Trucks Blocking Lanes At Construction Merges, Is This Legal?

[Thor]

It is supposed to be a merge. That means the two lanes join together in one.

True statement. If the left lane is closing the people currently in the right lane have the right of way and it is up to the people in the left lane to find a safe way to enter the stream of traffic. No one currently in the right lane is required to make room for you. Same with entrance ramps and merge lanes there, no one currently on the road is required to make room for you...ever; now they may out of what they consider to be courtesy, or to give you a break. If you are blasting down a line of solid traffic to force your way in because you are just sooooo important and right that person giving way won't be me.

 

[jkaetz]

One of my pet peeves when I was a LEO was people who drive down, in heavy traffic, the shoulder to get to an off-ramp. Whenever somebody passed me, in my squad, like that, I'd pull out and light them up. That was a ticket you couldn't talk yourself out of.

Unless they're going by at highway speed or miles before the exit is this really an issue?

Zipper merging is one of those acts that works beautifully and scientifically can be proven to reduce congestion. But it ONLY works if EVERYONE does it. And most people are ignorant of the study, so they continue to mix merge points and make life harder for everyone. It will only be resolved with changes in signage, as well as a massive PSA blitz teaching everyone about it.


I see this blocking MUCH less offensive than the dbag OTRs rolling 70 1/2 in a 70 in the passing lane taking 5 miles to pass another truck in the right lane.

Honestly until you've spent time being an OTR driver, you don't really understand. Trying to follow a truck that is going 1/2 mph slower than you over say 300 miles is mind numbing.

I don't mind the passing, so long as they aren't cutting off a line of faster moving traffic to do so. I can't count the number of times a truck jumped into the left lane as a line of cars was clearly moving faster but also leaving a safe space between while I traveled to Chicago and back last week.



The merge theory only works when people engage their critical thinking. This takes into account the extra variables in the situation, speed, entrances, exits, etc... The slower the traffic is going, the closer to the merge point you should merge. < 5 mph, drive right up to the barrels and merge. You aren't saving anyone time by merging early or blocking lanes. Adjust appropriately when speeds increase.

As someone who drives from Indy to Bloomington down 37/i69 on a regular basis I see this multiple times/week. It was especially bad trying to go north because not only did you have people merging early, you had to get through at least one stop signal and potentially two depending on how far back people had decided to merge. Merging early severely hurt those people as they had to wait for the signals, and then wait for all the people that came in from those signals when they should have simply used both lanes until the merge point. Yes I use the empty lane as it was a minimum 10 minute difference if not more just to be a moral driver. I do not cut people off and i do not fly up to the end of the open lane but I learned a while ago that time is my most valuable asset. I refuse to spend it sitting in traffic because some people don't understand how to efficiently navigate a lane closure.

 

[churchmouse]

IBTL again

 

[Vigilant]

It was a fun thread! I have also learned that I am going to call my legislators, State Police, and Motor Carrier enforcement to ask that blocking behavior be enforced, might even make the state some money....

Thanks for all the great replies...

Well now that you’re going all Captain Save A Ho, ask them to make new laws about left lane campers, folks who unnecessarily come to a stop on roundabouts, folks that don’t know how to turn onto multiple lane roads, folks who turn into half of the oncoming lane, I mean why stop at merge lanes?

 

[Wild Deuce]

Here's the key for everyone here ... You do you and don't get bent out of shape if others don't do you and do themselves instead.

 

[churchmouse]

Well now that you’re going all Captain Save A Ho, ask them to make new laws about left lane campers, folks who unnecessarily come to a stop on roundabouts, folks that don’t know how to turn onto multiple lane roads, folks who turn into half of the oncoming lane, I mean why stop at merge lanes?

"NO MORE LAWS"

​Just enforce the ones we have.

 

[Ingomike]

Well now that you’re going all Captain Save A Ho, ask them to make new laws about left lane campers, folks who unnecessarily come to a stop on roundabouts, folks that don’t know how to turn onto multiple lane roads, folks who turn into half of the oncoming lane, I mean why stop at merge lanes?

I did not plan to reply here again but thought you should know Indiana has a "left lane camper" law.

Except as provided in subsection (c), a person who knows, or should reasonably know, that another vehicle is overtaking from the rear the vehicle that the person is operating may not continue to operate the vehicle in the left most lane.

[h=1]Indiana Code Title 9. Motor Vehicles § 9-21-5-9[/h]
As for the rest, I would like to fix them but, as Ron White said, "you can't fix stupid"...

 

[churchmouse]

I did not plan to reply here again but thought you should know Indiana has a "left lane camper" law.

Except as provided in subsection (c), a person who knows, or should reasonably know, that another vehicle is overtaking from the rear the vehicle that the person is operating may not continue to operate the vehicle in the left most lane.

[h=1]Indiana Code Title 9. Motor Vehicles § 9-21-5-9[/h]
As for the rest, I would like to fix them but, as Ron White said, "you can't fix stupid"...

He has a way of baiting you back into the fray.....

 

[rhino]

I don't understand what compels some people to drive in the left lane when there is no noticeable difference between the surfaces of the two lanes. Some of them do when there are no other cars around . . . except the vehicle behind them trying to pass. How do they benefit from impeding faster traffic or forcing people to pass them on the right?

