freeway merging

Around a year ago I had a horror story happen to me when trying to merge in.

I always try to merge a little faster then the slow lane so that I can always slow down if need be (slowing down is easier then speeding up).

This time I came across one of those "this lane is mine" idiots, who came flying up in the slow lane at 80mph+. I was going around 65-70 and at the end of the merge lane. He came flying up behind me (purposely coming dangerously close to my rear bumper) and started honking and giving me the finger.

I ignored him, and changed lanes and sped up to 75. He continued to drive next to me, obviously looking for a fight.

Just before he was going to merge to another freeway, I made the mistake of looking his way and trying to cool the situation by waving (I did have my 5 year old with me, so I was on my best behaviour).

He swerved back over and took out a slingshot and began launching quarters at my car (it was dark so he could not have seen that my daughter was in the car and on the side he was targeting).

Eventually, after hitting my car several times, he gave up. I ended up with three dents in my car (fortunately not my Prius!), all the shape of a quarter...and all down to the bare metal. I was lucky he did not have gun...and I was lucky he missed the window.

My daughter never knew what was happening...but I learned to let the crazy people have whatever they want!

 

maybe if you went the f**king speed limit you wouldnt have that problem.
just my .02

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IHeartMyPrius @ Jul 3 2006, 11:36 PM) [snapback]280886[/snapback]</div>

Are you kidding? I was going over the limit when I merged and then sped up even faster. If you think going 80+ in the slow lane is sane...then keep your .02!

Please, I see you are just starting out on Priuschat...and talk like that is not needed.

This is a great place to learn, teach, and debate, but not to degrade!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mssmith95 @ Jul 4 2006, 01:48 AM) [snapback]280895[/snapback]</div>

oh please, you're old enough to take a little joke. Take it like a man. I'm sure you heard that a couple times last night.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Jul 3 2006, 07:57 PM) [snapback]280688[/snapback]</div>

I have driven in a lot of places from here to CA and south to VA, and I would have to agree. I've always had less trouble merging in NY state and some of the roads around NY city are just as crowded and bad as here.
But the drivers don't try to block other cars from entering a highway as much.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Jul 3 2006, 10:32 PM) [snapback]280770[/snapback]</div>

I was taught that too, without going to driving school, but around here I can do it less and less. I've often thought we needed here what I saw in CA years ago, a red light at the top of each ramp, that only let one car at a time enter the highway, and let people find a place to merge before moving. This seems to be the opposite of what you suggest.

We do have merges here where we have a yield sign at the top of the ramp, and that does cause most drivers to stop there before merging slowly. One of these was near my house, and the state finally wised up and got rid of it, and just marked the lanes so the main flow and the oncoming traffic each had their own lane for a reasonable distance. I no longer have problems merging there.

But your comments bring up some of my own merging complaints. You say to merge at the speed of the traffic. This is very hard to figure out, esp for people who don't know the road. We have a lot of pretty blind merges where the oncoming traffic just isn't that visible till you are right up to the end of the ramp.
And we have some roads where the traffic in the right lane is going at 75 mph and another nearby where people are going 45 (talking about right lane here, left lanes are fast drivers both roads.) Speed limit is 55 both places.

But when I am on the highway and others merge with me I love the cars that merge slower or faster than me most! Because the ones that match my speed seem to be oblivious to me entirely! They will match my speed and merge right beside me so exactly that I have no clue if they want to merge ahead of or behind me. This is what is most dangerous especially in heavy traffic where I can't merge left because a trailer truck is beside me.

I think a big part of the problem here is the law doesn't fit reality. The traffic entering a highway is supposed to yield, and that means they may have to stop. And traffic is often heavy with way less than a car length between vehicles. So the traffic that makes room for someone to enter is doing you a favor. But many drivers consider their right of way means they should block you.

And with any traffic it is not possible for merging traffic to merge and yield too, if you mean merge without disturbing the main flow, again because there is usually not a car length between vehicles. It is also not possible to match speed merge when trucks are beside you and you have to brake to let them by. Again the problem here is partly the roads with no actual merging lane distance. Many ramps just end and you are on the highway in someone elses lane.

In situations like this in NY state cars carefully alternate and give the driver ahead the right of way regardless of who is on the highway. This ought to be the law too, because it is what works in the real world traffic, whether light or a traffic jam.

 

Look, everyone who's arguing this point needs to stop and consider
this: what happens when a *truck* needs to merge in? A big rig
likely *cannot* get up to ambient speed before entering, so people
in the right lane simply slow a bit or jump over a lane if available
or whatever -- they realize right away that there's an impediment,
that there's nothing the truck driver could do about it, and the
other drivers just *ADAPT*. No problem.
.
Why the same courtesy cannot be extended to *any* vehicle trying to
merge on is beyond me.
.
Think, people.
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Jul 4 2006, 11:26 AM) [snapback]280987[/snapback]</div>

Now that you bring it up, other drivers around here were much less of a problem when I had to merge too slowly and slowed them down a bit in my diesel, with the accelerator floored than with my Prius at any speed.

 

No matter which side of the fence you adhere to, if we all had the same training it wouldn't matter. This is one of the many reasons I believe in 'refresher' driver's ed courses every so often (10 years or so). California is rampant with drivers moving from other countries and they bring their home country driving habits with them. There should be no such thing as automatic transfer of driver's licenses. When you get licensed in a new state or country drivers ed should be mandatory, as well as a refresher every so often. As we can see by above responses everyone has their own theory on how to drive and that is the problem. With a mandatory refresher course, people with their own theorys would get 'reeducated' to fit in.

