Merging

[VS 5.0]

If we truly idiot proofed the roads they would be empty and this thread would not exist.

 

[Noeleter]

That's been in the US for years, works well.

But that's the thing, you can't teach people so you idiot proof the roads.

They do work well where applied. Trouble is we can't afford to idiot proof all the roads. Although I'm not quite sure why the idiots can understand the concept of a red light but can't understand the concept of a dotted line at the end of a lane or a sign saying lane ends in 200m and a 100km/ hr sign. As well as engineering solutions there needs to be more training and dare I say it enforcement. Otherwise it continues to be up to the "drivers" out there to avoid the idiots who seem to continue to remain oblivious to the chaos they cause.

 

[ilusiv1]

Haven't driven in Perth then ?[/QUOTE]

 

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

People don't understand the dashed line and the upside down triangle sign of a roundabout either, they believe the "give way to the right" rule applies to roundabouts. News flash, give way to what's in the roundabout, not to your right. If you are entering a roundabout, just because there is nothing coming from your right, doesn't mean you can roar through, if I am coming from your left and I am over the line before you, you give way to me. A dashed line and the red framed upside triangle means GIVE WAY.

 

[ilusiv1]

lol my theory about other drivers on the road is like my take on people, I expect them to be selfish f**kwits and if they show me anything other than that I'm just pleasantly surprised, I hardly even flinch is someone doesn't giveway or pulls out in front of me, I just take it as standard, the only thing I can control is my own driving and my road manners. I rode an R1 around Perth for a year, I learnt to ride as if I was invisible and everyone is out to knock me off because most of the time that's exactly what it's like. Everytime I traveled somewhere of some distance I would get off the bike thinking "far our, I made it un-scathed again"

 

[Drawnnite]

What happens when people don't know how to merge. $34.8 million of taxpayers money to control traffic on 5 on-ramps.

Bruce Highway Managed Motorway Project (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

they have that in a fair few spots in Vic with the traffic lights.
in some situations it is good. in other it is terrible.

only takes 1 B-Double (or any truck) to have to stop and then get going again, and in most situations they physically cannot get up to speed in time. which then causes more issues then if they could have just gone and been able to keep going.
although Grieves Parade onto the Westgate is a bit smarter with the truck lanes so this doesn't happen.

would just be better if they as NAAF has stated, teach people how to actually drive rather than pass a test.

 

[Fekason]

In the last couple of weeks, I have three times faced the same issue.

All the traffic has merged successfully as the left lane ends. Someone, in each of these cases a big van or 4WD, decides to jump in the left lane and floor it. When they have no room left in the left lane/shoulder, they just pull right with no blinker even. Now a sensible driver identifies the DH, and is ready to give way to might just for safety sake, but I have seen drivers caught out when they have been forced onto the wrong side of the road by the DH pulling out when right next to them.
The DH then progresses till the next slow vehicle lane about three places in front of where they could (should) have been.

Sometimes there is justice however. I was driving on Northern Rd recently, when an impatient tradie and a small Hyundai were both trying this and jostling with each other as well. They both pushed past me at well over the speed limit, probably about 30 to 40 k over.Obviously they had somewhere important to be in a hurry. The Hyundai had the upper hand, but the tradie kept looking in and outside for any chance to pass. What for I don't know, and a long line of traffic ahead were progressing smoothly at close to the speed limit. My grandson was in the car, and even he commented on the aggressive behaviour of the tradie.

The next overtaking lane (junction of Elizabeth Drive) started just on a double lane roundabout. The tradie (at this point just in front of me) was quicker and started into the left lane using the shoulder before it actually started. The Hyundai was incensed and blasted his horn and gestured at the tradie. Anyhow, with the advantage and a lengthy overtaking lane, he was off and speeding away. The Hyundai got caught in traffic and must have been annoyed as hell, at least in the short term.

About halfway along the overtaking lane, I rounded a curve to note that the tradie up ahead was at the end on the overtaking lane. The fact that I was on the speed limit the whole way indicates the speed he must have reached. It was dusk, but I noted a vehicle suddenly pull out from a private property driveway up ahead. I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be good if that was a police car".

Well, next I saw the flashing lights come on. What a great opportunity to discuss safe driving and courtesy on the road with my grandson.

It is also not just merging that could be better done. On a double lane road, how many cars keep an eye on cross roads to see if they can move lanes to allow cars entering from the side a better chance to move. I regularly see drivers do the opposite. Change lanes to block the entrant, and then move back to their original lane.

I have spent some considerable time in a European country where the drivers do all sort of mad things. However, courtesy seems to prevail and because of that it works.

 

[MattK]

After 34 years on the road and then some , I can confidently say - Australians can't merge for **** !
I don't know if its a social decease , mental disorder , or some cultural taboo . But Australians can't merge !

 

[Noeleter]

Changing topic from one form of bad driving to another. "Lane filtering" for motorcycles has recently been approved by a number of states. I am a recreational motorcyclist (don't see commuting on a motorcycle as any fun at all) so generally have plenty of time and don't bother with lane filtering. I don't have a problem with it if done legally. However, since lane filtering was legalised there seems to be a lot of motorcyclists who think lane filtering can be done at 100km/hr. Who do they think is going to be the one killed! Wonder whether the change in law has indirectly got anything to do with the increase in motorcycle fatalities. There seems to have been a change in attitude. Once again I think it is a matter of people thinking they understand the law but being ignorant. The other think that is irritating with lane filtering is when motorbikes get to the front of the lane of traffic and then go to sleep and don't move when the light goes green and I must say if any of them ever scratch my Holden when passing I'll rip their head off.

 

[Noeleter]

Seems authorities in Qld have now come to the conclusion that very few people know how to merge. They are now going to make it part of the licence test. Makes one wonder what IS part of the licence test. How do we let people out on the freeways not knowing if they can merge or not!