Queuing for traffic jam with free overtaking lane

happywithlife

Saw this today on my way home from work and wondering who was right/wrong
So on an open road not dual carriageway there is an overtaking lane on one side of the road. This is a new commute route for me but I've noticed that shortly after the overtaking lanes ends the road narrows and feeds into a 40km zone. Consequently traffic tends to back up. Today the queue started quite a bit back and went back as far as the overtaking lane. Queue was very visible well in advance as the overtaking lane is on a straight stretch. Almost everybody queued politely in the left driving lane. Few smart alecs drove up the overtaking lane and forced their way in at the top. One driver ahead of me got irritate and pulled over half in/half out thereby blocking the overtaking lane. Completely illegal i presume but deep down I kinda wish I had the b@lls to do it myself. I could not stomach driving past all those queuing in the driving lane but it was annoying to.see others do just that. But i presume technically they could.
But it got me wondering what's proper procedure when there is a traffic jam where two lanes converge? Should those at the top use both lanes to queue? Should everyone queue in just the driving lane? What's to stop the smart alecs driving past everyone else?

Dravokivich

Use both lanes and merge into the driving lane. Using the 1 lane is only going to lengthen the traffic jam. People should be able to manage taking turns letting someone merge into the driving lane on a 1 on 1 basis.

It's annoying when people do what you've described, to head straight through a right/left only section of a junction. But if you can't handle other people using the road for its purpose...

Isambard

both lanes should be used with a zip merge at the pinch point

vrusinov

Depends on how merging is done exactly.

I don't think there is anything in traffic rules that prevents people from using overtaking like in such cases. But than if e.g. overtaking line ends and merges into the left line there is no obligation to let people from overtaking line in.

I do not support blocking the line though. It may be actually needed (e.g. for emergency services). And even if some people abuse this situation it is safer and easier for everyone to let them in (and often faster). They will find their karma.

munchkin_utd

Isambard wrote: »

both lanes should be used with a zip merge at the pinch point

if you chat to many people they will say the exact opposite.

There's a merge at the end of the Ballincollig by pass heading west where cars are in single file for 100s of metres before the merge, when they could easily use 2 lanes and do an organised mannerly zip merge when the 2 lanes finish.

But no, and the locals get very annoyed at anyone who dares drive anywhere near towards the end of the 2 lanes

I think the NRA (/infrastructure Ireland or whatever) should sign it properly that the traffic use the 2 lanes to their fullest extent and have a "merge zone" at the end to bring across the point that its more efficient to have everyone merging at the one place than all the messing over 100s of metres before the merge.

737max

public information messages in Germany advise to use both lanes up to the point where one of the lanes is blocked leaving enough space between cars in both lanes for rescue vehicles to get to accidents more quickly.

Dravokivich

munchkin_utd wrote: »

if you chat to many people they will say the exact opposite.

I recon that's mainly because they only seem to be considering how they might be inconvenienced, as per the tone in the OP. Use of the road should be thought of with regards to how everyone is using it, not just me.

sbsquarepants

happywithlife wrote: »

One driver ahead of me got irritate and pulled over half in/half out thereby blocking the overtaking lane?

I think you need better role models OP, he sounds like a self important interfering gobshíte to me.

dricko_lim

sounds like the dock road in Limerick!

etselbbuns

dricko_lim wrote: »

sounds like the dock road in Limerick!

Or the QB/Headford Rd in Galway.
Where cars coming from QB are queuing up in the left lane to take a left on to Headford Rd. More important drivers go into the right lane and cut into the left lane further up http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057413814

Macy0161

happywithlife wrote: »

But it got me wondering what's proper procedure when there is a traffic jam where two lanes converge? Should those at the top use both lanes to queue? Should everyone queue in just the driving lane? What's to stop the smart alecs driving past everyone else?

The correct thing to do would be to use both lanes and zipper merge where it goes to one lane. Maximises the available road space. Those using the overtaking lane are not queue jumping if it's two lanes into one.

This is different to where people are using turning lanes, and then piling in at the last minute, imo.

plodder

munchkin_utd wrote: »

if you chat to many people they will say the exact opposite.

There's a merge at the end of the Ballincollig by pass heading west where cars are in single file for 100s of metres before the merge, when they could easily use 2 lanes and do an organised mannerly zip merge when the 2 lanes finish.

But no, and the locals get very annoyed at anyone who dares drive anywhere near towards the end of the 2 lanes

I think the NRA (/infrastructure Ireland or whatever) should sign it properly that the traffic use the 2 lanes to their fullest extent and have a "merge zone" at the end to bring across the point that its more efficient to have everyone merging at the one place than all the messing over 100s of metres before the merge.

A lot of people possibly want to avoid the aggravation from not being "let in" when they try to merge. So, they stick to the left lane.

It's not helped by the lack of guidance from the RSA. In some countries they actively promote it, because it's obviously fairer and more efficient with road space.



There could well be vestigial hangups related to the "Thou shalt not be in the right lane, unless thou art overtaking" nonsense as well. If the authorities at least at specific pinch points put up a sign encouraging the merge, then it would improve throughput, eliminate the chancer carry-on and be fairer for everyone.

A related (but not the same) issue is people piling into the exit lanes of the M50 at the last moment. That's not on, and they should at least paint solid white lines for the last few hundred metres to discourage it.

happywithlife

Thanks all. I would support the theory of two lanes and think I said in my op if I encountered it nearer to the top I'd use whichever lane was most appropriate but as people pointed out people are queuing way back in the left lane and I (foolishly perhaps) couldn't overtake them all so will bid my time queuing - often find it doesn't actually matter all that much anyway as once the 40km zone is cleared traffic drives on again pretty quickly. So time will be made up anyway.

Isambard

there's a difference between being in the wrong lane and cutting in and being in the right lane and merging. Here we are discussing people who are in the correct lane and doing no wrong.

mdebets

737max wrote: »

public information messages in Germany advise to use both lanes up to the point where one of the lanes is blocked leaving enough space between cars in both lanes for rescue vehicles to get to accidents more quickly.

It's not just an advisory note. You can actualy be fined if you refuse to let someone into your lane at the merging point.