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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Lane merging

60 replies

Slarti · 05/05/2017 11:18

Just had an argument robust discussion with a gentleman about lane merging.

I was in the right hand lane of a dual carriageway overtaking traffic on the left and see road markings ahead indicating I should move over as the lane is ending. I start to indicate and prepare to merge into an ample gap whereon the driver I have overtaken accelerates and drives bumper to bumper with the car in front of him. As my lane was ending I had to slow down and merge behind him - thankfully the driver behind him maintained the gap!

His argument was:

I was in the "wrong lane"
Merging is illegal
He has right of way so it's OK to block me

My argument:

I'm using the lane exactly as it was intended
Merging is legal
If he had taken no action I'd have merged safely with no incident but his action created danger where there was none, which nobody has a right to do.

He bolstered his argument by claiming he was a driving instructor. I find that very hard to believe but perhaps I've got this all wrong. I'd accept his point if I was trying to bully my way into congested traffic but when you actively take steps to put another driver in a dangerous situation you become a massive twat. Angry

OP posts:
LadySalmakia · 05/05/2017 11:23

Yeah, he was driving aggressively and dangerously. There's no need for creating problems like that.

I find it really annoying when people in faster cars than mine overtake and zip in past me in these situations but it doesn't sound from what you've said that you were doing that - you were merging. Which is what you have to do when one lane becomes two.

TheNaze73 · 05/05/2017 11:24

I think you were in the wrong

Orlantina · 05/05/2017 11:27

You were fine. It's zip merging. People should let cars merge safely. Not speed up to block them.

Original poster
Slarti · 05/05/2017 11:30

Why Naze? What should I have done differently?

OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 05/05/2017 11:30

I think it has reached the stage where everyone should have dash cams.
I have been driving for 40 years and there is so much aggressive, dangerous driving now. Sad
I have a front and rear camera. It has already proved its worth by catching an accident on the other side of the road. I provided the footage to the police and insurance companies. It saved the innocent victim loads of time and hassle.

BertieBotts · 05/05/2017 11:30

In a zipper merge you're supposed to wait until the end of the lane to merge, not as soon as you see the markings. That said, he shouldn't have aggressively blocked you. If he was driving a car from his driving school I'd report it to them.

Orlantina · 05/05/2017 11:36

Did he stop to argue?

Chloe84 · 05/05/2017 11:37

He was being unreasonable. How did you argue with him if he was in his car in front of you? Is he actually your DH and you are now at home arguing?

I'm surprised he had time to speed up to block you, though. I'd have been in that gap quick time Wink

Chloe84 · 05/05/2017 11:38

Ignore theNaze, s/he frequently thinks people are in the wrong but rarely says why.

Norland · 05/05/2017 11:43

If he overtook you on the left, then he broke Rule 268

Such drivers are one reason why I have front and rear cameras on my car.
The F770 if you're interested.

Orlantina · 05/05/2017 11:44

I zip merge a lot. There's a 2 lane exist off a roundabout. About 200 m it merges to single. Always a queue in left hand lane. I use right hand lane, and merge near the end when traffic is moving. You do get people who try to block you.

akkakk · 05/05/2017 11:47

From your description you are almost completely in the right

  • the highway code allows / encourages merging
  • when overtaking someone, the car being overtaken is not allowed to speed up - that is dangerous driving
  • you were seeing the signs and planning correctly
  • however, the car doing the overtaking doesn't specifically have any rights to that space in front, so caution is always needed and for 100% driving perfection possibly you went past one too many cars if your only contingency was that space in front of him / or pull back... with a merge approaching it is perhaps better to leave an extra car space when coming back in so that if the car objects you have extra choices (you can pull ahead of the next car and merge there...

so I would say 98% Grin

however he was totally wrong - there are no rights of way in driving, only priority and to do what he did was dangerous driving, as there was space for you and he deliberately removed it / forced you to abort a move...

MadamePomfrey · 05/05/2017 11:54

How did you get into an argument about this?? But yeah ultimately I don't think you did anything wrong

Quimby · 05/05/2017 11:55

"In a zipper merge you're supposed to wait until the end of the lane to merge, not as soon as you see the markings."

Exactly

If they wanted it to become one lane at the point of the markings then they'd have ended the second lane there

So many fucking idiots who think that staying in an open lane until the intended merge is somehow "skipping the queue"

UppityHumpty · 05/05/2017 11:56

I passed my test last year and was taught not to overtake to the right if the lane was ending/required me to merge to the left. In the UK we often have plenty of signage and road markings to warn us, so I do think you were in the wrong. Had there been an accident it would probably have been your liability.

UppityHumpty · 05/05/2017 11:58

'Zip merging' isn't mentioned in the highway code at all. Is this a made up thing?

Unihorn · 05/05/2017 12:01

It depends how far down people merge sometimes though. Many drivers see the signs, move into the right hand lane and zip down to the end of it so they can beat the inevitable queue in the left lane. I admit I sometimes close the gap to stop people getting in if they purposely "skip the queue". I'm aware this is irrational though Blush

Orlantina · 05/05/2017 12:09

Closing the gap is dangerous. Why do you think there is a long merge lane?

LadySalmakia · 05/05/2017 12:15

"- when overtaking someone, the car being overtaken is not allowed to speed up - that is dangerous driving"

Ooh I didn't know that akkakk - I'm pretty sure I've never done it because although I'm usually the one being overtaken it's generally because I'm doing 70 so I wouldn't speed up anyway. I'll look it up, need a highway code reread anyway.

blackteasplease · 05/05/2017 12:23

YANBU

He was being aggressive and a dick.

Orlantina · 05/05/2017 12:32

Lane merging....

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3801588/You-SUPPOSED-leave-minute-pulling-inside-lane-roadworks-say-experts.html

tudy found if drivers have to merge from one from lane to another because of roadworks they should do so as late as possible
The 'zipper merge' says cars should come together like the teeth on a zip
Safety experts say the idea can reduce crashes, speeding and congestion
Drivers should then take turns to merge into the open lane when they have no more room to maneuver.
The cars should come together like the teeth on a zip.
During periods of heavy traffic, it is believed the 'zipper merge' could reduce congestion and delays by up to 35 per cent

Lane merging
NavyandWhite · 05/05/2017 12:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EBearhug · 05/05/2017 12:53

If he's a driving instructor, he doesn't know much about stopping distances if he was driving bumper to bumper on a dual carriageway.

5foot5 · 05/05/2017 13:15

Orlantina Blimey I never knew the zipper merge was a thing. Is it recent?

And how do you know if you are approaching a zipper merge>? Can you tell from the way it is signed?

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 05/05/2017 13:18

It's weird in this country that there's so much of an issue with merging in turn. Maybe it's our inbuilt desire to form queues that makes it seem so wrong.

OP, of course YANBU.

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