To say this sign does NOT mean move over now

[DappledThings]

Roadworks going on near me, a section of dual carriageway is temporarily reduced to one lane. As you join that section from a roundabout there is this sign (except with only one black arrow for the one lane staying open not two).

The second lane closes in 800 yards. At the closure point there is a standard circular blue sign with a white arrow to the left indicating the lane closes there and to merge into the left lane.

So every day I do that, merrily overtaking 50 or so cars sitting in the left lane for the entire 800 yards.

AIBU to consider that this sign means lane closing in 800 yards and merge where the arrow tells you to and not please pointlessly queue from this point leaving the lane empty for the full 800 yards.

Nobody ever looks pissed off at the merge point and I wouldn't think they had the right to be. I don't understand why everyone queues from so far back. It's so inefficient.

I can’t believe the vote it shows why driving is so bad, it’s correct to merge not sit in the left lane and seething not allowing those correctly driving to merge left, right, left right. Ffs.

My husband did exactly this a few days ago and a horrendous accident involving HGVs was almost caused...one of the trucks in the left hand lane took offence at his barrelling by him...he cut off DH who found himself about to go south instead of north..he had to force his way in...rightly or wrongly drivers take umbrage at the last minute mergers...

Because people are idiots

No, you match the speed of the slower lane, or just a tad faster, and merge in turn.
I do merge in turn. At the point where merging is appropriate. Moving across before the merge point is not merging, it is changing lanes. I wouldn't expect anyone to let me change into their lane halfway along the queue.

Its not queue jumping! People are doing it wrong and creating a queue without need.

Your second paragraph is completely incorrect, again, as per the highway code.

You’re right @WeAreBob the road is there to be used else the lane would be closed earlier. I used to begrudge letting cars in that hadn’t queued but now I leave a nice big gap between myself and the car in front so other cars can merge easily. I find it a lot less stressful (the car behind me probably is cursing me though 😂)

Where I live in Canada does it too.
If you want to see a nasty Canadian - Overtake them and try to zipper merge.

That you have all lanes moving at a similar speed, not one lane moving quickly and the other lane moving slowly, causing people to change lane unnecessarily.

to the people who merge as soon as they see the sign…do you start driving in a big clockwise circle when you see roundabout ahead signs ?

I merge early because I know there will be drivers who block me merging at the closure point.
I never try and block people merging in last minute though, if anything I’ll back off and let them through.

Ah you are that person who adds to all the congestion 🙄

@EaselArt

My slip road onto the motorway merges from two lanes into one, before merging onto the motorway. At least once a week I see pairs of arseholes - someone not letting the left hand car merge on the slip road, but also the left hand car not just pulling back slightly and moving into a space behind the right hand car, so both being idiots.

One of my pet hates, people in the UK don’t seem to understand how merging works.

In Australia, it does depend on the state.
One, nobody seemed to know how to merge smoothly or merge on to the highway smoothly. Many seemed to think they go down the entrance ramp and practically stop being going on.

Then others, people adjust their speed and they zip right up left right left right merging. It really is faster when everyone is a slightly slower speed and merging

I was under the impression it was polite to move over rather than leaving it til the last minute. You do look like a dick who thinks they are more important than everyone else.

I'd been driving for several years before I realised that 'merge in turn' meant take turns, not merge when you get to the turn in the road!

😆😆😆

The perceived politeness is why a lot of people do it, myself included sometimes. But it's not the right way to keep traffic moving as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Yes, you're being dim. Imagine a single-lane stretch that only lasts for (say) 20 yards. People drive up to the merge point at full speed, merge, travel slowly for 20 yards, and are on their way. They are delayed only by seconds.

Now imagine everyone merges into one lane ten miles before the single-lane section and crawls along for that distance as if they are already in it.

Who gets to their destination first?

Why? Because HOW LONG IS 800 YARDS? I was taught in FUCKING METRES

There’s not a huge difference between a yard and a meter.

I might look like a dick to you but I'm driving safely and legally. My polite description of the who choose to needlessly sit in traffic is "a bit daft". I could be less polite but I'll stick with that.

And I will happily take some people thinking I'm a dick when I'm getting home much earlier and driving better.

The signage should change imo to "stay in lane until merge" and then at merge "merge in turn"

But @SarahShorty the facts are in the Highway Code. it's not all a matter of 'opinion' as you put it. You choose to disagree with the rules because your version of driving suits your passive aggressive need to deny another person a perceived advantage.

It's not however how drivers have been instructed to handle these things. However you do you, crack on and get that thrill of knowing you stopped the 'chancers' from driving to a higher standard.