I'm not talking about the actions of the drivers here, more the road situation. If one lane is closed ahead, there is nothing to stop you cruising along until you actually reach the closure point and then get in lane.

I admit to being one of the crowd that get in lane early and just sit there queuing. I do this because I think people will not let me back in, they will hurl abuse at me or do what this guy did and block me. I wonder if those in the queue see the other drivers cruising past as 'winning' and laughing at them and that is why some respond in this way.

What do you do in these situations?

 LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

I hate it, it brings out the worst in people.

Sometimes two lanes of heavy traffic need to filter into one but, when it's so obvious where there's a queue of people patiently waiting leaving a lane, which can still be used by emergency vehicles and motorcycles, free it's a complete pain in the bum when people do this.

The cars should filter in sensibly at the point the cones start obstructing the road , what's the point of leaving one lane unused for 800 \ 1600 \ 5000 ? yards. The bloke doing the blocking is a , but he would probably unwittingly create the situation I mentioned above with two full lanes of cars filtering sensibly. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

If everyone filters in when the first sign says the lane is closed the traffic will flow , leaving it to the last inch makes the traffic stop thus you get a tailback . What makes the people who drive right up to the cones think that there more important than those who sit in the queue ?Would you walk up to the front of the queue in the bank ? Just because your in a tin box doesn't give you the right everyone else. Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

>>If everyone filters in when the first sign says the lane is closed

The are no signs that say the line is closed, there are signs that give you a descending distance to the point the lane closes.

>> leaving it to the last inch makes the traffic stop thus you get a tailback
Sorry, but if you have one point at which cars filter in, how does the distance from the cones make any difference ?


>> What makes the people who drive right up to the cones think that there more important than those who sit in the queue
They don't think they are more important, they are just being sensible.

>> Would you walk up to the front of the queue in the bank
No because there is only one line, not two merging into one. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

>> leaving it to the last inch makes the traffic stop thus you get a tailback
Sorry, but if you have one point at which cars filter in, how does the distance from the cones make any difference ?

Nope. The distance makes all the difference. If drivers start to filter when they're first aware of a problem then everyone gets in line without issue. Common sense - anything else is just chancing your arm and hoping to force your way in at the last (and furthest down the road) moment.

Explain to me how cars merging 1000 yards from the cones makes any difference to cars merging in 100 yards from the cones.

The signs are there to give you advance warning that the lanes ahead is closed, nothing more than that.

I Wonder why they had to make signs like this

Click image to enlarge

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

Depends on traffic volume. Our normally clogged roads dictate that 500 cars will merge more successfully in 1000 yards as opposed to 100.

That sign has nothing (necessarily) to do with merging.

The 'BUT' in your quote is massively important. The vast, vast majority of motorists aren't IAM trained and the signs mentioned aren't deployed. Motorists slowly and considerately merging to the best of their abilities are only going to feel one thing as a hot hatch roars past them to push in right at the end.

The zip merge idea sounds ideal but there's too much boasting and goading on our roads. I've seen drivers trying to edge each other out in a bid to get one car further ahead. The driver that gets there often waves in a boasting manner that leads to the other driver seeking revenge.

This video is not the same situation we are discussing here but it shows how some confrontations unfold.

 LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

We are actually talking about traffic that's just crawling along aren't we, as per the video? If its free flowing traffic then you obviously want to merge in early as your travelling at speed, I'm obviously not advocating driving along at 50mph up to the cones and then driving up the line of cones at 50mph like a game of Tron.

>>500 cars will merge more successfully in 1000 yards as opposed to 100.
If we are talking about a single point at which cars merge I don't see how. The most efficient merge is for each car in the open lane to let in one car from the closed lane. If the point of merge is at 1000 yards or 500 yards or 50 yards it makes no difference, the merge speed will always be the same. If you merge at the cones instead of the 1000 yard marker the only difference is the closed lane will have 1000 yards of extra cars in it and the open lane will a traffic queue that is 1000 yards shorter. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

"The most efficient merge is for each car in the open lane to let in one car from the closed lane."

in an ideal world, yes. But most motorists don't have the ability, temperament or inclination to do that. And even if they did, that relies on everyone taking their turn without hesitation. If just one person misses their turn at merging (fiddling with the satnav, looking at Facebook, etc) then traffic builds up, horns sound and... we're back to square one.

Yeah but if you are crawling up the line of cones you can't really miss the merge point can you.

My experience of this is people merge in early because they see a space and they suddenly jump in (dangerous because a motorbike might be coming up the centre) or the person in-front of them just merged in at this point so they will as well, so they sit with their car at an angle, indicator on (blocking the centre line for motorbikes) and wait for the open lane to move and someone to let them in, and not everybody does. If I was behind that person, once they are out of the way I would move up the closed lane at 20 mph up-to and along the line of cones. What I find is that the cars behind me do the same thing and people just naturally let you in, I have never had a problem with this.

If I, as you say, went 'roaring up the inside' and braked hard at the cones I have no doubt people would not want to let you in. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Shiggsy what do you mean what sign ? If a lane is closing there are always 400, 300 , 200 & 100yrd signs signs giving you warning . Look to merg when you see the first sign , if the traffic is doing 50mph , slowing down a little to let someone in doesn't effect the flow , but if some chancer or some arse can't read the sign then drives up to the cones the traffic will stop . Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

the bloke obviously has an important sales meeting, if he doesnt shift X amount of widgets this quarter Tracy from accounts will leave him , shes already flirtingwith Darren widgemaster Daniels.

let the poor bloke through, widgets are more important than oxygen in his tiny mind, and he will hound you like a terminater At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

quite often lorry drivers will move over into the closed lane and crawl at the pace of the open lane, thus preventing this happening.

Iain