Why Do You Merge Early?

CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 20:05

My commute involves a lane which is temporarily closed for roadworks (the left lane on a 4-lane freeway). This lane is consistently faster, even in heavy traffic (< 40 km/h). I believe it’s because many drivers merge early, when they initially see a sign suggesting that the lane will close (“LANE CLOSURE AHEAD”). Are you one of these drivers? Why do you do it?

It seems to me that merging early causes a traffic hazard, as the traffic in the leftmost lane can now travel significantly faster than the rest of traffic (and inevitably some drivers will recklessly do so). Additionally, it’s my understanding that merging early increases the overall level of congestion.

To pre-empt some comments I would like to note that in some circumstances when a lane is temporarily closed by electronic signage only, some drivers will ignore the signs and not merge back onto the open lanes. This is not what I’m referring to, I’m referring specifically to drivers merging several hundred meters ahead of a normally enforced lane merge point.

Automotive

Comments

  • brendanm on 24/01/2025 - 20:08
    +31

    Forumpolluter

      • brendanm on 24/01/2025 - 20:14
        +2

        That doesn't even make any sense, but carry on with your interesting topics of that's what excites you I suppose.

        • HeWhoKnows on 25/01/2025 - 12:15
          +2

          Id rather OP didnt

          Waste of everyone's time

      • theHMASfriendship on 24/01/2025 - 21:58
        +5

        But their name is clearly brendan

    • El cheepo on 24/01/2025 - 22:49
      +2

      Forumpolluter

      Because, who doesn’t love lighting a dumpster fire to burn over the weekend 😂

  • mskeggs on 24/01/2025 - 20:13
    +8

    I do it because one day it will drive a person with a terminal illness to join a pistol club, go through the licence check and waiting period to get a high calibre handgun, and they will wait at the end of the merge lane taking pot shots at anybody who went early, and executing anybody who went late driving up the shoulder.

    I think it will be an entertaining news story.

    • Murkymerv on 24/01/2025 - 21:24
      +1

      That's pretty dark , but that's free speech for ya ⁉️

      • tasty-falafel on 25/01/2025 - 11:27
        -7

        There's no free speech here watch this (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity) (profanity)

        tasty-falafel on 25/01/2025 - 11:27 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
  • melk on 24/01/2025 - 20:18
    +6

    Self driving cars will ensure everyone only drives perfectly optimally. In the meantime, you get a shorter commute by merging later.

    • TEER3X on 24/01/2025 - 22:01
      +4

      Could've just said optimally.

      • melk on 24/01/2025 - 22:23
        +9

        AI will fix my responses in the future

      • GregRust on 27/01/2025 - 06:35

        Use of words was sub-optimal.

  • askbargain on 24/01/2025 - 20:25
    +1

    Wouldn’t it be beneficial for you if they merged earlier so you can merge later?

    • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 20:30
      -3

      Yes, while it’s slightly detrimental to traffic as a whole it’s very beneficial to those who merge later (provided they drive safely and don’t cause any accidents).

      • Bren20 on 26/01/2025 - 08:16
        +2

        Early merging is not detrimental, you've still got to squeeze 4 lanes of traffic into 3 lanes. The capacity constraint is the 3 lane section, it doesn't matter if you merge early or late, in fact merging late is probably worse as you're going to be more aggressive with the merge rather than picking safe gaps, and people are less likely to let queue jumpers merge, causing unnecessary turbulence to the traffic flow.

        • Euphemistic on 26/01/2025 - 10:43
          +3

          Merging is only a problem becuase of the people that think ita queue jumping and who actively prevent merges aggresively. If there is enough traffic there is a long queue and an empty merge lane, then everyone should be using that merge lane til the merge point.

          It would flow better, except that there are nervous drivers who merge too early and aggrssive drivers that force merges too late. If everyone merged properly, it would flow better.

          By lots of cars merging early, it extends the tail of traffic further which can disrupt intersections further back. I can think of a couple of local intersections where people dont merge late enough and it interrupts traffic lights.

