Last second mergers are right

[TylerM4]

My rush to post and my mistake - I know where the City of Kelowna is. From what I remember, there were so many complaints that the City requested signage. And yes, I could be wrong there too.

So. Here's some info about merging that you don't know:

Most "merge points" in BC are not actually true Merges. The signs reflect "Lane ending" only. When this is the case, it's 100% the responsibility of the person in the lane that's ending to safely move over to the other lane.

BUT - add the word "Merge" to that sign and it's a whole new ballgame. Now it's actually a merge sign and drivers in both lanes are responsible for safely merging.

THAT's why they changed the sign.

[Fancy]

Not sure about that being the reason for the change of signage. Left lane drivers were being blocked from passing right lane drivers (literally people driving down the middle) - lots of road rage happening. Then the "Alternate..." sign posted overhead ended some driver's confusion and those that were unable to share the road properly.

[fluffy]

Is it illegal to hop over and pass everyone on the right in a merge lane?

I'd say technically no, if you are observing the "keep right except to pass rule" then you should already be in the right lane.

I just watched a news bit from Calgary where they put some serious research into merging techniques and found that, as opposed to zipper merging at the point where one lane disappears, early merging can hinder traffic flow by as much as 40%. Merging ahead of time, while in most cases viewed as the "polite" way to go, is not the best way to optimize traffic flow. A lot of this comes from people who refuse to let someone in at the merge point because that person is seen as "butting in", when in fact they are the ones who are merging properly.

[fluffy]

Cut & Pasted from the DriveSmart BC site:

Merging Traffic

It seems that drivers in BC generally have a big problem when it comes to merging. In this case let's say from two lanes to one. In the normal course of events merging shouldn't be any hassle at all - take turns, one from the left then one from the right - it all moves along nicely, and has a minimal effect on holding up traffic. Not in BC! Here it appears to be everyone for him/herself.

In a perfect world the reader would never have raised this issue. We would all be courteous to each other and take turns when we were presented with a situation where merging was required. All would proceed happily and no one would have to spend more time than the other waiting their turn.

In my travels, I rarely see a merge sign on BC's highways. More often than not, you see a sign indicating that the lane ends ahead, and in this case it is the responsibility of the driver in the lane that is ending to make a safe lane change in order to carry on. Of course, the courteous driver in the adjacent lane should realize this and adjust their speed to allow the other driver room to move in, but it is not required by law.

In the case of a sign that actually displays the word merge on it and both lanes merge into one rather than one lane ending, neither driver has right of way over the other. Both drivers must take care to accomodate each other as they move to take up positions to enter the single lane ahead. The RoadSense for Drivers manual does not contain specific information for this situation.

Remember that right of way is something granted, not something that a driver insists upon taking. Defensive driving often means making exceptions for the selfish or socially handicapped drivers among us in order to promote safety.

So there you have it, allowing others to merge in front of you at a merge point is not required by law, but it is the courteous thing to do. The question is, if you have a choice between being courteous of being otherwise, why would you choose the second option? Are you okay with counting yourself among the "selfish or socially handicapped" ?

[Bsuds]

It's a simple concept that so many refuse to acknowledge or understand.

[fluffy]

I'd say that early mergers (guilty as charged) feel like they are doing the right thing, but it's obvious to me now that that courtesy is misplaced. By trying to be the nice guy I am in fact adding to the congestion. Well never again. I'm embracing the dark side. Gedoudamyway.

[mexi cali]

Followed by "Oh no you don't!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Bsuds]

and then "crash"!