 

What I haven't seen in this whole discussion is the use of a turn signal. Here in Kansas (and don't even get me started on how often I see people change lanes without using it) it is the law (rarely enforced, I might add) to use a turn signal when changing lanes. When you merge onto a highway you of necessity are changing lanes and must, by law in my state anyway, use your turn signal.

So much of defensive driving (something else I haven't seen mentioned) is based on the other drivers' intentions. If I intend to join the traffic on a highway I flip on my turn signal so my intentions are clear as I increase my speed to join the flow of traffic.

Yes, you must yield, which means looking out for the jerk going eighty miles an hour in the right lane. But by making your intentions clear you at least have tried your best to inform other drivers of what you are trying to do.

Someday I'll start a rant about one of my favorite pet peaves - the driver who thinks that it's so damned cool to race down the right hand lane which ends in less than 100 yards/meters (clearly marked, by the way) and cuts in front of the poor guy doing the speed limit in the main traffic lane (that would be me). And that doesn't happen in one place once a day. I run into that situation several times a day in my fair metropolis. Of course, the merging driver doesn't use his turn signal because in his/her world the damned thing is for hanging rubber bands on. And, by the way, hang up your f***ing cell phone and drive!!!!

Sound of soap box being knocked over and asbestos anti-flame suit being pulled on...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Jul 3 2006, 10:32 PM) [snapback]280770[/snapback]</div>

Also if you have matched speed with the main flow, any collision happens at a relative velocity of zero.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rfred @ Jul 4 2006, 12:36 PM) [snapback]281020[/snapback]</div>

That is precisely one of my peeves as well, though to take that one step further, it is far more irritating to see that person cut out from behind into the merge lane just to jump 2 or 3 vehicles and intentionally cut someone off to get back in. And the icing on the cake is usually the cell phone handset fused to the side of their head.

Grrr.... :angry:

- Kevin

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(artie @ Jul 3 2006, 01:37 PM) [snapback]280633[/snapback]</div>

not sure what the problem is here. no way you can control others so why fret over it?
you have demostrated a willing albeit limited willingness to change your speed to accomodate. simply speed up or slow down to allow the merge without changing lanes.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David H. Hawkins @ Jul 4 2006, 09:51 AM) [snapback]281028[/snapback]</div>

It's funny you point this out since the guys in the "drafting for mpg" thread don't get this. Of course, once things start decellerating at random rates, then maybe that's when it all goes to hell.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rfred @ Jul 4 2006, 09:36 AM) [snapback]281020[/snapback]</div>

I think turn signals are required for lane-changing in every state. ... And the asbestos suit should not be necessary. I can't imagine anyone flaming you for suggesting that people stop driving like idiots.

FWIW, people seem to drive courteously for the most part in both Fargo and Spokane, two relatively small cities. I suspect it's those oversized monstrosities where people have to drive two hours each way to get to work and back, and where freeways periodically turn into parking lots, where accumulated frustration turns drivers into psychopaths.

 

In Houston we get the best of both worlds.

On side streets that have a 50 mph speed limit. (60-65)
There are some on ramps near me that people will come to a complete stop to look for a space to merge and then go. There are a lot of crashes on that corner, a lot of rear-end crashes.

On the freeways there are traffic lights on the on ramps. You are forced to stop. Then everyone hits the accelerator like it is a race track and comes up to speed 80 to 90 mph. (Not kidding) Only, to slam on the brakes to slow down behind someone in the right line going 60 to 70 mph. Yes the limit is 55 mph.

It if friggin hilarious!


What I have learned is to just get in the second lane. The lane of least resistance. Here in Houston there are normally four lanes. It is not the lane with all of the interactions like the right lane, and it is not the lane that will cause retaliation for going to slow like the left lane. You can go 55 or 60 mph in that lane and you will have people pass you on the left and right but no one seems to mind. I mean when I am in that lane no one tells me I am number one.

Oh, and remember when you are nice and let someone cut in when they should have gotten in your lane a mile back you are not being nice. You are being rude to everyone behind you!

 

Not only can't they merge, but they expect you to move out of their way, whether you can or not, and if you change a lane to let them in, people behind you pull in to the right lane ASAP and you can't get back there.

What I have also been seeing lately are people already on the highway cut across the median onto the entrance ramp to pass people on the right. and it doesn't matter if somebody is on the ramp, they'll use whatever pavement and/or shoulder they can.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Jul 3 2006, 10:32 PM) [snapback]280770[/snapback]</div>

Exactly correct. Worst thing you can do is stop at the end of an acceleration lane. Safest way is to match your speed to the oncoming traffic and then adjust slightly to move into an opening.

 

One point everyone seems to miss is that other little rule you should have learned when learning to drive - leave one car length between you and the car ahead of you for every ten miles per hour. If traffic in the right lane is flowing at 60 mph, there should be 6 car lengths between every two cars, making it a relatively easy target to hit.

The real problem is people following too closely, either because they are "drafting" to increase economy or because they are simply stupid (not ignorant, stupid). The reality is that there are many out on the highway that have no business holding a driver's license, and they make driving more of a challenge for those that drive appropriately.

Those who "merge slowly" are just as bad; however, since they force the spacing to decrease even more when they merge at a speed below the lane flow average. There is no substitute for matching the near lane speed in terms of driving safely and responsibly. Just because states allow idiots behind the wheel is not an excuse for ignoring some of the basic rules of the road.