Safe Speed Forums

I was traveling Northbound on the A1 this afternoon on the approach to Wittering. I was in the left hand lane at a snails pace. Traffic in the right hand lane was also crawling. As we passed the 2 lanes into one marker at 800 yards several of the L2 vehicles started filtering across. This obviously freed up L2 and others accelerated to make the most of it. Quite often in this situation one of the lorries will stay in the outside lane to ensure there is no queue jumping and then pull in at the actual lane reduction.

On this occasion there was no lorry to carry out this function and we still had some 600 yards to go. So I rightly or wrongly (you decide) took it upon myself to fulfill this function. I spotted a big gap in L2 and pulled out and slowly dropped back adjacent to the car that had been behind me. Shortly afterwards a pick-up truck attached itself to my rear bumper, weaving side to side. At the actual point of lane reduction I pulled forward slightly and indicated left. The car I had been shadowing then moved forward and closed the gap. I was then left with having to pull in front of the pick-up truck, which made it clear I was not welcome, which came as no surprise! Regardless I forced my way over (we were doing approx 5 MPH at the time.) Much abuse, flashing, beeping and middle finger saluting ensued. I have to admit I saluted back in a marginally friendlier manner. So what are your considered opinions?

Max.

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Tailgaters - Please Pass
You have an Accident to go to!

You were wrong and you are a menace.

The highway code was revised a couple of years ago to state that when two lanes merge into one then both lanes should proceed as up to the obstruction and merge there in turn. This is known as the zip fastner system and is the correct way of dealing with an obstruction.

Your actions actually constituted an offence of carless or inconsiderate driving, fortunately for you there is didly squat chance of a policeman actually carrying out traffic duty so you will normally get away with this offence unless you kill someone when it is the charge that the incompetent CPS will go for as Dangerous driving is far too dificult.

Please please please read the bloody highway code, get up to date and stop being a mini policeman especially when you are wrong

Thanks for the clarification. I hang my head In mitigation the zipper system is what we all want but some people cannot see that and try to effectievly and deliberately queue jump. By slowing both lanes down there is no advantage to either lane and everyone slots in. When lorry drivers do it, it works a treat. But I agree that it is wrong and that I should not have done it, so twas I that caused the road rage incident.

Why when we see the 800 yard marker can we not all stay roughly where we are and just zipper together as you describe?

I should also say that I am a most courteous driver (normally!) I will always ease off to create a gap for traffic to cross in front. I will always emloy the zipper allowing a car or two in front of me. I never close up gaps in an attemp to prevent vehicles joining infront of me. But where I see other drivers blatantly taking the piss I have to admit it does annoy me, I know it shouldn't, I know I should rise above it and let them get on with it.

Menace! bit strong.

Max

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Tailgaters - Please Pass
You have an Accident to go to!

In fact zip-merging as such hasn't been included in the Highway Code although the DfT have considered it. There's a good article putting the case for it by Bryan Lunn in the latest IAM magazine.

Even so I agree that the OP was quite wrong - trying to enforce your views on correct behaviour on other road users is always a bad idea and potentially may expose you to road rage.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

This is one of the (few!) areas where I think that the setup here in the Netherlands is better than that in the UK.

(1) the "zipper" system is well publicised (TV, billboards etc.) and therefore everybody knows about it and plays by the same rules
(2) there are usually signs saying (in Dutch) something like "zip-merge in 200metres" and then just before the lane reduction "zip-merge here".

Why the powers that be in the UK cannot implement such simple, obviously clarifying and relatively cheap measures is beyond me.

Having said that, I much prefer the UK roundabout system, motorway junctions, general signposting, right-of-way rules and traffic-light phasing to the Dutch equivalents!

Agree. They appear to have this in Germany & Switzerland as well.

But really common sense should prevail - would say that lorry driver straddling both lanes is bit dodgy. More courteous to use all availabe space and zip-merge to reduce congestion.

In fact - my copy of HC - latest edition - simply advises to be considerate on pgh 125 and only pgh 129 suggests allowing access from junctions to ease congestion. You really have to read between lines and apply common sense.

