Merging - who has priority?

The J Stands for Jay

Alan_007_ wrote: »

Would B have right of way if there was a sign on the road like the one in the link below?

https://images.roadtrafficsigns.com/img/lg/X/right-lane-merge-sign-x-w4-1r.png

Sign is from a country where they drive on the right, so B still wouldn't have the right of way.

coolbeans

Scary thread, so many idiots on the road. Can't even do the basics like merging onto a motorway properly.

Currache

Car A no doubt

unkel

coolbeans wrote: »

so many idiots on the road. Can't even do the basics like merging onto a motorway properly.

The basics that nobody was taught?

I agree the standard of motorway driving in Ireland is terrible though. The worst of any country I have ever driven in. And that's probably around 30 countries in 4 continents. But you can't blame someone who wasn't taught properly, people who got their driving license from amnesties. Ridiculous system of learner driver permits, people teaching themselves to drive, a family member teaching them etc. Shure it'll be grand :rolleyes:

Only so many people pick up on these skills themselves through experience. A lot of people don't.

bazz26

A few points to note on that:

- Learner drivers are not legally permitted to drive on motorways so have no opportunity to legally practice driving on a motorway.

- While Ireland's motorway network is a lot better these days, not too long ago we had a very small motorway network primarily around Dublin and maybe Cork. That's not much good to people who live where there isn't a motorway on their doorstep.

- Learning to drive on a motorway is inherently not part of the driving test here because of the above points.

Out of interest how does the driving test account for motorway driving in other countries?

DaveyDave

Regardless of if they were taught of not, you don't just barge over if a car is physically there, whether you have right of way or not.

seagull

bazz26 wrote: »

A few points to note on that:

- Learner drivers are not legally permitted to drive on motorways so have no opportunity to legally practice driving on a motorway.

- While Ireland's motorway network is a lot better these days, not too long ago we had a very small motorway network primarily around Dublin and maybe Cork. That's not much good to people who live where there isn't a motorway on their doorstep.

- Learning to drive on a motorway is inherently not part of the driving test here because of the above points.

Out of interest how does the driving test account for motorway driving in other countries?

I learnt to drive in south Africa. Motorway driving wasn't part of the test, but learner drivers were allowed on the motorway with an instructor. Most people would have had at least a couple of lessons that included motorway driving, so you were taught how to drive on a motorway. Dual control cars were also far more common among instructors there than here.

At the time I did the test, it was significantly harder than the current Irish test.

GBX

Another question on merging and right of way:

If I am coming down the slip road towards the M50 Northbound at Ballymount but I stay in the left lane (Auxiliary?) to then come off the N7 outbound (towards Citywest), obviously I encounter cars wanting to get into the left lane as soon as possible but who has right of way or is it just a case of being courteous ?

ELM327

GBX wrote: »

Another question on merging and right of way:

If I am coming down the slip road towards the M50 Northbound at Ballymount but I stay in the left lane (Auxiliary?) to then come off the N7 outbound (towards Citywest), obviously I encounter cars wanting to get into the left lane as soon as possible but who has right of way or is it just a case of being courteous ?

If you're changing lane you must give way to those already in the lane.
Same principle as the initial question, except the lanes are reversed. In that instance the person remaining in the leftmost lane has right of way over those trying to change lane.

The J Stands for Jay

GBX wrote: »

Another question on merging and right of way:

If I am coming down the slip road towards the M50 Northbound at Ballymount but I stay in the left lane (Auxiliary?) to then come off the N7 outbound (towards Citywest), obviously I encounter cars wanting to get into the left lane as soon as possible but who has right of way or is it just a case of being courteous ?

You, of course, have the right of way as you are continuing in the lane and are not changing lanes. If someone is changing lanes, they must give way to vehicles already in the lane.

jones

Anyone saying B is a WUM or a danger on the roads.
Its clearly A and not even ambiguous IMO

dr.fuzzenstein

This thread should have been over at the first reply. Car A with 125 thanks.

Isambard

B has priority , it was up to car A to adjust their speed so that they did not get into the situation in the diagram. Long before they got to where they are, they should have accelerated clear or eased off to merge behind B

ianobrien

Isambard wrote: »

B has priority , it was up to car A to adjust their speed so that they did not get into the situation in the diagram. Long before they got to where they are, they should have accelerated clear or eased off to merge behind B

Hmm. Unsure if this is a troll or not....