          • Hangryuman on 27/01/2025 - 12:10

            @Euphemistic: yes - I used to find this southbound on the Sydney Princes Hwy at Canal St lights - in morning peak hours one left (turn?) lane would be closed (years ago now so I forget the details)

            and I would typically come south-bound over the crest of the hill before Canal St, to see an empty left lane as most drivers squeezed to merge early like 1-200m before the lane closure at the lights

            this was bliss for me - and I would happily sail down the empty lane past 20 or more cars, then sit at the red light just before the lane closure with my indicator blinking right

            When the light changed to green, an offended motorist on my right ("How DARE they not merge early!?!?") would often accelerate to minimize any gap in front of them in an attempt to block me from changing into their lane …

            which would then open up a double-wide gap behind them as the motorist behind was just moving off at a normal pace

            seeing the large gap in front of them, the driver behind would rarely beep their horn as I caused them no delay as I moved gracefully into the now-double-length gap in front of them with plenty of space

            although a couple of times I saw a semi-trailer truck driver actually straddle the middle line from way back to prevent me and others from using the empty left lane - he was obviously a right-fighter seeking to ensure everyone behind him merged early

            on one occasion I may have told the guy he risked a ticket for obstructing traffic - or I may have seen a policeman warning or writing him a ticket - he didn't do it again …

            ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

            so my observation is that when cars move off in sequence from a green light, each typically takes 2 seconds to move off, leaving a gap as the car in front accelerates away.

            if I recall that Canal St peak hour traffic each change of light only saw about 6 cars able to go through before it changed to red again in a say 2.5-minute cycle - this meant the single line of early mergers could wait 7-10 minutes or 3-4 light changes if they were car number 20 in the single lane queue. Whereas with my zipper merge I would go with the next green light.

            'Zipper merge' as recommended by traffic experts, utilizes those 2-second gaps to allow a higher volume of traffic to proceed.

            But perhaps English-raised folk - who when alone at a bus stop, will form an orderly queue of one - tend to be most offended at the outrage of what they perceive as queue-jumpers - frankly my dear, IDGAF … 😊

        • tomlikesbeetroot on 26/01/2025 - 20:17
          +1

          Actually early merging is proven to slow traffic.
          Here is the first link I could grab from google which discusses it, but this is something that has been studied and proven multiple times.
          https://www.acg.aaa.com/connect/blogs/4c/auto/zipper-merge-k…

          • Hangryuman on 27/01/2025 - 12:38

            @tomlikesbeetroot: yes - except that article seems to be badly written (unless it's US-English) 'To many drivers, immediately using their turn signal and trying to merge into the next lane seems like the most courteous thing to do. The zipper merge can be interpreted as cutting in line.'

            that's confusing unless they mean merging early - otherwise using your turn signal and merging at the last moment would commonly be seen by other drivers as rude - but hey - just another example of manglish … have a nice day …

  • Sye on 24/01/2025 - 20:29
    +11

    I like to merge early too confuse other OzBargainers and make them wonder why I do it.

    • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 20:31

      Sweet profile picture. Made me chuckle.

  • 87percent on 24/01/2025 - 20:33
    +19

    Why the (profanity) do you merge late? You can clearly see there’s a car in your lane (either parked, or turning or whatever) and you choose to wait until the last second and potentially not make it and have to sit there with your blinker on until you can merge out

    • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 20:39
      -2

      Yeah people doing that on roads like Warrigal Rd and Blackburn Rd (for Melburnians) are a real menace. I got side swiped once by some buffoon who left it too late and didn’t look left.

      In the area I’m talking about people are merging at least a hundred meters before they can even see the lane close.

      • CodeXD on 24/01/2025 - 20:45
        +1

        when you're going fast enough a hundred metres is only a few seconds

        • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 20:49
          -2

          Yeah probably more like 500 m from inspecting Google. It’s noticeably faster well before you can even see it.

      • 87percent on 25/01/2025 - 08:05

        Waverley Rd is where I’m thinking!

    • tomlikesbeetroot on 26/01/2025 - 20:19

      OP seems to be talking about a zipper merge however. This is a totally different scenario to what you have described.
      In one situation the car in front has right of way regardless of which lane, in the other situation the car in the blocked/ending lane must give way to cars in the next lane before merging.