Tounge was most definately in cheek, as i hoped was obvious from the rest of the post

Patch, Thanks and no it wasn't obvious from your post even re-reading it. I felt like I was in front of the headmaster, staring at the floor!

So what's the answer Seems there needs some clarification on the signage. (I couldn't find it in the HC) i.e stay in two lanes right up to a given point (a merge point perhaps) since leaving it right until the cones is asking for problems, especially when the cones move over very gradually over perhaps 100 metres. A merge now board might be useful with a zipper graphic to back it up. Because IMHO the current system promotes the road rage that I was involved in / caused. Most considerate drivers start looking to pull over shortly after passing the 800 yrd board whilst the impatient tossers charge to the front.

So picture this scenario:

With 300 yds still to go, all in front of me have merged, what am I to do? As I see it I have three options:

1. Move forward to the merge point thus enraging the drivers in lane 1,
2. Stay where I am until the merge point, thus blocking traffic behind me.
3. Merge now.

Max

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Tailgaters - Please Pass
You have an Accident to go to!

Can say that I myself often qualify as said 'impatient tosser' when having to queue on the M6 because traffic cannot efficiently go from 3 lanes to 2. If there's an empty lane and still 800 yards before said lane is impassable, I will use it. Call me what you will.

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-mike[F]
Caught in the rush of the crowd, lost in a wall of sound..

These guys are normally right

http://www.iam.org.uk/Pressroom/News_Re ... r0115.html

Merging or zipping will always work smoothly if everyone in the lane that remains lets in just one vehicle from the lane that is merging, and a few signs in the right places should help. It's really courtesy, not rocket science. There's a new type of sign popped up in a couple of places round here to encourage zipping. Rectangular yellow job with a black arrow going straight up on the left and one on the right crossing in front of it, with "MERGE IN TURN" beneath. I can't find a picture of it, though. You'd think they'd have it on the HC site, but nope. It's fairly similar to this one I found on a Dutch site:

Obviously the arrows are the other way round, but other than that it's pretty much the same. The two places I know that have these seemed to have improved, with a little less fighting over who gets in front.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

I think we are all agreed on the way to go and that the current signs and general practices adopted are inadequate. A combination of new HC clarification, better signage and education seem to be required as per your IAM link.

Having thought some more I think the road works themselves could be designed to produce the zipper. By separating each lane with cones at the 800 point it would prevent premature merging, then at the merge point arrange a small junction in the shape of an inverted Y. Thus giving equal priority to each lane. A simple sign instructing the zipping would then be a doddle.

Sooner they get that bloody central reservation finished the better!

Max

P.S shan't do it again, learned my lesson. I'll put it in my shiny new incident diary!

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Tailgaters - Please Pass
You have an Accident to go to!

Back to the old common sense and courtesy issues.

Max - lorry drivers have had quiet (usually acid ) word in their lug holes for this - and if BiB had seen you straddle both lanes like this to prevent flow of traffic - you would have copped for it.

Agree some muppets see it as frustrating - but really - using all space carefully and courteously actually improves the situation for all.

But this is part of COAST, driving plan and reading the situation on the road on your approach. And agree - HC should give advice on this. "Driving - Essential Skills" and even "Road Craft" are also lacking in this respect.

Mad Doc has identified pgh 125 and 129 in HC which advises "being considerate" and "reducing distance between you and vehicle ahead to maintain traffic flow" (not typing it all out - read it through .... )

Patch has identified "IAM" advice - which is again common sense and courtesy.

All members of this family have zip-merged for as long as they have been driving - self included. Not really come across too many muppets who throw strop about this - most seem to follow us at slow pace down the empty lane! We usually find a nice smile, and cheery wave helps when we come to merge point as well!

One can understand drivers wanting to get into lane "in good time" as appears to be case in your post - but in very heavy congestion - such as you describe - it does make better sense to make use of all available space, and above all, keep calm and courteous and use the old common sense .....

Of course - you take note of all signs, matrices alerting you to hazard and adjust your speed and approach accordingly Calm approach here helps prevent bunching and the "no reason" jams! caused by welly up at speed and brake...

