Serious Q - What to do with Motorway Queue Jumpers?

[Rustynuts]

No, I haven't chosen to join the longer queue, I've chosen to join the only queue. It's only a separate queue if that lane can pass the hazard/closure without merging into another lane.

If we can all leave it till the cones actually prevent onward progress, why do the signs warn of the lane closure a mile (or so) in advance?

You have joined one of two queues when on the road approaching a lane closure. You may (and are expected to) use both lanes right up to the closure. The warning signs are telling you that there's a lane closure ahead. The signs also tell you how far ahead the lane closure is, in a count down style, so that you know in advance when you should be thinking about merging. The signs are simply informational. The cones are where the lane actually closes.

 

If you can't understand that by now, then there's nothing else I can think of to make you understand.

 

[Breezy_Pete]

I see it as a different situation if the lane reduction is 2 to 1 rather than the more common motorway situation of 3 to 2.

2 to 1 probably does work best with zippering and double lane queues up to the closure point.

 

With 3 to 2 though, if people merge in good time, well before the constriction, there's a chance for all the traffic to evenly distribute themselves between the two continuing lanes, and all keep moving.

If greedy tarts push the envelope and try to push in at the last yard, all the 'pain' is suffered by those in the most adjacent lane to the closing one, slowing that down massively at the pinch point, and creating a knock on effect where people then try to get out into the 'less affected' lane, stuffing up that flow too.  This is avoided if people act courteously and look after one another by organising themselves before the 'bitter end' of the doomed lane.

 

Expecting courtesy in post-Thatcher Britain is a game of ever diminishing returns though...

[2SkodaFamily]

^^ this sums up how I feel about it. I probably, as a result of this thread, am more inclined to let someone in. However I do feel that the queues would flow better if people merged in good time.

Actually, my situation was 4 lanes down to 2, but the problem only really was where 3 became 2.

[Nathanio]

^^ this sums up how I feel about it. I probably, as a result of this thread, am more inclined to let someone in. However I do feel that the queues would flow better if people merged in good time.

Actually, my situation was 4 lanes down to 2, but the problem only really was where 3 became 2.

 

They won't though as the road isn't being used efficiently. 

 

If everyone merged with respect as they do on the continent, then traffic would flow so much better. Instead we have people offended that some people use the road correctly. I don't believe in pushing aggressively, but do think if more zip merged properly the roads would be a better placed.  

[Furbytom]

You have joined one of two queues when on the road approaching a lane closure. You may (and are expected to) use both lanes right up to the closure. The warning signs are telling you that there's a lane closure ahead. The signs also tell you how far ahead the lane closure is, in a count down style, so that you know in advance when you should be thinking about merging. The signs are simply informational. The cones are where the lane actually closes.

If you can't understand that by now, then there's nothing else I can think of to make you understand.

This 100%! :-)

[2SkodaFamily]

If zip merging was to become a standard for all closures, I'd agree. It needs to be widely publicised so everyone knows what to do instead of the current inconsistent application

[Furbytom]

No, I haven't chosen to join the longer queue, I've chosen to join the only queue. It's only a separate queue if that lane can pass the hazard/closure without merging into another lane.

If we can all leave it till the cones actually prevent onward progress, why do the signs warn of the lane closure a mile (or so) in advance?

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this. You are fixed on the idea of "queue jumpers" when they are perfectly entitled to travel down the closing lane as far as they wish. There is no such thing as a queue really, just traffic travelling along a stretch of road.

The warning signs are clearly there for safety and to encourage people to slow down and think about merging. Wouldn't make sense to just be confronted by a set of cones blocking the lane out of nowhere when travelling at 70mph would it? As I said before, leaving it to the very last moment to merge isn't necessarily wise and aggressively forcing your way in is clearly out of order but "blocking" such cars from merging is pointless when technically they have done nothing wrong. Getting wound up because people have opted to travel further down the closing lane than you decided to isn't worth the stress imho. :-)

[mac11irl]

The problem is a simple one -

Everyone in their individual metal box is the most important person on the most important journey therefore needs to be in front or as close as possible in order to make the worlds most important journey faster. Evryone lse ouside that box is just an arse or in the way.

zip merging should taught, made madatory and enforced like every oter traffic law, but it isnt therefore people wont do it. (Much like all the other traffic laws anyway)

I dont mind letting people in. Its the **** head who goes flat out up to merge passing the slowing down traffic, then slams on the anchors in the last 20ft because theres nowhere to go other than carve someobody else up (hit a cone.. heaven forbid, ill swerve infront of that other car instead, make him cack himself and force him to brake as hard as ive made myself have to do..) to get in ahead of the queue saving those vital 43.7seconds off the journey..

