New law I missed??? Merging traffic?

[Skyco]

This "Bird Flippin" stuff is getting out of hand. The meaning of that gesture has either lost it's severity or people are just not considering the possible consiquenses. To me, if you give someone the "Finger", you better be prepared to defend yourself or even have on fresh Kevlar.

Thats a pretty serious greeting.

I've noticed around here 95% of the time the bird is given by a woman. Rarely see it from a guy. I figure that's because most guys know that doing it may just get their tail whipped at the next traffic light where that either doesn't occur to women or they figure no one would do it to a woman.

 

[SPYDERLK]

David, the simple fact is that there is a much higher traffic density in Germany, going considerably faster than here and it works. All it would take is a simple stroke of the pen to make people behave differently. That and perhaps a few video cameras to bust the bad guys, since the on ramps are not exactly going anywhere, right ? This is NOT like trying to prosecute a "regular" moving violation, since the violation zone is always in the same place.

The logic is that the guy joining the traffic flow is automatically at a disadvantage compared to the traffic already on the highway. He has to speed up, determine the position of any traffic in his lane, adjust his speed to slide in ahead or behind of any traffic. All the while, people in the right lane are being egotistical maniacs "I'm not letting that #@%&$# in front of me, no way !!!" which complicates things significantly. Giving way to someone merging takes hardly anything at all from someone already on the highway. Maybe he has to let off for 10 seconds to make a space for the other person to slide into. This is NOT a big deal. Done it a million times myself and still do. If NOT letting someone into the right lane had significant consequences (suspension for 3 months or worse) then people would change their behavior.

I'm pretty proud of my German drivers license. It cost several thousand $ to get and included close to 40 hours of instruction, (similar in scope to getting a pilots license). If you fail any part of the syllabus 3 times, the likelihood is very good that you will be permanently banned for life from driving. That is a pretty sobering prospect. Traffic violations here seem to have little in the way of consequences unless you kill or maim someone. The most common one is that it increases the cost of your insurance.

Yes, there are some "egotistical maniacs, but much more common are those who have been burned many times by timid or unskilled mergers who just cant merge safely. They do country town type driving in heavy traffic. They apparently require an engraved invitation and then edge in so diffidently everone behind them is at risk. The only way to merge safely with heavy but spaced traffic is at its speed or slightly greater. That easily gives someone getting off a place behind you and does not disturb the lane merged with. Barely a ripple instead of a jam up.
larry

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Let a loaded truck driver slow down for the merging vehicle and see what he does to the flow of traffic behind him as he takes the mile or so to get back up to speeds!
I hear what your saying, and totally agree, but apparently it isn't you that waved at me, lol!! I had a Blue Honda Accord passenger wave at me in Cartersville, Ga with tinted windows, and I ignored it, to a point that they rolled the window down and did it again just to make sure I saw. Way too much effort to show just how stupid they are.
David from jax

David, I get that occasionally while roading equipment between fields. I have found the best response is to wave and smile. There are way too many idiots on the road, it does no good to get too upset as I would imagine right or wrong the worst offenders all believe they were in the right regardless of the law.

As for merging traffic, if I can move to the left lane I do so for any vehicle coming off the ramp. It doesn't take me any real effort, check the mirrors, turn my head a little, hit the left turn signal and shift over. It gives the other cars plenty of room to enter the road without any trouble. If I see the car or truck coming down the ramp to merge and I can't get over to the left lane then I decide according to each situation if I speed up or slow down to get out of the cars way.

 

[newbury]

I've been driving from NY and VA to MS several times a year for about 30 years, plus have driven all over the US and Germany and several other European countries.

The merge problem is greatest when you have a large object, such as a semi, with traffic in the lane to the left and a little Prius trying to merge. To slow down the semi takes effort and usually the person driving the Prius has never driven a semi. So they've never had to stand on the brakes while 65' of heavily loaded trailer threatens to pass you because the little Prius is trying to hypermile while it merges. They can stop in 100' and think you can to.

I just finished my second trip this year moving my household down from Virginia to Mississippi (27' truck) and narrowly avoided at least 4 cars where I had been going the speed limit or less (Penske trucks have problems with hills). Each time I had to stand on the brakes, luckily cars behind me could stop quicker.

I think EVERYONE should be required to take about 10 hours of driving a semi in a simulator before they can get any driving license.

 

[Qapla]

I noticed the OP stated he drove a truck capable of "left lane speed". As far as I know the speed limit is the same in all lanes in most states...

Yes, the speed is the same in all lanes. But, the OP also said that he does not try to be the "fastest" vehicle on the road. Many Interstates I have been on have signs that suggest slower traffic use the right lane. For this reason, the OP is correct is stating that though his truck is "capable" of 65-70 MPH he may only travel at 60 MPH.