But (sigggh!) back to the old problem of education of the masses and how to do it....

This sounds like a good idea. So it will almost certainly never happen

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-mike[F]
Caught in the rush of the crowd, lost in a wall of sound..

In Max's first post, he did not say he straddled the lanes!

Unfortunately there is a dichotomy between 'common sense' and the directions offered in the Highway Code which states that you should (amongst other things):



Hmmm, don't switch lanes, doesn't say anything about staying in lane until reaching the merge point which, as has been stated above, is sensible in heavy congestion or if the tail of the queue conflicts with another flow of traffic.

Trouble is, inside each car is a little brain inside a little head each interpreting the rules slightly differently. Surely it isn't beyond the wit of man to come up with some sort of HC wording that is pretty prescriptive in what you should do when approaching a 2 lanes into 1 scenario, I dunno something like:

"To minimise tailbacks either lane may be used up to the merge point whereupon vehicles in each lane should filter alternately into the single lane"

Back this up with signs stating "Use both lanes" and a filter sign at the merge point (make a new one up if necessary and publicise it on the old gogle box for a few months) and Bobs Ur Uncle, problem solved. No anal accusations of queue jumping everyone wins. Wahay

Yes, well spotted there was no 'straddling' by me or the lorry drivers I use as an example; it is one lane or the other.

Having thought even more about it, now that I have had time to reflect; all it would probably require is a solid line between lanes and a 'stay in lane' sign until the merge point, and then the zipper junction, hence no need for the 800 yards of cones.

As all the experts have pointed out there is no point in merging early, there should be only one point at which the vehicles merge, however this single point merge is best suited to very slow speed traffic (10 MPH or less). In lighter traffic situations a multi point merge is probably more suited so my suggested solution would be less effective and may actually slow the traffic down, causing congestion instead of easing it Hmmm

Max.

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Tailgaters - Please Pass
You have an Accident to go to!

In light traffic it makes sense to merge earlier and not be diving across at the last moment so any system to keep traffic apart will have in detrimental effect in those conditions.

Really the only way is to educate out the (all too British) queue mentality.

The Zip system is being used on the A629 northbound on the approach to Halifax with some success. Signs advise drivers to use both lanes then to merge in turn.

Whilst I agree that "educating the masses" is probably a worthy cause, I doubt the practical effectiveness of this, unless you're willing to wait a long time to see real results.

I have been driving in the Netherlands long enough to have experienced first hand the situations at various locations both BEFORE and AFTER the "zip-merge" ("ritsen" in Dutch) signs were implemented.
I can categorically state (IMHO ) that the bad feelings and negative effects of the different approaches to "how to merge" were very similar, if not identical to what I have experienced in similar road situations in the UK before the signs were put up.
I was VERY impressed with how instantly, easily and painlessly the situation at these locations improved once the signs were there. They are visible, everybody sees them, they make sense, and the vast majority of motorists obey them, even in congestion situations.

To my mind this is one area where the UK road system powers that be could make a very positive "quick win" for very little cost.

I don't think there would be much need to change signs or road layout if the current system were to have a publicity campaign. Simply educating people would do the trick. The problem with the zip merge and current Brit driving mentality is the "sod you" factor. It would only take 4 or 5 cars in L1 who didn't allow a vehicle in, to raise the speed in L1, once moving fewer people would be likely to stop so the speed increases and almost instantly L1 is flowing freely and L2 is at a standstill.

Having driven in both Germany and the Netherlands I've seen successful results (I've also seen the lorry block there) what is more both countries have constant road usage ads on the TV that cover general driving techniques rather than specific areas. The only thing you see on Brit TV is speed kills, speed kills, don't D&D in the run up to Christmas and a bit of speed kills,,,like there's nothing else to it????

In Germany they advise on braking techniques, courtesy on the autobahn, lane discipline, merging and a host of other subjects. None of it is rocket science, it's simply gentle but constant reminders on how to drive. They also have road laws rather than a code, much of it is black and white and not open to interpretation.

The coppers also have guns so a roadside check is generally a polite affair with no nasty name calling.