Edited 30 August, 2016 by mac11irl

[fabiamk2SE]

I had a good one at the weekend. N this will likely pee the op off maybe .

Dual carriageway leading up to a big roundabout which lead onto the m6. Southbound was a huuuggeeee queue in the left lane as there was a smash on the motorway.

After sitting in the queue for abit.. I went in the right lane.. Drove past loads and loads of cars. Went onti the roundabout then left off again like id come from a different direction. Then used the merging lane on the slip road.

**** me it musta saved me about an hour of sitting still.

It was genius.

I felt i must share this as i was that proud :D.

[mac11irl]

I had a good one at the weekend. N this will likely pee the op off maybe .

Dual carriageway leading up to a big roundabout which lead onto the m6. Southbound was a huuuggeeee queue in the left lane as there was a smash on the motorway.

After sitting in the queue for abit.. I went in the right lane.. Drove past loads and loads of cars. Went onti the roundabout then left off again like id come from a different direction. Then used the merging lane on the slip road.

**** me it musta saved me about an hour of sitting still.

It was genius.

I felt i must share this as i was that proud :D.

I dont see that as a queue jump, i see it as utilising the road to your advantage.. Edited 30 August, 2016 by mac11irl

[fabiamk2SE]

U don see that as a queue jump, i see it as utilising the road to your advantage..

I did too.

I was driving past them all thinking.. Why is this queue about 2 miles long when theres a free flowing lane here.

Id of done it on the bike and in that instance couldnt see a reason why it couldnt be done in a car tbh

[brad1.8T]

I don't mind people merging early if they actually merge.  Unfortunately, here in the land where they teach you to pass a test rather than actually drive, this means people don't actually merge, they simply stop and wait for a large gap for them to drive into and hold all the traffic up behind them even though there is still 500m of roadway left.

 

You Poms don't know how good you've got it.

[@Lee]

I did too.

I was driving past them all thinking.. Why is this queue about 2 miles long when theres a free flowing lane here.

Id of done it on the bike and in that instance couldnt see a reason why it couldnt be done in a car tbh

Come tea time the right lane for the roundabout going towars Southampton (Station Hill) is always empty so I just use that lane, go round the roundabout once then on to Bishopstoke Road (The left lane approaching the roundabout).

 

[fabiamk2SE]

Come tea time the right lane for the roundabout going towars Southampton (Station Hill) is always empty so I just use that lane, go round the roundabout once then on to Bishopstoke Road (The left lane approaching the roundabout).

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Ahaha. Yeah! Thats another good one to just go around the roundabout isnt it .

I reckon more people might do this if they had a brain to think about it first

[Ally_bassman]

Oh I do love these debates!

 

I'm still on the fence about this...mainly because i'm a hippocrite and i've both merged in at the last hundred yards or so..and pulled in way too early and sat scorning at the drivers that shoot up the outside and merge in at the last available point.

 

The problem is drivers attitudes. In theory it should work...just like communisum should work in theory......

 

The reality is that drivers dont leave gaps or let merging drivers in therefore causing accordian like build ups of traffic. Which in turn cause people to get fed up and less willing to let outside lane drivers in.

[Ally_bassman]

Ahaha. Yeah! Thats another good one to just go around the roundabout isnt it .

I reckon more people might do this if they had a brain to think about it first

 

 

Oh yes! I'm always on the lookout for a safe and legal shortcut to avoid traffic. It's amazing that people are just prepared to sit and waste time queing!

 

I did something similar with my GF in the car (who's a driving instructor) she couldn't beleive I had the audacity to do it... but when asked if I had actually done anything wrong, she couldn't answer! lol

[Ootohere]

Then there is the fact that roads even those with one lane closure are not always busy 24 hours a day and merging on turn or the likes works rather well.

 

The worst permanent loss of one lane for very close calls and extreme anger or road rage incidents as you must merge from the outside lane is going North across the Forth Road Bridge.

The road is what it is, but so many get seriously wound up there.

 

New crossing coming soon so that place for getting to see the behaviour of total nutters will be gone finally.