 

[bwframe]

Jeez, this is a long thread for just starting yesterday. What a hot topic.

Don't have the time to go back and read it all now, but do have a couple questions...

Has anyone addressed the root cause if this problem?
Who is the highway construction industry accountable to?
Along that same line, why aren't we making our politicians accountable for our money being pissed away on this?

 

[AGarbers]

I don't understand what compels some people to drive in the left lane when there is no noticeable difference between the surfaces of the two lanes. Some of them do when there are no other cars around . . . except the vehicle behind them trying to pass. How do they benefit from impeding faster traffic or forcing people to pass them on the right?

In most cases you're correct. But there are cases that the right lane is so damaged that it beats me and my work van to death or the lane is so rutted from semis that it pitches my van from side to side like a ship in heavy seas. In cases like that I stay in the least damaged lane until I see someone coming up behind me.

 

[KJQ6945]

The reactions on this thread really amaze me. Especially from people I actually know and respect.

Here is what the the signs typically say. Left/right lane ends in 3/2/1 miles. Merge ahead. Use both lanes. There is not a sign that says to merge now, 4 miles early and be a jackass to anyone who is smarter than you, and can actually read.

SR37 in Martinsville is a prime example of why people need to use both lanes. The "merge" is about a 1/2 mile south of the light at SR252. Because everyone gets into the right lane to early, the intersection gets blocked. The left lane is wide open, but people are scared to get into it because you will have some vigilante in a $500 dollar car swerve into your lane, flip you off, throw beer cans at you, or worse. Friday night at 6 o'clock, the right lane will be backed up north of the light at SR44.

This is why we can't have nice things.

 

[KJQ6945]

The sign at Crew Carwash explains it all, where 3 lanes merge into one. Alternate lanes. It's only complicated when someone decides, wrongly, that he has the right of way. Be courteous to your fellow man people, we learned this in kindergarten, and as armed people, it is very important that we be courteous.

 

[BugI02]

I don't understand what compels some people to drive in the left lane when there is no noticeable difference between the surfaces of the two lanes. Some of them do when there are no other cars around . . . except the vehicle behind them trying to pass. How do they benefit from impeding faster traffic or forcing people to pass them on the right?

On the urban freeways here in Columbus, it is people who can't be bothered to look up from their phones long enough to deal with merging traffic, so they think that is the solution. I usually pass them on the right and then dust their front bumper for them when I re-enter the left lane. I'm way faster than they are so they're not going to hit me but it certainly does rip their attention away from the phone

 

[Hatin Since 87]

The reactions on this thread really amaze me. Especially from people I actually know and respect.

Here is what the the signs typically say. Left/right lane ends in 3/2/1 miles. Merge ahead. Use both lanes. There is not a sign that says to merge now, 4 miles early and be a jackass to anyone who is smarter than you, and can actually read.

SR37 in Martinsville is a prime example of why people need to use both lanes. The "merge" is about a 1/2 mile south of the light at SR252. Because everyone gets into the right lane to early, the intersection gets blocked. The left lane is wide open, but people are scared to get into it because you will have some vigilante in a $500 dollar car swerve into your lane, flip you off, throw beer cans at you, or worse. Friday night at 6 o'clock, the right lane will be backed up north of the light at SR44.

This is why we can't have nice things.

I thought flipping you off and throwing a beer out the window was proper etiquette in martinsville? I have to drive that road every weekend for my oldest daughter, and it’s worse than 465 construction zones

 

[Hatin Since 87]

Perfectly legal in California, those without a death wish wait until the traffic is well and truly gridlocked before swinging out

Also legal in most other countries. Most people here get mad and think bikers are doing it to save time.

 

[Vigilant]

Jeez, this is a long thread for just starting yesterday. What a hot topic.

Don't have the time to go back and read it all now, but do have a couple questions...

Has anyone addressed the root cause if this problem?
Who is the highway construction industry accountable to?
Along that same line, why aren't we making our politicians accountable for our money being pissed away on this?

The Mouse answered this earlier, PEOPLE, PEOPLE, and PEOPLE. Pretty much sums it up.

 

[Vigilant]

The sign at Crew Carwash explains it all, where 3 lanes merge into one. Alternate lanes. It's only complicated when someone decides, wrongly, that he has the right of way. Be courteous to your fellow man people, we learned this in kindergarten, and as armed people, it is very important that we be courteous.

Sheesh, you have an AOC version of the world. Hit the Avon Crew, and you’ll see the worst of humanity. I KNOW how things are SUPPOSED to work, but that **** doesn’t happen in real life, Monday morning 0830 supposed to be there at 0800 traffic. All of you AOC perfect worlders need to take public trans, or get up earlier, or later, whatever the case may be, and deal with me hanging with the semi trucks half in the lane?

 

[tv1217]

I'll generally leave space 20 ft or so back from the merge point for a car or two to move in. If you pass up that opportunity to merge over and I come up on you trying to get over at the last possible second, then I say "**** you, you can wait now"

 

[Vigilant]

Maybe it’s roadside bombs, or just plain vigilance on my part, but I only leave just enough space between me and the vehicle in front of me so I CAN GET THE **** OUT IF NEED BE. You getting IN, is not on my radar, choose your space accordingly. I will view it as an attempt on me and mine.