    • mrXO on 27/01/2025 - 10:57

      Like the saying. Why wait for tomorrow what can be done today. Prepare and act early as doing it later is more stressful imho.

    • Hangryuman on 27/01/2025 - 12:26

      sounds like you are describing dangerous driving by inattentive drivers who don't plan ahead and then endanger others by trying to merge at the last moment risking collisions - nobody likes that

      the zipper merge is better - when drivers in both lanes recognise that two lanes are merging into one lane ahead, and kindly allow the two lanes to merge one at a time from each lane without damaging the flow or requiring any hard braking because someone wasn't playing nice or being attentive

      don't know the Melbourne roads mentioned but yes there can be bad road design in complex intersections that tend to cause anger and upset with last minute merges from people trying to get across multiple lanes within a few metres of making another turn

      life is difficult - everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load - be kind … 💁‍♂️💁‍♀️

  • MS Paint on 24/01/2025 - 20:39

    Probably all the 000 workers trying to get to work.

    • jv on 24/01/2025 - 20:49
      -5

      🚗

    • Gunnar on 25/01/2025 - 06:34

      I have the accompanying song in my head now

  • jv on 24/01/2025 - 20:59
    -3

    Why Do You Merge Early?

    If all the names and emails are in a csv file, it is quite easy to merge early.

  • Euphemistic on 24/01/2025 - 21:33
    +9

    Theres a tipping point. For the first few cars, merge early so you dont need to negotiate a position to merge into. Once the queue is 'long enoigh' use the open lane and merge AT THE END but where there is a suitable gap. What your personal tipping point is, depends on a range of factors.

    Problem is when you get people who decide to stay left for a little then try to merge way back from the merge point and dont go to the end. Then it makes anyone who does move to the end look like they are pushy - which creates headaches.

    Merging should be like a zipper at the end of the lane. But it doesnt work becasue some people are nervous and merge early, and others are aggressive and either push in, or dont allow you to merge.

    • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 22:09
      +2

      Yeah I think people have an impression it’s rude to fly down the left lane. I saw a Camry tailgating just to avoid letting a car merge.

      • Some Human on 24/01/2025 - 23:04
        +1

        If you see a corolla doing it, that's me.

        • R-Man on 25/01/2025 - 10:58

          Stop that

      • tomlikesbeetroot on 26/01/2025 - 20:20

        It should certainly not be considered rude. It is proven to be the most efficient way of merging to keep traffic flowing, therefore it really should be considered rude not to do it as you are contributing to a worse traffic situtation overall.

  • cashless on 24/01/2025 - 21:53
    +5

    Why Do You Merge Early?

    Why do you bother sh1tposting?

  • pegaxs on 24/01/2025 - 22:09
    +26

    I do it because of people like you.

    If I do it early, I have a 90% chance of being able to merge. If I leave it to the last second, there is a 10% chance of being let in, because some people just like to create traffic havoc and get that little fizz feeling in their nether region when they get to block someone from merging… like they have been waiting all week just to be a c#%t to someone in traffic and this is their time to shine…

    • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 22:15
      +3

      I just merge behind them if they aren’t yielding. We’re all going in the same direction.

      • Euphemistic on 24/01/2025 - 23:03
        +3

        Same. When i move up the left lane to close to the end i pick a gap and either move into it, or if that driver decides that ive been 'cheating' and wont let me in, move in behind them.

        If you dont fly up the left and then jam on the brakes to force your way in, most drivers will give you space. Move up near the end, slow to near matching the right lane speed and find a gap.

      • ThadtheChad on 27/01/2025 - 00:16

        The issue arises when the POS doesn't allow you to merge, as you will need to slow down (since you'd be running out of room) and this has an impact on speed-matched merges behind you.

        There are two types of people in the world, the ones that respect a zipper merge, and ones that deserve to garroted with a piano wire.

    • TrumpisKing on 25/01/2025 - 18:17
      -6

      You sound like the kind of 🤡 who sits on the far right lane doing 90. Best stick to your bicycling.