Sad really i enjoy sitting for a good while in the lane they merge into while watching the fiasco around me.

 

I will still be able to enjoy the theatre of this location though.

Also my favourite of all will be there for ever, that is heading south across the Bridge of Dee from the roundabout in Aberdeen.

Edited 31 August, 2016 by GoneOffSKi

[999pooch]

Ahaha. Yeah! Thats another good one to just go around the roundabout isnt it .

I reckon more people might do this if they had a brain to think about it first

This became quite popular on a main road near me.

People would zip up the outside (empty) lane to potentially turn right, but would go all the way round to use the original turn left, thereby cutting out the very busy queue waiting to turn left.

This was until the boys in blue kept turning up and stopping any cars doing this manoeuvre and forcing them back from where they came, which meant a 1/2 mile journey back to the previous roundabout to come back again.

Doesn't happen much on that roundabout now!!

[Didescharlie]

This became quite popular on a main road near me.

People would zip up the outside (empty) lane to potentially turn right, but would go all the way round to use the original turn left, thereby cutting out the very busy queue waiting to turn left.

This was until the boys in blue kept turning up and stopping any cars doing this manoeuvre and forcing them back from where they came, which meant a 1/2 mile journey back to the previous roundabout to come back again.

Doesn't happen much on that roundabout now!!

 

As no laws or highway code rules are being broken, I don't see why the police got involved in this. With police funding levels being what they are, and the levels of performance scrutiny on the police being what they are, I can't see how they would justify sitting on this roundabout pillorising motorists who are acting within the law and thus having ZERO effect on their precious crime stats. Genuine wonder btw.

[999pooch]

As no laws or highway code rules are being broken, I don't see why the police got involved in this. With police funding levels being what they are, and the levels of performance scrutiny on the police being what they are, I can't see how they would justify sitting on this roundabout pillorising motorists who are acting within the law and thus having ZERO effect on their precious crime stats. Genuine wonder btw.

Well they did!!

TBH this was definitely classed as queue jumping, only one queue existed & motorists were purposely circumventing the queue to gain an advantage.

Not sure how they justified it in law, but the vast majority of people were happy they did, so no one complained

[Ally_bassman]

As no laws or highway code rules are being broken, I don't see why the police got involved in this. With police funding levels being what they are, and the levels of performance scrutiny on the police being what they are, I can't see how they would justify sitting on this roundabout pillorising motorists who are acting within the law and thus having ZERO effect on their precious crime stats. Genuine wonder btw.

 

I was thinking just this... unless the traffic was caused by an accident or major event? I could understand them being present in those situations, but not day to day traffic.

[Ally_bassman]

Well they did!!

TBH this was definitely classed as queue jumping, only one queue existed & motorists were purposely circumventing the queue to gain an advantage.

Not sure how they justified it in law, but the vast majority of people were happy they did, so no one complained

 

In theory, if you really wanted to be an arse, you could ask them to explain what you are doing wrong and ask to be let through as you are not breaking any laws. :-)

 

What if you go around the roundabout twice, three times? Technically you have not then come from the wrong lane, you've come from the roundabout?

Edited 31 August, 2016 by Ally_bassman

[999pooch]

I was thinking just this... unless the traffic was caused by an accident or major event? I could understand them being present in those situations, but not day to day traffic.

Just checked on Google to try and find if it was recorded, but to no avail.

However, similar instance of this type of driving have resulted in the motorist being isssued with a charge of section 59 anti social driving .

[Wet Kipper]

 

What if you go around the roundabout twice, three times? 

 

It was probably an urban myth from the time of when all my peers were doing their driving tests (I was much later) but there was something about going round more than twice being contrary to the highway code?

 

I do remember a trip we took instead of a "study period" in school, where there were enough cars in our convoy that once we got on a local smallish roundabout, we all stayed on and kept going round, preventing anyone from the 4 lanes of traffic joining in.

[fabiamk2SE]

This became quite popular on a main road near me.

People would zip up the outside (empty) lane to potentially turn right, but would go all the way round to use the original turn left, thereby cutting out the very busy queue waiting to turn left.

This was until the boys in blue kept turning up and stopping any cars doing this manoeuvre and forcing them back from where they came, which meant a 1/2 mile journey back to the previous roundabout to come back again.

Doesn't happen much on that roundabout now!!

What for? Not doing anything wrong?

I was going to go right but i changed my mind officer. Nothing illegal about that?