Late Mergers

Driving down the highway and the sign notifies of an upcoming lane closure and the need to merge left or right. Do you a) merge reasonably early and slow your speed, or b) maintain or speed as long as possible, stay in the open lane until forced to merge, passing those who chose option a.

I've always driven on the theory that early mergers were courteous drivers and late mergers were antisocial. I'll even admit not letting late mergers (on occasion) in so that they might learn the error of their ways.

Tom Vanderbilt, in his book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do, argues that late mergers actually help traffic flow by using both lanes all the way to the merge point. Therefore, more roadway is available to accommodate the traffic and a single merge point lessens the risk associated with merging.

Would love to hear your thoughts. Maybe I've been wrong all these years.

 

The problem I see with the 'late mergers' are that people like to push it to the last possible second because they don't want to be stuck behind all of that traffic. I have seen too many accidents because of people pushing it as far as they could and basically trying to force their way in. If people started merging in sooner, and kept things rolling, traffic might not end up slowing down so much.

 

I gotta agree with the author...













and your last sentence.



If people would stop being anti-social and so protective of "their" space on the road these things would go a lot faster. If you're in the through-lane, back off a little as you get to the merge point to open up space. If you're in the merging lane look for a space to merge into so traffic can keep flowing. It all goes to heck when people in the through lane try to block mergers. I've never understood that. How far ahead will they be ... 20-30 seconds?

 

O.K. here's the way I think it ought to be . Whenever there is a sign indicating a lane closure ahead they should have a No Passing sign and strictly enforce it . Drivers in the open lane would alternate letting vehicles in the closed lane merge at the end .

 

Well considering I'm normally fully loaded, I tend to move over early. If I waited until the last minute there would be someone idiot driving right alone the side of the truck at the merge point. That's an accident waiting to happen, so I won't put myself into that position.

 

I always move over ASAP when the need arises. This causes the cars, and more and more trucks nowadays, to be late mergers. Some people think the world will end if they have to stare at the back of a truck for a short while.

Pennsylvania puts signs up stating "MERGE HERE TAKE YOUR TURN" but it has little affect on the flow of traffic.

 

The smartest thing I have seen dealing with the merging issue is what Colorado DOT utilizes. Signage posted at least one mile before the closure. Another sign that says to use all lanes until a merge point.

 

Weather in my car or big truck I always merge before the ending point. Especially in a loaded truck if you wait until the end if you wait till the very end, there is always someone that will try to not let you in or go around you even after you have merged at the end. If everyone would learn to merge and drive all civil like then waiting would be not problem but that aint gonna happen. So why wait till the last minute?

 

I see you're from Ontario so I'm sure you see more than your share of late merging idiots . I have to run the 401 East to 400 North to deliver to Bradford
and Toronto drivers are the worst I've seen anywhere .

 

I agree 4 wheelers in Toronto area are horrible. I do run most the way up, depending on the speed of traffic, but I start to plan ahead on my merge before I get to the end. Signal well in advance, an get outta the lane before it starts to close.

As far as speed, your suppost to maintain your speed while changin lanes if traffic allows