What is people in Sheffield's problem with merge in turn lanes?

[Classic Rock 10]

I tried the manoevere of stepping out of the queue in the left lane and travelling at the same speed in the right lane to hold back the queue jumpers. This didn't work too well, because the driver behind me in the long queue immediately jumped into my place and when I reached the filtering point refused to let me back in, nor would the driver behind, or the driver behind that car! I was stuck and rejected as much as someone who had jumped the queue, so I'm never doing that again!

[Nikster 10]

Single carriageway

135

 

Where a single carriageway has three lanes and the road markings or signs do not give priority to traffic in either direction

 

* use the middle lane only for overtaking or turning right. Remember, you have no more right to use the middle lane than a driver coming from the opposite direction

* do not use the right-hand lane

 

Is the only place I see reference of not using a right hand lane, and as most roads we're talking about are marked, double solid white lines on the a57 parkway / coisley hill, it looks like some unritten rule people want to enforce on others

[alex3659 11]

Is the only place I see reference of not using a right hand lane, and as most roads we're talking about are marked, double solid white lines on the a57 parkway / coisley hill, it looks like some unritten rule people want to enforce on others

 

Correct the road markings do give priority

[Eater Sundae 12]

Or the part which says only use one lane where there are two

 

I dont know the other road layouts, but in the case of the A61 at Tankersley, travelling towards Sheffield from junction 36, 137 of the Highway Code is pretty clear.

[max 13]

I tried the manoevere of stepping out of the queue in the left lane and travelling at the same speed in the right lane to hold back the queue jumpers. This didn't work too well, because the driver behind me in the long queue immediately jumped into my place and when I reached the filtering point refused to let me back in, nor would the driver behind, or the driver behind that car! I was stuck and rejected as much as someone who had jumped the queue, so I'm never doing that again!

 

Why on earth would you break the law like that?

[Eater Sundae 12]

Some people on here have used 134 of the Highway Code as a reason for merging in turn. However, 134 specifically refers to temporary situations where 2 lanes convert to 1, ie road works or accidents. It speaks volumes that it doesn't include "normal, permanent" changes from 2 lanes to one lane. Dont you think that if this was intended, then the HC would actually say as much?

 

In the case of Tankersly, it is a 2 lane dual carriageway. The purpose of this 2 lane section is to allow overtaking. Prior to the road narrowing to one lane, it is the responsibility of the overtaking driver to complete the manoeuvre. Drivers should not overtake if there haven't got a space to overtake into, or if the road narrows.

 

At Tankersley, at busy times, traffic backs up to Junction 36, which is where the problem starts.

 

I think it would help if there were signs, on leaving the roundabout, on the lines of "At busy times, use both lanes", and then, after the turn off for Pilley, "At busy times, merge in turn".

 

In 40 or so years of driving, I've probably only seen less than a dozen "Merge in turn" signs. I think there should be more. But until there is, we are stuck with the current system. In the case of Tankersley, it is a dual carriageway, and so the right hand lane is for overtaking (and in this case an approach to the Pilley turn off).

[Becky B 31]

No, it's people using the road properly, which you are not.

 

So why don't people 'merge' into the gap I leave?

[RichD 10]

Some people on here have used 134 of the Highway Code as a reason for merging in turn. However, 134 specifically refers to temporary situations where 2 lanes convert to 1, ie road works or accidents. It speaks volumes that it doesn't include "normal, permanent" changes from 2 lanes to one lane. Dont you think that if this was intended, then the HC would actually say as much?

Wrong. Highway Code 134 states:

You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed. In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed.

Nowhere in that paragraph does it mention the word 'temporary'. In fact - and here is the really important bit - it uses e.g. - meaning, "The following are examples, not an exhaustive list."

[SnailyBoy 10]

Saw an example this morning.... queuing traffic on M1 slip road for Meadowhall. Should you make full use of the lanes on the motorway, bypassing the queuing traffic waiting until the last second to join the slip road......or join at the back of the queuing traffic which extended into Lane 1?

[RichD 10]

That's a completely different situation, and you know it. The multiple lanes of the motorway are not provided for that purpose. In fact the motorway lanes are marked for the intended destination WAY before the slip road. Lane 1 for Meadowhall, lanes 2 and 3 to stay on the motorway.

 

But I would expect someone to bypass the queuing traffic in lane 1 of the motorway if they knew the queue was for Meadowhall, but they wanted to go to Rotherham.

[Eater Sundae 12]

Wrong. Highway Code 134 states:

 

Nowhere in that paragraph does it mention the word 'temporary'. In fact - and here is the really important bit - it uses e.g. - meaning, "The following are examples, not an exhaustive list."

 

I agree they are only examples. However, there are lots more examples of 2 lanes dropping to 1 lane which are not temporary, yet they dont get a mention.

 

Of course it doesn't say temporary, because it doesn't need to. The ONLY examples it gives are clearly temporary. Yet it doesn't mention the much more common occurrences of 2 lanes into 1.

[RichD 10]

I like to think that the reason for the solely temporary examples is that they don't like to admit that congestion actually happens under normal circumstances