  • Some Human on 24/01/2025 - 23:01
    +10

    Normally those moving over late do it to get in front of everyone else, because they are more important than everyone else.
    I merge as soon as it's safe to do so because I fear if I try to queue jump, someone will block me from merging, because they know I'm queue jumping.
    FYI: I am one of those humans who blocks people from queue jumping, because f*** em!

    • Euphemistic on 24/01/2025 - 23:05
      +3

      Maybe you should just move up the left and merge safely. Then, dont block the left lane becasue its not 'queue jumping' its more efficient for the road to use both lanes and merge like a zipper.

      • Some Human on 24/01/2025 - 23:22

        Great idea in theory, but unfortunately there is human involvement. And humans are very "me me me, I have to make this unfair by racing up and cutting in front of everyone".

        Maybe next time I'm at the supermarket, I'll walk around all the people standing in line and take the first avaliable self serve, so I can scan my groceries and get out first, because I'm more important than those suckers waiting in the queue.

        • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 23:36
          +2

          In that circumstance you should say “excuse me mate, there’s a machine free”.

        • Euphemistic on 25/01/2025 - 00:15
          +3

          Blocking people from merging just slows traffic and doesnt help anyone.

          Ill admit i will probably block someone who clearly should have merged to a space behind me, but lifes too short to be annoyed by someone legally using a lane and merging to a gap.

          If the queue is short, join the end. If the traffic is heavy and slow, use both lanes til near the end, the merge at a suitable gap without 'pushing in'

        • R-Man on 25/01/2025 - 11:09
          +1

          Maybe next time I'm at the supermarket, I'll walk around all the people standing in line and take the first avaliable self serve, so I can scan my groceries and get out first, because I'm more important than those suckers waiting in the queue.

          Pretty disingenuous mate, you know the situations aren't the same.

          But you're right about the human element. I think Australians are too precious about their sense of "fairness" which is why people ark up about late mergers / someone merging in front.

          If you think about it, in most lane merging situations, you won't be negatively impacted by more than a few seconds. And, you can likely regain those few seconds in the next manoeuvre.

          But instead, most Aussies just have an emotional response to "fairness" being compromised. Meanwhile driving in South Asian countries, people are weaving through lanes and "cutting people off " as they please, without any pearl clutching. People get where they need to be, pretty much as quickly as they want to be.

          • Some Human on 25/01/2025 - 14:03

            @R-Man: How is it different from cutting in line at the supermarket? Same shit in my eyes. I had a jerk jump the whole queue at salvos last week. Everyone in the line was like wtf? Why is it acceptable on the roads and not the supermarket? Is it because there's a bit more anonymity in the car?

            Yes I am precious about fairness. I don't think it's fair for people to speed up the empty lane to cut in front, which is what they're doing no matter how much people are trying to justify it in this thread. I can't help but get pissed off at it, because to me it is poor form / bad manners. I will continue to not let them in if I see them do this.

            • R-Man on 25/01/2025 - 14:51

              @Some Human: At the supermarket there's a queue, it's not good to cut the queue at Salvos.

              On the road, when a lane is merging into yours, you are not in a queue. You are not entitled to be ahead of others just because you were there earlier.

              Merging is supposed to be done like a zipper, and drivers on the left are supposed to speed up which is why in some countries they call it a speed matching lane.

              Ironic you're calling out bad manners. Good manners on your part would be to let others in, cop the 30-60 sec delay, which you can regain in your next manoeuvre. Sorry to repeat myself.

              • Euphemistic on 25/01/2025 - 15:29

                @R-Man: It will NEVER be a 30-60sec delay.
                Maybe 3sec.

                If there is enough traffic that you think cars using the left lane to 'queue jump' are causing 30-60sec delays, then no matter what anyone does, youre gonna be held up a bunch.

                You arent sitting in traffic. You ARE the traffic.

                • R-Man on 26/01/2025 - 20:30

                  @Euphemistic: fair enough, I didn't think about the delay duration very scientifically, you're right. If a lane is merging into yours, cop the 3 second delay.

      • ColtNoir on 25/01/2025 - 18:35
        +1

        Might be more efficient but I’d rather avoid trying to zipper with a Ranger (and similar) driver.

