbacks because a big line of cars all barrelled to the end of the closeing lane together and then braked and ried to forced everyone else to move. Every day I'd see people moving out in to the closing lane to skip traffic after the signs started to let them know it was closing. If everyone used the last 100-200m to change lanes thered be no issue.

People are arseholes so merging like a zip doesnt work. Once one of them tries to force themselve in with the car in front to a gap that isnt there and the traffic in the lane has to brake the ripple effect kicks in and tailbacks ensue. These are teh same people I see all the time diving across from the middle or outside lane at the last second to take the off ramp.

JMSE

whoever is going faster has the right of way, is that not true?

12 element

What about when there are no markings and two lanes just become one?

delly

12 element wrote: »

What about when there are no markings and two lanes just become one?

The Spice Girls turn up for an ensemble performance.

cyclopath2001

JMSE wrote: »

whoever is going faster has the right of way, is that not true?

No, it's not. Whoever is in the continuing lane has priority. The faster driver has to slow down and merge in a way that will not endanger or inconvenience anyone he's overtaking.

ted1

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Why would there be a tail back if everyone had merged in plenty of time?

The problem is that most people try to go right to the end of the lane then assume they can force their way in to any position that suites them and the traffic in the other lane should give way.

When the M50 was being widened and the outside lane was gradually being brought in to use there used to be huge tailbacks because a big line of cars all barrelled to the end of the closeing lane together and then braked and ried to forced everyone else to move. Every day I'd see people moving out in to the closing lane to skip traffic after the signs started to let them know it was closing. If everyone used the last 100-200m to change lanes thered be no issue.

People are arseholes so merging like a zip doesnt work. Once one of them tries to force themselve in with the car in front to a gap that isnt there and the traffic in the lane has to brake the ripple effect kicks in and tailbacks ensue. These are teh same people I see all the time diving across from the middle or outside lane at the last second to take the off ramp.

Merge at end of lane, that's why it'd shaped the way it is, to merge earlier would be a lane change and not a merge

cyclopath2001

ted1 wrote: »

Merge at end of lane

...but don't overtake while approaching the end of the lane.

corktina

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

...but don't overtake while approaching the end of the lane.

what if inside lane is stationery?

theres two lanes, use them both at normal speed or as close to as possible given the conditions and then merge like a zip where the lanes join.

Reloc8

1. Traffic in the continuing lane has right of way.

2. Failing to merge like a zip in slow moving traffic makes you a complete dickhead whichever lane you are in.

That is all.

cyclopath2001

corktina wrote: »

what if inside lane is stationery?

The overtaking regulations still apply. Passing stationary vehicles and cutting in front causes them inconvenience and that's explicitly prohibited.

Why would there be cars in the overtaking lane doing the same speed as those in the driving lane? If you cannot overtake without gettng clear of the other cars and then return to the driving lane without impeding them, you don't. It's in the regs.

corktina

how can you cut in front of a stationery vehicle?

Victor

dragon_lordMTB wrote: »

Question:

If I'm in the left hand lane and right hand lane has road marking indicating to merge to the left, who has the right of way?

Should the car on the right stop and merge when it is safe to do so or do I give way and let right hand lane merge?

Thanks.

Its down to the road markings. Invariably the right hand lane has arrows indicating one should join the left hand lane. changing lanes means you are mean to yield.

With some lanes, in particular bus lanes, there may be a yield marking a the end of hte bus lane, indicating that traffic in the traffic lane has right of way.

12 element wrote: »

What about when there are no markings and two lanes just become one?

If there are no markings, there is only one lane! :pac: If you mean no instructions / arrows / yield sign, then the left lane would normally retain right of way - the over-taking lane is just an over-taking lane.

cyclopath2001

corktina wrote: »

how can you cut in front of a stationery vehicle?

Usually, there is a gap of about 1.5 metres between stopped vehicles. A driver in the outside lane comes up alongside and then juts in part of his vehicle into that gap, preventing the vehicle on the inside from moving. He then forces his way fully into the inside lane as soon as the cars in front start to move.

Popoutman

In some locations (and in a lot of French autoroutes), the climbing lane on a hill has to merge in with the lane to its outside, in a way similar to an onramp on a motorway, but there are not that many places in Ireland the I remember where this is the case.

The road marking must be obeyed, and as was said earlier, the continuing lane has the right of way and the onus is on the ending lane to merge correctly.