el gordo 78:
the whole point of the cones, is that IS the point by which they want you in.
They DO have a god given (or should I say DSA given) right to merge in there - as do you… license + vehicle + tax = right to use the road.
If you were supposed to merge in 1km earlier the cones would be 1km earlier or a sign as mentioned above saying MERGE NOW!! would be placed.
isn’t that the whole point? there are signs on the approach to road works 600yd,500yd,outside lane clossed,GET IN LANE! etc etc these signs as far as i know apply to everyone,they’re not placed where they’re difficult to see and they’re not written in some ancient long forgotten language that only the odd driver can understand so why is it there always a handfull of prats who think they dont need to filter into the open lane before the cones? perhaps the signs should also read “applicable unless your driving a bm or a merc or if your in a hurry”
I think it helps the flow as on most occaissions if you clear the lane in front and get a good gap (100m or so) then you can go through the cones at a steady pace instead of stabbing the brakes (causing the domino effect behind) everytime the numpty in front decides to go from 40mph to 30mph when they see a camera
So if I’m at the head of the queue I can stop the needless stop starting which increases it’s effevt as it goes back down the line.
Oh and it also gets the queue into the cones moving quicker as the merging cars in front do so quicker as the gaps they are going into get larger due to the lighter flow of traffic behind them
I don’t understand why people all crowd into lane 1 instead of queueing in both lanes, thus shortening the length of the queue and relieving stress. Although there is the same amount of cars overall there is a shorter distance thus it feels like less of a hold up and you don’t get as stressed. If we all used the last mile of lane 2 and merged in turn as directed the tail-back would be shorter and would flow better.
I don’t see the point in this queueing in a neat line one behind the other polite nonsense. And I definitely don’t see the point in blocking lane 2 to stop drivers using it.
Wow ! This is a really interesting thread.
The opinions expressed above are the best illustration I’ve ever seen on TruckNet of the difference in driving attitude between older, wiser, more experienced drivers and the ‘young guns’, who seem to believe that they have got to live their entire lifestyle at the speed of light ! (O.K. - I’m exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea !)
If you had not read previous threads mentioning their ages, how old and how much day in, day out Truck driving experience would you say the individual members had ? A sweeping generalisation, I know - age under 30 or age over 40 ? Scroll through them again - do you see the pattern that I did ?
Stress is an occupational hazard nowadays, and can damage your health and relationships in later life. No need at all to spend each and every working hour tear…ing around - It’s just not worth it, believe me.
I don’t like people roaring up the outside lane of the duel carridgeway and chopping me up at roadworks, or “jumping” the que of traffic to get in front of me, because they’re so impatient, which is what it boils down to I think. Paid hourly, so I’m not overly worried if I’m sat in a traffic jam - as I’m earning . The load u’ll get their eventually - weather it’s late or not (it’d be nice for it to be on time, but it’s not the be all and end all), I make the best possible job of it I can and leave the stressing to everyone else, or that’s the conclusion I’ve now come to . It’d be nice if their wasn’t so much ignorance and impatience on the roads nowdays (I’m sure you’ve all seen it in your working life) but their is and we’ve got to live with it. I feel stressing about it isn’t going to do me any good, so let 'em get on with it. Oh yeah, I think you’ve guessed I don’t do it, but I can see why people do. If I’m wrong, I stand corrected. I shall wind my neck in now before it all comes my way . Rant over .
So long as they keep a set pace, it seems to keep the traffic moving the same, enabling easier merging (noone speeding upto the cones & then trying to force themselves in). People also are less wound up because they are moving at a steady pace and no one is getting one up on them by overtaking to the last inch
OK… stupid question then. If the traffic is flowing through roadworks, even if at a slower rate (I assume that the speedlimit is lowered there just as it is here through the roadworks) what difference does it make whether its a truck in front or a car if everyone is suppose to be doing the same reduced speed. And why should the truck yield to the car when everyone is waiting for the same reason? Too many average drivers have no respect or courtesy for the trucks or its drivers, and this is a good example of that. They hate being behind the truck… they won’t be moving any faster, but want to be front of the line. They ignore the signs warning them of the work and telling them to merge long before they actually get there thinking they can speed up before the cones and just jump in. It doesn’t work that way, and then you just end up with an extra line of cars waiting to merge in with the ones that have done what they should, but have to stop and let these idiots back into traffic. THAT is what causes the traffic jams, not the truck driver. Lets face it… people are in too big a hurry these days, have no patience, and don’t respect each other.