        • Euphemistic on 25/01/2025 - 19:47

          Its easy for me. Ive got the (similar)

          • ColtNoir on 25/01/2025 - 20:06
            +1

            @Euphemistic: Right, so you’re the d*** on the road. Got it.

            • Euphemistic on 26/01/2025 - 20:44
              -2

              @ColtNoir: Thats me. Race up the merge lane and push which ever car is the smallest out of the way. Also enjoy rolling coal. /s

              Actually, i gave up most of my agro on the roads years ago. Allow others to slide in tp merge. Slow down to allow cars to cross a busy lane of traffic if safe. Its just not worth the drama.

              Plus my 4wd ute was towing last week afterbeing up to the chassis in mud. Its used properly and isn't a show pony.

    • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 23:35
      +4

      If your motivation for not late-merging is actually a sense of justice, consider the following:

      If enough people such as yourself late merged (I’m talking about slow congested slow traffic only), then that lane wouldn’t move any faster then the rest of traffic. Simultaneously, by late merging you’d actually reduce the overall level of congestion and allow everyone to go faster. So by refusing to late merge you’re 1) creating an opportunity for some drivers to “queue jump” and 2) slowing down all traffic in a general sense.

      • Some Human on 25/01/2025 - 14:09

        This is another one of those sounds good in theory scenarios. Again, the human element ruins it.

        • CommuterPolluter on 25/01/2025 - 14:42

          What exactly is the human element which ruins it? Fear of merging?

          • ThadtheChad on 27/01/2025 - 00:19

            @CommuterPolluter: He is the human element. Blocks zipper merging, feels "penalised" that folks are using both lanes ("why should they get ahead of me") etc.

            Speaks volumes.

      • dbun1 on 25/01/2025 - 14:42
        +3

        From a traffic engineering point of view (so I was told) you are supposed to merge late as you will get more cars through as you use the whole length of the lane.

        If you merge late you will get more cars through compared to trying to merge as soon as possible as you aren’t utilising the full length of road. This is especially the case when the merge is after a set of lights etc.

        The problem with human mentality is that the people who merge late are perceived to be pushing in front, so socially it seems like the worst option.

        • WhyAmICommenting on 25/01/2025 - 19:29

          Finally someone gets it

        • Euphemistic on 25/01/2025 - 19:53

          Its only a problem because of the perception that while the queue is short, you join the end. Then at some point, the end is a bit far back and the left lane becomes open.

          Just because someone is using the left lane to help traffic flow, doesnt mean they are always 'pushing in'

          • BobLim on 25/01/2025 - 20:43

            @Euphemistic:

            someone is using the left lane to help traffic flow,

            No one is doing anything on the road out of their sense of community spirit and to "help traffic flow". They do whatever is most convenient or fastest for them individually, mostly without other considerations. If they cared about traffic flow they'd walk, take public transport, or simply stay home.

            • Euphemistic on 26/01/2025 - 06:26

              @BobLim: I regularly slow for a moment to allow cars to enter or cross traffic. I also cycle places.

              Not everyone is completely selfish.

              • BobLim on 27/01/2025 - 00:34

                @Euphemistic: Sure. You can add "or occasional acts which make them feel like they've done a "good deed" even if that has negative consequences to safety or traffic flow". Again the aim of these individuals is not optimising the performance of the road network.

                For every person "kindly let out" of a side street rather than waiting for a gap, there's likely another one just behind who then has to wait an entire light cycle to turn into the street because they're 5m further back than they'd otherwise be.

                Rules around not blocking intersections should generally be sufficient to cover your 'cross traffic' scenario. Driving consistently and predictably within the rules is the way to go.

                • Euphemistic on 27/01/2025 - 06:05

                  @BobLim:

                  another one just behind who then has to wait an entire light cycle to turn into the street because they're 5m further back than they'd otherwise be.

                  Thinking like this is what causes people to rush and do stupid things. Being 5m further back make zero difference to your drive time. Sure, there are plenty of times where it feels like that, but the reality of traffic lights and driving in traffic is that this happens all the time and there is no single action that causes it.

                  Weve all had that drive home where 'all the traffic lights are red'. Thats nothing to do with wether a car has pushed in somewhere, but merely randomisation of events.