Guy:Incognito

Isambard wrote: »

. Long before they got to where they are, they should have accelerated clear or eased off to merge behind B

So they can both drive along in the grass?

The J Stands for Jay

Isambard wrote: »

B has priority , it was up to car A to adjust their speed so that they did not get into the situation in the diagram. Long before they got to where they are, they should have accelerated clear or eased off to merge behind B

If they speed up, would they be going too fast to stay on the slow lane?

VonZan

Isambard wrote: »

B has priority , it was up to car A to adjust their speed so that they did not get into the situation in the diagram. Long before they got to where they are, they should have accelerated clear or eased off to merge behind B

No, the onus is on car B to safely move into the lane. Car A has absolutely no responsibility to allow car B to merge. Obviously if there were two lanes Car A should move into the right hand lane to allow car B to merge but there is no requirement or rule requiring car A to allow car B to merge.

If Car B had right of way there would be a line in the lane of car A and there isn't, it's a continuous road in which car A has right of way. It's scary that anyone would consider B to have right of way in this situation.

creedp

After reading this I was concerned that the internet was going to a sh1te with all the wind up merchants but then I reminded myself of the chaos to be seen on the M1 and M50 each day and my faith in the internet was immediately restored

Dravokivich

bazz26 wrote: »

A few points to note on that:

- Learner drivers are not legally permitted to drive on motorways so have no opportunity to legally practice driving on a motorway.

- While Ireland's motorway network is a lot better these days, not too long ago we had a very small motorway network primarily around Dublin and maybe Cork. That's not much good to people who live where there isn't a motorway on their doorstep.

- Learning to drive on a motorway is inherently not part of the driving test here because of the above points.

Out of interest how does the driving test account for motorway driving in other countries?

A motorway is just a dual carriage way, with a typically higher speed limit rating and no junctions requiring you to stop.

Expecting to gain experience to drive on it, because it's a different type of driving, is not a problem for a new driver. It's a problem for the idiot setting incorrect expectations towards a new driver. You just drive on it like any other road. It's nothing special.

ELM327

Isambard wrote: »

B has priority , it was up to car A to adjust their speed so that they did not get into the situation in the diagram. Long before they got to where they are, they should have accelerated clear or eased off to merge behind B

Hahahah good one man
I suppose they should both merge quickly so as not to fall off the corner of the earth

Isambard

aplogoies, slip of the tongue , I obviously meant the car in the driving lane has priority, car in the slip road needs to position themselves in the right place to merge by adjusting their speed.

OldMrBrennan83

Seen some lad in a pickup on the M7 in the roadworks last night going absolutely mental at a car in front of me because he was flaking it up the merging lane (that ends with cones) and wanted everyone to either jam on or move right before he ran out of lane. Not a clue.

68 lost souls

If I am Car A I would instinctively move out to the second lane of possible to allow B to merge out of politeness rather than its the rule.

Car B should match Cars As speed before attempting to join the lane and should adjust for the positioning.

All that unless of course this is not joining a motor way but some other junction which I have come across sometimes which indicates by way of white arrows that The lane A is in is in fact merging into B and that B is on the main lane

Guy:Incognito

68 lost souls wrote: »

If I am Car A I would instinctively move out to the second lane of possible to allow B to merge out of politeness rather than its the rule.
e

If you're driving with a proper distance to the car in front and the one behind is doing the same, there's no need for any pointless Lane changes.

seagull

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

If you're driving with a proper distance to the car in front and the one behind is doing the same, there's no need for any pointless Lane changes.

That's highly unlikely to be the case in this country. My following distance matches the advised gap you'll see every so often marked on the road. I'd say there are typically 3 cars in the lane next to me crammed in the distance I keep behind the car in front.

Henry Ford III

68 lost souls wrote: »

If I am Car A I would instinctively move out to the second lane of possible to allow B to merge out of politeness rather than its the rule....

Look at the pic. again. There's a solid double white line. You shouldn't cross that I'd suggest.

corks finest

FFS being quite honest most idiot can't even navigate a roundabout, maybe it's a carrigaline/ cork thing,did my lessons and test in the north of Ireland many many moons ago,land of no L drivers on their own etc,,,and as part of a stringent driver test ,merging and going round a roundabout the correct way was always going to come up in theory and practice