Talking of roadworks…why is it that in europe everything flows a lot smoother than over here…even on the same width of road…ie motorway…dual carriageway they just manage to keep things moving…and you dont see the frustration on the drivers faces as you do here…which shows that athere is a lot of frustrated brits behind the wheel…which in turn leads to road rage…and maybe a knife in the back !!..the only annoying thing i find is idiots that want to block the hard shoulder…stopping emergency vehicles getting through…saw an instance in very heavy traffic…cars were running up the hard shoulder to get off at the next junction…then some idiot in a truck decided to block off the said lane…in the distance i could see the emergency services through my mirror…lo and behold…everything stopped…so what was the point in that operation…traffic jams dont bother me…i will sit and wait…and if someone wants to jump the queue…so what…let them in.and if you are not on an hourly rate…then youre the idiot…who wants a job without a guaranteed wage in these days…but sit tight…and remember that traffic jams mean …less work…for the same money…and no stress…learn to chill
have a nice day
Kate Hasler:
And why should the truck yield to the car when everyone is waiting for the same reason?
And there lies the whole problem, it is one of attitude. The truck driver won’t give way to the car driver, the car driver won’t give way to the truck driver but the thing is someone has to give way eventually otherwise no one goes anywhere.
Just by leaving a slight gap and having a little consideration for fellow motorists, regardless of the vehicle they drive, the two lanes can merge easily into one using the zip method. It won’t happen though because the truck driver feels it his mission in life to hinder the car driver, the car driver is anxious to not be behind the truck feeling if he is behind it may take a few seconds longer to reach his destination so every one just battles on hindering the merging of the two lanes and everyone is delayed as a result. The two trucks crawling along beside each other are helping no one but themselves and are causing more problems than they think they are solving. So again it is down to attitude and having no consideration for anyone else.
i also do it mainly because of mr got to get there now in his merc/bmw needs to get to the front of the que.we all have deadlines pratt
if you manage to get a decent gap infront of you the traffic starts to move more freely and also the skate boards see whats happening in front of them (some can see passed there bonnet ) and then merge in to the traffic behind you .
i have even had cars pull along side me blocking the traffic from getting nearer to the cones
but what really ■■■■■■ me off is when you go from 3 lane motorway to 1 lane in the middle of the night and cars coming screaming down the road to cut you up in the last 50 yards only to catch the vehicle in front.
what have they gained absolultey ■■■■ all,apart from getting my back up.
you have 800 yards to make your mind up don’t leave it to the last 50 and get shoved through the cones
I do believe that Mr Plod have said they take a very dim view of this practise and I fully support them!!! Since when have truck drivers been Traffic Police■■?
It seems we have two schools of thought here,
1 is that the doubled up trucks coming into the roadworks cause a traffic jam.
2 is that the doubled up trucks coming into the roadworks release a traffic jam.
Maybe its both, if its done right, the vehicles in front of the two slow moving trucks can clear the coned area. Then the trucks put the foot down and merge smoothly starting a fast moving, zipper effect.
If its done wrong, all that happens is that a clear space is made then the trucks slowly approach the coned area and merge at the last minute, without speeding up. All that does is make a small clear space in the jam.
It comes down to if the two truckers really know what they are trying to do, or if they are just trying to copy something they think they have seen before.
The guy who did this amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html, is spot on, but in the UK almost everyone jumps from lane to lane, if they see a large enough gap. The only way to create a big enough gap is for two trucks to block the road and allow a large space to open up in front of them. Then they accelerate to a reasonable speed and merge at the start of the cones.
a38 ■■■■■■■■ ina bmer took my front bumperin his rush
got to get there mentallity kils
leave a gap
dont get wound up
and remember
we’re gettin paid
they’re gettin old and grey
approaching the enforced carriageway narrowing I’m watching the mirrors as much as ahead, if anything. if I can see someone’s in the desperate rush to get to the front I’ll lift off a tad. let em be a bit safer, and not get involved.
my ethos for driving, where possible. don’t get ‘involved’.
but imagine the one on the left with the 2 leading vehicles running with matched speed, and the vehicles bunched up even more behind. no space to merge into, means staying out later for even more than would normally do so.
if the side-by-side, zoom off, create space for a zipper was done more than a mile from the works, and the outer vehicle accellerating later than the inner, but harder it’d mean the gaps would appear to move into, but its never done like that, in the times I’ve seen it.
I’ll always remember on the M1 when a truck entered lane 3 in a traffic jam (caused by an accident a few miles ahead) to hold vehicles from passing. Of course, he not being allowed in that lane cars were ducking and diving to be seen in the mirrors and wanting to be past, and merge in a little later (which would have been fine cos all 3 lanes weren’t going anywhere a short while ahead). the moment he saw them in the mirror, he swearved across to “shut the door” on that side (wide tarmac central reserve on that stretch, before the armco). pointless, needless and dangerous, and the only reason I could see for it was mobility envy.
even did it to a bike as well. was praying he’d be seen by a copper and crucified for it
Wow ! This is a really interesting thread.
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