                  Driving consistently and predictably within the rules is the way to go.

                  This is the way, and sometimes driving consistently means continuing up an empty left lane and merging, rather than braking to a stop at a queue and then accelerating again.

    • TrumpisKing on 25/01/2025 - 18:18
      -2

      Yes I am more important than most. Especially "people" like you.

  • cashless on 24/01/2025 - 23:38
    +2

    Can the Mods “merge” this with other spam posts from today?

    • CommuterPolluter on 24/01/2025 - 23:45
      -6

      It’s Friday night mate, crack a smile 😃

  • Gunnar on 25/01/2025 - 00:06
    +2

    As my sensei says “no be there”

  • miwahni on 25/01/2025 - 01:58
    +7

    I merge early because I have lane anxiety.
    GPS: Drive for 5km then turn right
    Me: Need right lane NOW

  • bobbified on 25/01/2025 - 03:19
    +1

    Because some dick in the other lane is probably going to try and block me if I need to merge closer to the end of the lane. Some people take someone else merging in front of them as "pushing in".

    I usually try and find an opportunity to merge just before I need to (if I need to) start slowing down.

    • mrXO on 27/01/2025 - 10:59

      And that usuallly is. That person probably does it all the times… pushing in. What makes your time more precious than mine!!!!

  • Ynk on 25/01/2025 - 06:14
    +3

    Not all drivers are trying to maximise their travel efficiency/speed, the average driver just wants to get where they are going stress free, late merging in heavy traffic is stresful. If you know a lane is closed and there is an opportunity to merge early it's less stressful to take it and enjoy the rest of your journey. Also 100-500 meters early are you kidding, hardly early for a closed lane more like sensible defensive driving.

    • CommuterPolluter on 25/01/2025 - 07:24
      -6

      Merging 500 m out in < 40 hm/h traffic isn’t “defensive” driving nor is it particularly sensible.

      • Jolakot on 27/01/2025 - 09:45

        What about 80km/h traffic?

  • kallico on 25/01/2025 - 08:57

    No its richard heads like you that roar up the inside and then force your way in therefore extending the line

    • R-Man on 25/01/2025 - 11:11
      +1

      It's not a line or a queue. You thinking of it that way makes you the problem.

      • BobLim on 25/01/2025 - 20:56

        Where did you get this idea from?

        If there are 3 lanes of heavy traffic moving forward at the same pace, why should it be ok for me to use the 100m clear stretches of the 4th lane between parked cars to leapfrog through that "not a queue" 10 cars at a time and get to my destination sooner while making everoyne else move back one "not position" in the "not queue"? There's a bit of an argument to be made for something like motorcycle filtering where they use otherwise-unused road space, plus the safety aspect for the biker. Even in that case though, if they take the lane at an intersection they've just pushed the other vehicles back further than they'd otherwise be.

        The road as a whole has a flow-rate. The order going into a section should be roughly the order going out, accounting for some opportunistic lane changes into open gaps, and some vehicles entering or leaving the road. Why wouldn't it be?

        • Euphemistic on 26/01/2025 - 06:29

          The thing is, that if everyone used the full length of each lane and merged like a zipper at the end, the traffic would move better. Ut we end up with stupid people in traffic and it disrupts the flow.

        • R-Man on 26/01/2025 - 20:56
          -1

          I think you've nitpicked a scenario there. We're discussing the scenario of a lane closure, or merging onto the freeway, where many drivers need to merge into a lane. Not the same as a single driver ducking and weaving to move ahead.

          But I'm happy to reply to your scenario. You are still not in a queue. Someone ducking in and out of parked cars to get ahead, has not pushed you back in a queue. You are responsible for navigating to where you want to be, as quickly as you want to be (within the law). If you feel like you're not getting ahead as you like, you have manouvers at your disposal i.e. weave into faster moving lanes, weave out of slower moving lanes. No, there's no reason the order going in should match the order going out, usually because there are always slow movers (newer drivers, or heavy trucks etc).

