3 lanes, inside and outside moving into middle

2lazytogetup

I cant see if this has been discussed before.

if you are on a 3 lane motorway for example, and the car in the very inner lane is moving into the middle lane at the same time a car from the very outer lane is moving into the middle lane, who has priority??

Is it who indicates first, who gets their wheel in first, who is slightly ahead, Or does the outside lane get priority as you need to allow it get into the hard shoulder if it has an emergency.

I probably should know this but i got a full licence before the theory test was introduced.

lawred2

Give way to traffic on your right

highdef

So one car is beginning to overtake and the other is completing an overtake......I can't see if either would have higher priority. I may well be wrong, of course. I would imagine that each car is watching their mirrors/surroundings and react accordingly if a conflict is imminent as they undertake (pun intended) their maneuvers.

2lazytogetup

highdef wrote: »

So one car is beginning to overtake and the other is completing an overtake......I can't see if either would have higher priority. I may well be wrong, of course. I would imagine that each car is watching their mirrors/surroundings and react accordingly if a conflict is imminent as they undertake (pun intended) their maneuvers.

not literally overtaking another car. imagine a motorway with 2 cars, no other cars, one on the inside, one on the outside, they both move into the middle at the same time.

chooseusername

2lazytogetup wrote: »

not literally overtaking another car. imagine a motorway with 2 cars, no other cars, one on the inside, one on the outside, they both move into the middle at the same time.

If there are no other cars on the motorway, why would the inside car move out,
and what is the other car doing in the outside lane in the first place?

highdef

2lazytogetup wrote: »

not literally overtaking another car. imagine a motorway with 2 cars, no other cars, one on the inside, one on the outside, they both move into the middle at the same time.

Well if the car is moving from lane 1 to lane 2 when lane 1 is clear ahead, there might be more right given to the car moving from lane 3 to 2. This is assuming that the car moving from lane 3 to lane 2 is doing so as part of the completion of an overtaking maneuver of a car in lane 2. If the driver has observed at the same time that there is a car in lane 1 that has no traffic in front of it, it would be reasonable for the driver of the lane 3 into 2 driver to assume that the car in lane 1 is not going to move out into lane 2 as he/she has no logical reason to do so (nothing to overtake and no obstacles/hazards ahead).

If the lane ahead is clear for the car in lane 1, then as soon as he/she enters into lane 2, he/she is driving in the incorrect lane. I'm not 100% if this is a road traffic offence but if it is, then at more than half of the blame would go to the lane 1 driver as the driver would have been driving in an illegal manner at the time of any potential collision.

The above may be a load of crap.....they're just my own personal take on it.

Isambard

noone has right of way to the extent that they may crash into another car. They need to look where they are going and drive accordingly.

is_that_so

2lazytogetup wrote: »

I cant see if this has been discussed before.

if you are on a 3 lane motorway for example, and the car in the very inner lane is moving into the middle lane at the same time a car from the very outer lane is moving into the middle lane, who has priority??

Is it who indicates first, who gets their wheel in first, who is slightly ahead, Or does the outside lane get priority as you need to allow it get into the hard shoulder if it has an emergency.

I probably should know this but i got a full licence before the theory test was introduced.

If you have to ask yourself all of these questions then wait and let them finish whatever they are trying to do. It's a matter of seconds.

hi5

The middle and outside lanes are overtaking lanes so traffic in these lanes will always be trying to get back into the left lane,
So if you are in the inside lane and see a car in the outside lane you must presume they will be returning to the middle lane and then the inside lane when its clear ans give way accordingly.
The fact that the middle and outside lanes are used as driving lanes is a whole other story.

kaahooters

if they hit its 50/50 as neither were paying attention.

mickdw

This nearly happened me once. Was coming back into lane 2 from three having passed some traffic and a guy in lane 1 was deciding to overtake someone in lane. Both of us realised at same time and kind of bounced back into 1 and 3 without touching.
I was half car ahead so Arguably easier for other driver to see me but if there was a crash, id say 50 50 liability.

colm_mcm

lawred2 wrote: »

Give way to traffic on your right

That applies to junctions.

The correct answer is that neither driver has right of way, and neither should change to the middle lane in this exact scenario.

lawred2

colm_mcm wrote: »

That applies to junctions.

The correct answer is that neither driver has right of way, and neither should change to the middle lane in this exact scenario.

that makes no sense and is not the 'correct' answer

the driver in the right most lane overtaking lanes should most definitely be moving to the left most lane.

Regardless of 'junctions' - it's always good practice to give way to traffic on your right i.e. merging into faster traffic etc

dsmythy

No idea.

But I'd like to think both cars would realise what is happening. Both return to their lanes. Drive a bit further and sort yourselves out from there.

mikeecho

I always thought that there was a presumption that the vehicle in the overtaking lane would be returning to the driving lane. But there is no presumption that a vehicle in the driving lane would be entering the overtaking lane.

make sense ?

CiniO

lawred2 wrote: »

Give way to traffic on your right

That applies on junctions of roads of equal importance (which are nearly nonexistant in Ireland)
As well as on roundabouts.

But not on straight motorway when changing lanes.


Many countries do have rules for such scenario (two drivers trying to change lane on 3 lane road into middle one - from side lanes).
Ireland doesn't, so in case of collision I assume it's 50/50

Rubberchikken

i wouldnt assume anything where another driver is concerned.
there are way too many stupid careless inattentive ignorant drivers on our roads.

observation is a priority. so check. after that let the obe who wants to live to see another day hold tight- it'll only be a couple of seconds, then move in/back.

Greyfoot

See above by Cinio correct answer.

On a side note, interestingly enough in junctions with traffic light where no other sign indicates, in the event of a power shortage also right of way applies. Afaik in Ireland signs are non existent in traffic light regulated junctions so in theory all should be treated as oncoming traffic from right side has priority in case of a blackout.

lawred2

CiniO wrote: »

That applies on junctions of roads of equal importance (which are nearly nonexistant in Ireland)
As well as on roundabouts.

But not on straight motorway when changing lanes.


Many countries do have rules for such scenario (two drivers trying to change lane on 3 lane road into middle one - from side lanes).
Ireland doesn't, so in case of collision I assume it's 50/50

I wasn't saying it was a 'rule' just that in most circumstances it's the best rule of thumb

eusap

When i was learning to drive the driving instructor told me i should never change lanes where you would end up in the blind spot of another car or especially a truck. I always try to stick to the rule.


But as you should always drive on the left there should be no reason for the car in the left to move to center and i would always assume the car in the right lane should be moving back to lane 1. But then this is ireland and people assume you should drive in the right lane.

Wailin

mikeecho wrote: »

I always thought that there was a presumption that the vehicle in the overtaking lane would be returning to the driving lane. But there is no presumption that a vehicle in the driving lane would be entering the overtaking lane.

make sense ?

Nope.

kennethsmyth

kaahooters wrote: »

if they hit its 50/50 as neither were paying attention.

Not a hope, in days of old you only had a requirement for a drivers side mirror - you give way to your right.

Cordell

Which car has the right of way and who is liable if there is an accident are 2 different things. AFAIK (and I looked this specifically a while back) in Ireland there is no rule for right of way and both will be liable in case of an accident; In UK and most of the continental Europe the car going from the "fast" lane towards the middle lane has the right of way.

BKtje

This actually happened to me in France last week.

I checked my mirrors that no one was in the lane and indicated to move in and at the same time someone started moving out. I simply stopped my maneuver. The other guy never even noticed though as I could see him looking straight ahead the whole time. My gf next to me wasn't best pleased but it was nothing too dramatic.