The new highway code has introduced the US zip-merging system where, for example, 2 lanes go into 1. This is designed to utilise all the tarmac space instead of having all the vehicles queueing up in one lane with nothing in the open lane next to it.
Your thoughts please.
Me - 
I noticed on the A27 at Lewis among the roadworks there were alternate signs spaced along the carriageway.
One sign showed left lane open and the right lane closed.
The next sign said āUse both lanesā
Then the closed lane sign.
Then use both lanes sign.
Dozens of them, one after the other.
Didnāt quite know which sign to follow.
Tobyjug:
I noticed on the A27 at Lewis among the roadworks there were alternate signs spaced along the carriageway.
One sign showed left lane open and the right lane closed.
The next sign said āUse both lanesā
Then the closed lane sign.
Then use both lanes sign.Dozens of them, one after the other.
Didnāt quite know which sign to follow.
Sounds like they should have used RIGHT LANE CLOSED & QUEUE IN BOTH LANES with a MERGE IN TURN at the point where it went into one lane. The new zip merge would eliminate the need for excessive signs and in this case would only require the RIGHT LANE CLOSED sign.
Does that mean that the ālane blocking lorriesā will no longer be needed?
They just cannot understand how much longer the queue becomes when they block all lanes bar one miles before the closure.
Zip merging is so simple, and if drivers kept to a reasonable speed and a reasonable distance behind the one in front the delays should be far less.
However, in the real world of selfish, unthinking (and mostly ignorant) drivers, I doubt it will work well.
Takes me back to my test on the orbital system in Gloucester, just hoping that the car drivers would understand how to work it.
I now live near the Hardwick roundabout at Abergavenny (the A40/A465 junction). Itās a sort of roundabout with a little one way system tacked on it and a few years ago the A465 southbound approach changed from āgive wayā to āmergeā. There are 3 clearly marked lanes and signs telling people to merge so why do most of them come flying round the bend then stop at some imaginary line and wait for a gap? Even those who do seem to understand seem to think itās luck if you find yourself next to a gap, nothing to do with judging the other laneās speed and adjusting theirs so suit.
Mind you, on this roundabout itās also common practice when going Abergavenny - Pontypool (3rd exit, about a 90 right turn) to get in the left lane and not even indicate to turn right so not much hope of understanding the advanced stuff!
I think reducing speed at merging systems and roundabouts would help keep the traffic flowing much better - if everyone trundled round at 20-30mph weād all keep moving like the inventor intended. Because people approach at 40-50 they canāt judge if the rābout is clear so slam on the anchors and stop, then stamp on the accelerator and scream around at 40-50 once they do get going so making the problem worse.
ROG:
The new highway code has introduced the US zip-merging system where, for example, 2 lanes go into 1. This is designed to utilise all the tarmac space instead of having all the vehicles queueing up in one lane with nothing in the open lane next to it.
Your thoughts please.
Me -
Thatās how its always supposed to work. Saying that, it doesnāt make the Trafpol Wannabee HGV drivers look anything but thick when they do the lane blocking routine right next to the signs saying āUse both lanesā and āMerge in Turnā.
I always go as close to the closure as I possibly can and then try to merge in , not only do disgruntled lorry drivers now try to hold you out for supposedly pushing to the front of the que , even car drivers and vans do it now .
We had a long and interesting thread on here a couple of years ago on the subject of āmergingā.
Hereās the link:
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8048
From my own point of view, Iāll continue to do what I have always done - join the ācorrectā lane at the back of the queue, trundle along in ācrawlerā gear if possible (say 3 or 4 mph) to keep on the move, reading the movement (or lack of) up ahead and opening up a gap sometimes to avoid stopping. 
Iām afraid if Zip-merging is mentioned in the New Highway Code it will just give carte blanche to the āME, join the queue?..Iām far too important for that !ā brigade.