          In another comment I mentioned how driving in South Asian countries, you're constantly getting "queue jumped" (so to speak), and if you want the driver in front to let you pass, you honk, they move over for and you move back. There is no queue mentality, and no offence intended or taken if people duck in and out. Everyone takes responsibility for getting to where they want to be when they want to be.

          It's weird to think drivers are in a queue. Like, do you see the roads as some sort of almighty urban conveyer belt, that you just find your place in and sit?

          I caught your other comment as well:

          No one is doing anything on the road out of their sense of community spirit and to "help traffic flow". They do whatever is most convenient or fastest for them individually, mostly without other considerations. If they cared about traffic flow they'd walk, take public transport, or simply stay home.

          You gotta put away the blame pointer finger, as well as the victim card. You've got to know driving is an active activity, not a passive one. Or you can consider your own advice to take public transport or simply stay home.

          • BobLim on 27/01/2025 - 01:11
            +1

            @R-Man: By any conventional definition, I think you are in a queue, i.e.

            Queue: a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed.

            There's a limited resource ('slots' in a light sequence, one clear lane through a bottleneck, 3 service advisors processing 15+ dropoffs in the Toyota dealership as I saw the other day), and drivers are waiting to access said resource, almost universally sequenced in the order they arrived. I believe most of these people think they're in a queue. What is your position?

            A queue is a funny thing - if enough people believe it exists then it does. As you point out, a part of this is cultural. If we take the dealership example, is it still fair game to join in front of the cars already waiting if they've been there 20 minutes? If you agree that example is a queue then you're just making an arbitrary distinction as the wait gets shorter or starts moving faster. If you don't think that's a queue and went in before the others, I suspect you'd have some explaining to do in the very near future.

            It's weird to think drivers are in a queue. Like, do you see the roads as some sort of almighty urban conveyer belt, that you just find your place in and sit?

            Practically? Yes I suppose so in some ways. Sure you can jump between those belts occasionally, once in a while a given belt will split in two or merge into another, and they move a bit unpredictably including sometimes stopping, but generally yes. I would say the VIC road rules at the very least also require it to be thus.

            You gotta put away the blame pointer finger

            I will never claim to be trying to improve traffic flow unless I somehow get involved in designing a road or directing traffic. I'll leave such virtue for filtering motorcyclists and the alleged "queue jumpers".

            Or you can consider your own advice to take public transport or simply stay home.

            I very often do take public transport if it's suitably convenient and competitively priced. This is a purely selfish decision based on maximising my own travel speed and personal finances though.

    • Euphemistic on 25/01/2025 - 15:32
      +1

      If there is enoigh traffic that you think using thebleft lane to 'queue jumo' is a problem then ALL CARS should be using both lanes til the end

      You arent stuck in traffic. You ARE THE TRAFFIC. .

  • ForkSnorter on 25/01/2025 - 09:27
    +1

    In cases like this, not just temporary lane closures, people merge early in heavy traffic because they're worried the traffic will be too tight to merge later and nobody will let them in. In some cases they're right.

  • Brick Tamland on 25/01/2025 - 10:37

    I merge whenever I feel like it, when I see a gap and its safe, deal with it

  • bargaino on 25/01/2025 - 11:11
    +1

    O.P. can we assume that legally a zipper merge applies in your state for road works?
    edit: the correct behavior depends on signage. Generally for roadworks, drivers will be instructed to merge. But if a lane is just blocked, e.g. by a breakdown with no signage, drivers in that lane must give way to cars in the lane the move to.
    It is technically a lane-change, not a merge. The same on a slip lane that ends.

    Generally, early merger is a result of ignorance, or not wanting to offend other drivers who are ignorant of the rules. However it starts, people conform to perceived social rules, rational or not.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merge_(traffic)#Methods

    Late merge

    A 'Queue in both lanes' sign orders drivers to use both lanes up to the merge point
    The late merge method, also known as zipper merging, dictates that both streams of traffic should continue to drive up to the point of closure of one stream and merge at the marked taper.

    Some governments hold campaigns to promote the late merge method because irritation and aggression are common among drivers who are not educated about the benefits of the technique. These drivers sometimes straddle lanes to block late mergers. Often drivers who change lanes too early do not like to see other drivers continue until the end of the drop-away lane, even though the signage reveals that the road authorities want late merging to take place.

