traffic queue control...unofficial

corktina

i'm in UK and twice I came across traffic queues at roadworks where two lanes were reduced to one and truckers took it on themselves to block the outside lane to prevent it travelling faster than the inside lane.

I think this is unnecessary and most likely to cause road rage. Zip merging at the point of lane closure would be my preference.

ANy opinions?

colm_mcm

Zip merging never happens though.

repsol

If they were very bright they would not be driving a truck for a living ,would they? Chances are if the traffic cops see them doing it they will get a pull

Repsol

sheehan12

repsol wrote: »

If they were very bright they would not be driving a truck for a living ,would they? Chances are if the traffic cops see them doing it they will get a pull

Repsol

that one stupid reply

kirving

repsol wrote: »

If they were very bright they would not be driving a truck for a living ,would they? Chances are if the traffic cops see them doing it they will get a pull

Repsol

What a well thought out, constructive reply.

I can kind of see where the trucker is coming from though. Their lane would never move if cars just keep going down one lane and not letting others in.

colm_mcm

It actually makes traffic merge quicker as the merging is done farther down the road.

Not condoning it or anything, but if traffic merges in ten different places at the same time it's quicker than it all merging one by one.

101sean

Truck drivers in the UK have done it for years.

It is a waste of road space but until drivers are educated to zip merge (like it will ever happen :rolleyes:) they will bunch up to stop others coming in and truckers will try to police it.

rugbyman

101sean wrote: »

Truck drivers in the UK have done it for years.

It is a waste of road space but until drivers are educated to zip merge (like it will ever happen :rolleyes:) they will bunch up to stop others coming in and truckers will try to police it.

I have driven trucks in UK and Europe for over thirty years. I strongly approve of this practice by lorry drivers.the amount of jams I've seen caused by sales rep types in their mondeos is amazing. Where a car in the outer lane speedily accelerates into the space ahead of a slow accelerating truck is fine. But in most cases twenty cars touch their brakes as on Cnut pushes in causing a chain reaction.

If you want to see good driving ,drive in Germany. As soon as the lane closure is signposted,say 1500metres in advance the Germans merge and everyone goes through the obstruction freely and at a reasonable speed. Treat to be there.

Jeremy Clarkson christened his country men The Middle Lane Residents Association! This association is thriving also in Belgium.

Rugbyman

keithclancy

rugbyman wrote: »

I have driven trucks in UK and Europe for over thirty years. I strongly approve of this practice by lorry drivers.the amount of jams I've seen caused by sales rep types in their mondeos is amazing. Where a car in the outer lane speedily accelerates into the space ahead of a slow accelerating truck is fine. But in most cases twenty cars touch their brakes as on Cnut pushes in causing a chain reaction.

If you want to see good driving ,drive in Germany. As soon as the lane closure is signposted,say 1500metres in advance the Germans merge and everyone goes through the obstruction freely and at a reasonable speed. Treat to be there.

Jeremy Clarkson christened his country men The Middle Lane Residents Association! This association is thriving also in Belgium.

Rugbyman

I've seen trucks getting pulled for doing this during peak hours when its forbidden.

Big Nasty

I lived and worked in belgium for a couple of years. Typically if there is a jam on a two lane carriageway most drivers pull in to the driving lane and queue. Of course I would plough on up the passing lane and try to merge at the latest possible point before the jam. Anytime I did this I would get someone swerving in to the passing lane in a half attempt to block me to let me know I was being a dick and jumping the queue.

Didn't stop me doing it though!

mdebets

rugbyman wrote: »

If you want to see good driving ,drive in Germany. As soon as the lane closure is signposted,say 1500metres in advance the Germans merge and everyone goes through the obstruction freely and at a reasonable speed. Treat to be there.

You want see this merging often in Germany, because it's illegal.
In Germany, you have to drive on both lanes up to the obstacle and then merge like a zip.
This is the most efficient way to do it. It keeps the queues short (spread out over 2 instead of 1 lane), you know exactly, where someone is merging in front of you, so you can easily plan, to leave gap at that point, and don't need to widen your gap much earlier (and making the queue longer), just because someone could merge earlier. No one need to force his way in early, because he knows, there will be a gap for him later.

Here some nice anymations, to see why the Zip merge is better
Correct:


Wrong

Supergurrier

Haha Irish people would never be able to do that zip merge, they would be too busy opdating their facebook statuses on their phone

colm_mcm

mdebets wrote: »

Here some nice anymations, to see why the Zip merge is better
Correct:


Wrong

Works great there to be fair.

Markcheese

repsol wrote: »

If they were very bright they would not be driving a truck for a living ,would they? Chances are if the traffic cops see them doing it they will get a pull

Repsol

Saw a garda car half blocking the inside lane at road works on way into midleton last year...

corktina

colm_mcm wrote: »

It actually makes traffic merge quicker as the merging is done farther down the road.

Not condoning it or anything, but if traffic merges in ten different places at the same time it's quicker than it all merging one by one.

but it also makes the tail back longer and blocks other junctions further back. That zip merge animation is the best way to make full use of the road space available. After all, noone makes you be in the slower lane, only dick-head self-appointed traffic cops who are a bout of road-rage waiting to happen.