Not the intention, obviously, but that whatās gonna happenā¦ 
Tony1968:
I now live near the Hardwick roundabout at Abergavenny (the A40/A465 junction). Itās a sort of roundabout with a little one way system tacked on it and a few years ago the A465 southbound approach changed from āgive wayā to āmergeā. There are 3 clearly marked lanes and signs telling people to merge so why do most of them come flying round the bend then stop at some imaginary line and wait for a gap? Even those who do seem to understand seem to think itās luck if you find yourself next to a gap, nothing to do with judging the other laneās speed and adjusting theirs so suit.
Noticed this just the other day, if the first person to reach the roundabout does it, you can gurantee everyone else will stop at the imaginary line.
Good idea. People wonāt be able to barge their way in because there will be vehicles in front of them stopping them.
The problem at the moment is that idiots seem to LIKE queueing 
and dive for the nearside lane as soon as the traffic seems to slow a fraction. This causes everyone else to slow and the gap they have created in the traffic allows a tempting gap for people to charge down the outside. If everyone stayed in their lane and went to the front and then āZip Mergedā it would save a lot of time and frustration, imho.
Deesider:
We had a long and interesting thread on here a couple of years ago on the subject of āmergingā.Hereās the link:
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8048
From my own point of view, Iāll continue to do what I have always done - join the ācorrectā lane at the back of the queue, trundle along in ācrawlerā gear if possible (say 3 or 4 mph) to keep on the move, reading the movement (or lack of) up ahead and opening up a gap sometimes to avoid stopping.
Iām afraid if Zip-merging is mentioned in the New Highway Code it will just give carte blanche to the āME, join the queue?..Iām far too important for that !ā brigade.
Not the intention, obviously, but that whatās gonna happenā¦
This will only work if traffic will uses both lanes equally and as some-one has mentioned already, for some wierd and wonderful reason the british public LIKE to queue in one laneā ā ?
I join the shortest queue. If everyone filled up both lanes both queues would be the same length and everyone could merge in ,keep moving and no one would gain an advantage. Why does everyone queue up in one lane for 3 miles with no vehicles in the other lane,particularly when the signs say use both lanes is beyond me.Well actually it isnāt, they are stupid!!!
once the que has ground to a halt merge in turn at the start theyāll be a few losers who arrived at the wrong time but eh ho it may not be you everytime
It doesnāt matter which lane im in/join guarenteed it will always be the one that grinds to a halt 10 seconds later 
Its the same at the supermarket i see a checkout thats only got a few people on it and the person in front of me has only a few items so i join that one get my stuff onto the conveyer and then realised i got the trainee cashier who hasnt worked out yet that its the little stripey box on the packaging that makes the machine go beep so will try a box at every possible combination of sides and angles before finally getting the item to scan, oh and then the person who was in front of me decides to pay with the exact change and rumages through her ā ā ā ā ā for 10 mins trying to capture that ellusive penny, meanwhile all the other tills have cleared and the girls have resorted to manicuring themselves to alleviate their boredom.
Ok rant over
What makes me laugh is that when there is a very slow queue or traffic stops you get the people who will rush to another lane because it is moving 10 feet per hour faster. Then due to the reduction in traffic in the original lane plus the added muppets who have just moved into the other lane, the other lane slows down and the original lane speeds up. So what do they all doā ā ? You got it 
Itās like watching a cartoon.
I have this every night nearly on the way home in my car where the A47 goes down to one lane at North Burlingham.
Since Iām usually moving pretty quick in the offside lane anyway I stay in the bugger and if people queueing up for 600 yards on the left donāt like it they can write my number plate downā¦the rear number plate. 
Itās a sad pheneomeon of the British roads , and everything else .
For example I spent a 6 months in Hong Kong with our majestys finest , second last regiment to be there before it got handed over .
If I was to que at the many mcdonalds resturants for sercice I would still be there now waiting , wasting away ā¦
It was hard to get used to , but if you wanted fed , you ZIP MERGED along the ques ā¦
Drove HGVS in Hong Kong , any lane was anybodies game , if you wanted a turnoff and you where in the far lane you had to ZIP over best you could before it became of size over matter ā¦
The whole system worked perfectly , anyone hear anyone complaining about it ā¦
NO
Although driving was odd , in an HGV it was hard work and very Odd
Lost some mirrors on maniac buses , and took a few back to settle the score
It was an experience