    • THICKnSLOW on 25/01/2025 - 16:20
      -1

      Let's say a you're on a straight 2 lane road, there's a car parked in the left lane about 200m in front and you see about 20 cars already in the right lane slowly creeping past that parked car.

      1. You immediately join the right lane and follow the creeping procession of cars, everyone passes without stopping.

      2. You continue driving at signposted speed, right to the parked car then indicate to merge in, causing the right lane car behind you to slow or even stop, which then causes the rest of the cars behind it to stop, to allow you in

      In that scenario, 2. is considered a queue jumper and can be crucified for being rude and inconsiderate.

      • lateralus45 on 25/01/2025 - 17:36
        +2

        Or if there was 2 lanes of 10 cars zipper merging just before the car then no-one can possibly jump the "queue" and everyone moves through smoothly. its the 2nd and 4th cars that cause the problem. once the queue gets to 4 cars in one lane enough people feel bad that it just keeps growing from there.

      • CommuterPolluter on 25/01/2025 - 20:52
        -1

        When the lane ends there is a clear point at which traffic from the ending lane is forced into the continuing lane. Both lanes can see this point and can merge without being forced to break abruptly. Parked cars are a bit different because it’s harder for traffic to judge and is a physical hazard if you attempt to merge at the last minute.

        In heavy traffic cars are always forced to slow and even stop to avoid rear-ending each other. This braking flows on to the traffic behind them. Additionally, some drivers take too long to accelerate and may even over-accelerate to compensate, then have to come to an abrupt stop again. Traffic is slowed to the lowest common denominator for each lane. So although there may be a bottleneck at one point or another (e.g. when a lane closes), utilising all available lanes right up until the bottleneck will always reduce congestion because you reduce the impact of any one particular driver slowing down their lane.

        • Protractor on 26/01/2025 - 11:35

          Sounds to me like you just explained your normal driving habits and the worse traits of average drivers, and not how it should be done.
          If people travelled at the correct distance per flow,per density, per speed, and were situation ally aware, the freeways would operate as designed on most occasions. Peak (fck)wittery times will almost always be fraught with the worst experience.
          Idiots gunna idiot. More idiots = more idiocy.We live in an idiocracy

  • Blargman2001 on 25/01/2025 - 11:35
    +1

    I merge early because sometimes people won't let you in and trying to force your way in isn't worth the trouble it can create. I also live in Adelaide where it doesn't take an hour to get anywhere so I don't need to rush around.

  • someone else on 25/01/2025 - 15:19

    The debate in Ohio https://youtu.be/nkcV3Q-BQtQ?si=YgnojyDOcCXjk-ic

    So if people are all aware, zipper merge is the way to go.

    Problem is that people are often distracted or careless or unaware of what others are doing for whatever reason. There are so many bad drivers out there… People who seem to have missed all the physics classes in school, and fail to recognise the size of the car and the space that is there… People who don't care if you want to merge or change lanes

    I have to say that overall people will give space to merge, but there is a bunch of either distracted or hostile people who don't do that.

    • BobLim on 25/01/2025 - 21:13
      +2

      And there's some, like myself on occasion, who roughly keep track of the vehicles around them and will therefore help someone who's been travelling in parallel to easily merge in front if they encounter an obstruction which neither could see or predict (say roadworks over a crest), while making it less appealing for people who come from way further back, ripping past suitable merging opportunities and then require "letting in" at the furthest possible point before the obstruction (i.e. fastest for them, slower for everyone else).

      End of the day, these merges are "lane ends" not "zipper" or "form one lane" etc - the driver crossing the line must give way, therefore it shouldn't be expected that anyone would routinely do anything different. If "zipper" merging was so great, there wouldn't be any "left lane ends" signs, and slip lanes would simply join the left lane without any dashed lines to cross.

      The most efficient / highest throughput for a road is whenever the speed through the choke-point is maximised. Having everyone slow to a crawl/stop just at the start of the choke0point doesn't sound like the way to achieve that, which is generally what happens when people using the closing lane get too "pushy" and cause hard braking instead of giving way.

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