That is an acceptable speed on the Interstate but does not fit what most think of as "left lane speed".

As far as people merging ... I have seen many on-ramps that do NOT allow the traffic lanes to see the merging traffic coming up the on-ramp. Also, I have been on many roads with such heavy traffic going 65 MPH (or better) that you simply cannot take the time to look way down the on-ramps to see if there may be traffic wanting to join the flow.

One problem I have seen is that, at times, the only way to make room for someone who wants to merge, you need to speed up - not slow down - to create space behind you because it would be unsafe to slow down to allow them to merge and you cannot move over to another lane. However, the merging car speeds up because they seem to "insist" on merging in front of you not behind you, even though there is ample room for them behind you and, at your speed, you are certainly not going to impede their progress.

Also, as far as "left-lane cruising" ... riding in the left lane because all lanes are full is not what that law is about. It is more about people riding in the left lane so they can go over the limit and blow by everyone else on the road, even though there is plenty of room to be in the right lane(s).

BTW - I am not a professional truck driver but I have logged more than 2.1 million miles without an at-fault accident.

 

[SPYDERLK]

One problem I have seen is that, at times, the only way to make room for someone who wants to merge, you need to speed up - not slow down - to create space behind you because it would be unsafe to slow down to allow them to merge and you cannot move over to another lane. However, the merging car speeds up because they seem to "insist" on merging in front of you not behind you, even though there is ample room for them behind you and, at your speed, you are certainly not going to impede their progress.

BTW - I am not a professional truck driver but I have logged more than 2.1 million miles without an at-fault accident.

Assuming there is not a car in front of them they need to speed up. By your description they do ..., but the reason it is an issue at all is because they have done it too late or too little to spare your space. When you speed up [unless you can do it a lot] the merger has to ease off so you can clear, and then merge behind you before they run onto the shoulder. This reduces their merge speed - a lot in many cases, and can easily disturb traffic behind in both the acceleration lane and the merged lane.
larry

 

[westcliffe01]

Bottom, line: making it illegal to speed up to pass someone merging makes the rules of the game very clear and there will be less people who will be intimidated and be stopping on the on ramp.

 

[Qapla]

Normally I slow a bit or change lanes to allow people to merge.

Let me see if I can describe what I said a little better. First, I did say "at times", I did not say this should be the de-facto method of making space. However there are times when slowing down or moving over is just not the best option.

Now, with the merging vehicle coming up the ramp at highway speed it is going to put them further back then the middle of your vehicle when they reach the road and slowing down will place them along side your vehicle (that is, without hitting the brakes to the point where the traffic behind you will have to also hit brakes to slow down) and you speeding up will provide them with ample room to merge into the space behind you without them having to go faster or slower and without causing the flow of traffic to be effected - this was the scenario I was describing - and, yes ... I have had this happen numerous times ...

In this scenario, I have seen more then one driver begin to race up the ramp at well over the limit to try and beat me to the merge position ... sometimes even blasting their horn.

I drive a pickup and I guess they just don't want to be behind a "truck" of any kind.

 

[sandman2234]

I drive a pickup and I guess they just don't want to be behind a "truck" of any kind.

You should try driving a semi if you think they don't want to be behind your p/u! I really love the ones that I come up behind with the cruise set at 65mph and go to pass them, and can't get past them at 89 cause they just don't want to be behind a truck! Get back over and the next thing you know, your running over them at 65 again... and the story repeats itself..
David from jax
back to the discussion...
As far as merging, we can debate the best ways and worse ways, and how it should be done, etc.,all week, but the bottom line is, as the laws are written right now, the merging person has to yield to the main traffic flow, which means they have to figure out how to get into traffic without screwing up the flow. Even if you have to put me or yourself at a little inconvience, I probably don't deserve to have a single digit salute from you and if you do even a borderline job of merging, I probably won't send one your way.
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

I noticed the OP stated he drove a truck capable of "left lane speed". As far as I know the speed limit is the same in all lanes in most states and in PA it is unlawful to "cruise" in the left lane for no apparent reason.
Pa. law outlaws cruising in left lane.

Actually, Indiana has split lane speeds. Not actually posted that way, but they require all trucks in the right lane, and limit them to 55 whereas the "other traffic" is also governed to that speed while in the right lane, and 65 is the speed limit for the other lane (or was it 70? Been a while since I was up that way)
Florida has a law that says "slower traffic keep right" and even if your doing the speed limit in the left lane and somebody is trying to pass you, your in violation. Doesn't say anything about slower than the speed limit, just slower traffic.
David from jax