Helping others merge

[Gumby]

See this so often- car in lane 1 moves to lane 2 which is clear in order to help the car joining from a slip road merge into lane 1. The car joining from the slip road then seems to interpret the move into lane 2 as an overtaking manouever and powers on, matching their speed to the car which is now in lane 2. That car then ends up accelerating too and a race ensues, or has to brake hard to be able to pull in behind.

Or even worse:

Cars in both lane 1 and 2, car coming down a sliproad at speed, not looking in their mirror to guage the speed and number of cars. (I've already seen this coming so have held my position in lane 2 to watch it unfold as it's so predictable)
Car in lane 2 is a safe distance from the car in lane 1, but the gap between them is closing.

The car in lane 1 can sense that the merging car is going to force their way into lane 1 so tries to move into lane 2, but is blocked by the car in lane 2 who accelerates and ends up blocking the car in lane 1. The car in lane 1 can either pull out infront of the car in lane 2 or stay where they are then brake or accelerate.

If they brake, usually the merging car has bailed and has also braked and the two very closely meet at the end of the slip road and almost come to a stop. Same goes for if they both accelerate.

Seems to me that this is a complete lack of planning and poor attitude on everyone's part, but mostly on the car in lane 2 who hasn't thought about the other two cars.

Just a little bit of planning and politeness from all concerned would do everyone good and situations like this could be avoided!

[fungus]

Although the majority of drivers don't give it a thought, I aim to not be in lane two and closing in on a vehicle in lane one on the final approaches to the entry slip. Either get the overtake in and be clear of the overtaken vehicle well before the point where the entry slip meets the main carriageway, or hold back from the vehicle in lane one until it's obvious that there are no vehicles joining, thus giving the vehicle in lane one the chance to use lane two if necessary to help those joining. I would always aim to be in lane two if possible at the point where the entry slip joins.

[GJD]

The car in lane 1 can sense that the merging car is going to force their way into lane 1

...

Seems to me that this is a complete lack of planning and poor attitude on everyone's part, but mostly on the car in lane 2 who hasn't thought about the other two cars.

Sounds to me like the failing in planning and/or attitude is mostly on the part of the driver of the joining car. You referred to it as the merging car. The problem is that merging is exactly what they're not doing.

[Fignon]

Attitude is the key word, bad attitude.

The last time, and the first time for years I had to do an emergency brake was because of slip road traffic expecting the main traffic to magically make space for them.

So, I was in lane one, heavy traffic 50 mph. Two lanes of nose to tail joining, no realistic option of moving to lane 2. Foot off accelerator, everything slowing. I didn't see that at the end of the slip, cars were almost stopped. Then a car pulls in sharp from my lane two and a car pulls in sharp from the slip.

Wave goodbye to my braking space.

Then car in front, once in lane 1 immediately slams the brakes on. I though I was going to hit but managed to keep about four or five foot back.

Don't suppose people are ever taught properly to merge, especially into heavy traffic. The knack of spotting your gap and matching speeds appears to be relatively rare.

Maybe on slips with short merge distances should be one lane only?

[7db]

I have several merges on my commute and watch all manner of rubbish.

The key -- like all situations of uncertainty -- is to create time by making space or giving up speed. I can barely count the number of people who overtake on the nearside lane of a sliproad and find themselves in trouble at the merge.

It just shows lack of patience and foresight -- the overtake on a three-lane grade-separate dual carriageway is one of the easiest and safest to execute. The one up the inside into joining traffic isn't. The benefits just don't match the risks taken.

Hang back. Let it all shake out. People get offslips just as wrong, too.

[sussex2]

We've arrived at a situation in the UK that joining traffic (on dual carriageways and motorways) almost expects to have free passage onto the road.
We have a culture of giving way, even when we have the priority, and that in itself can lead to confusion; particularly in towns when the most vulnerable road users pedestrians may be present.
This is not the case in other countries and where main road priority is more enforced, and so is pedestrian priority in towns. eg In Spain it is not that unusual to find a STOP sign at a merge on a motorway entrance slip road! Also, in other countries there is a greater use, and greater respect, for solid white lane markings used to prevent lane changes near junctions.
My only advice as the previous respondent mentions is to keep clear of the situation by either getting ahead of it or holding back.

[martine]

Maybe on slips with short merge distances should be one lane only?

Nearly all the on-slips around here have one lane at the point of joining the motorway...that's pretty standard isn't it? The ones few others have long, long slip roads and the 2 slip lanes are kept seperate with hatching and merge to the motorway seperately over an extended distance (1/2 mile or more).

Too many drivers just don't look far enough ahead and plan (me included!).

[fungus]

We've arrived at a situation in the UK that joining traffic (on dual carriageways and motorways) almost expects to have free passage onto the road.
We have a culture of giving way, even when we have the priority, and that in itself can lead to confusion; particularly in towns when the most vulnerable road users pedestrians may be present.
This is not the case in other countries and where main road priority is more enforced, and so is pedestrian priority in towns. eg In Spain it is not that unusual to find a STOP sign at a merge on a motorway entrance slip road! Also, in other countries there is a greater use, and greater respect, for solid white lane markings used to prevent lane changes near junctions.
My only advice as the previous respondent mentions is to keep clear of the situation by either getting ahead of it or holding back.

I noticed when in Portugal in June that slip roads tend to be shorter than those in the UK. It didn't seem to be a problem, but the motorways were much lighter trafficked than in the UK, probably because they are toll roads.

Advice given in the DSAs Driving the Essential Skills advises drivers to move to lane two if safe to help drivers wishing to join. What is annoying is when the D/C is very lightly trafficked with plenty of opportunities for drivers to move into lane two, but they just sit in lane one.

[GJD]

Maybe on slips with short merge distances should be one lane only?

Nearly all the on-slips around here have one lane at the point of joining the motorway...that's pretty standard isn't it? The ones few others have long, long slip roads and the 2 slip lanes are kept seperate with hatching and merge to the motorway seperately over an extended distance (1/2 mile or more).

I thought Fignon have been referring to things like this, where shortly before the merge point onto the main carriageway, there's another merge point where the on slip drops from two lanes to one.

In my experience of that particular slip road, the two lanes on the slip road can be very useful - there are a lot of lorries on the A14. It can also, when busy, be a tremendously exciting banzai free-for-all as everyone races to be first into the 13+ mile stretch of average speed cameras.

[GJD]

What is annoying is when the D/C is very lightly trafficked with plenty of opportunities for drivers to move into lane two, but they just sit in lane one.

I'd have thought the lighter the traffic, the less likely a joining driver is to need the help of traffic on the main carriageway? It's as the traffic gets heavier that a joining driver is more likely to need your help. Although, of course, as the traffic gets heavier, the chance that you can't move into lane two because there's someone there increases too.

[sussex2]

My point was that though it is polite to move lane/change speed to allow another vehicle to join a dual carriageway or motorways, if possible, this concession should not be expected of those joining; they are after all crossing a white line and are obliged to give way. It is not a merge in that respect, turn on turn.
I don't say I wouldn't or don't but it is the responsibility of the traffic joining to get up to speed with the flow on the road and lets face it, a modern 3 cylinder 1.0 litre engine can chuck out more that 120bhp and, what is more important, prodigious amounts of torque.
Likewise changing lanes in order to let another vehicle overtake someone else is a concession and should not be expected.

[7db]

The manoevre that really is one to watch out for (if you are the considerate stand-on motorist who has moved out to lane two) is the slightly annoyed guy who joins second and immediately pulls out to lane two to pass the first joiner.