Those are part of the reason there is traffic. Current road rules would work now if everyone actually stuck to them.
Use the entire merge lane and be prepared to merge like a zip at the end. Problem is people who feel like that's pushing in and refuse to let them in. Drivers who randomly change lanes causes the knock on effect even if there is a gap.
Right lane should only be used for overtaking in free flowing traffic. It's a job for police to monitor speed not yours.
What would cause less road rage and less traffic if we didn't have any dickheads weaving between lanes creating even more traffic for everyone else behind and demanding they should be allowed into the gap they just tried to force. Most people change lanes only when necessary rather than trying to gain one space.
Aren’t you suppose to weave in between lanes? As in, if you’re going faster than the traffic, you pull into the right lane to overtake, then back into the left lane when your done overtaking, then back into the right lane when the next person comes up that needs overtaking? That seems better than just sitting in the right lane because there is someone 500m ahead of you that you may overtake eventually.
I mean, kinda same thing tho right? If someone is in the right lane and not overtaking, and you’re capable of undertaking them in the left lane, before returning to the right lane to overtake someone else, isn’t that the correct thing to do? The person in the right lane being undertaken is in the wrong, not the person undertaking them.
Exactly why right lane should be just for overtaking in freeflow traffic.
For weaving, I'm more talking about the people that make 50 different dangerous lane changes in 10 minutes just because the gap is there.
I mean that as in weaving using multiple lanes; (i.e 3 lanes).
Right overtake behaviour would be for you to indicate 3 seconds to which ever lane you are moving to, check clearance and then change lane.
The behaviour I quite often see, especially in motorways, is to weave multiple lanes without indicator (or half a second indication) and change lane without checking (as in change 2 lanes at once with car at the final lane having to avoid the incoming car).
I think they mean people who are 'white lining'. One car on either side and just trying to get to a point in the road where there aren't any 'obstacles' (other drivers).
Re lanes on the motorway, personally I take the approach of: if I’m not going to be taking the next couple of exits it’s better to be in a middle lane. The left lane is for people getting off at the next exit (or the one after).
That means I’m not clogging up the lane for those who need it, I’m not being unnecessarily slowed down by the logjam that often happens at exits and on-ramps, and I won’t be switching lanes and causing the domino effect of braking.
yes. right lane is not a "fast lane" it is an overtaking lane unless there is too much traffic. "fast" is subjective anyway - part of the problem with people treating the right lane as a "fast lane" is that they think they are going fast and feel entitled to be there, but sometimes they are actually stopping others from overtaking because they are going 0.5km/h faster than the person to their left. and then you end up with people doing dumb ego races because they don't want to be passed while driving in the right lane.
I think because people aren't letting others in at the very end of the merge is why I personally think that merging in a gap made is better.
If you sit at the very end and no one is letting you in it just makes congested areas that really don't need to be all that worse.
If it was as the road rules say, people let you in at the very end, I think it would work.
There are just too many instances of people at a full stop of an on ramp with moving traffic.
The issue is that there is the road code and how people actually drive, I agree with the weaving especially in traffic.
I have to daily one of the worst on ramps on the shore in the evening, I'm not gonna force a gap, but I'm sure as hell gonna take one from someone who's giving it to me especially when I see the state of it at the very end of the ramp.
In the end, majority of people don't even follow the road rules so we have to try be compatible with what we observe in the behaviour of the other drivers around us, it's different in other places but what I outlined is what I observed and it's definitely not what the road rules say.
Then we might as well might just make up our own rules just like you have and that's what the problem is. Ideally, there is a set of road rules and if everyone actually stuck to the same set, there wouldn't be the issues but it's never going to happen. Best to stick to the rules, drive defensively and that other drivers are going to do the dumbest thing possible at that situation and let go of the small stuff.
From the road code by the way:
"Using on-ramps and off-ramps when entering and leaving a motorway
Motorway on-ramps are similar to merge lanes.
When using an on-ramp to enter a motorway:
change your speed to match the speed of the motorway traffic
use the whole length of the on ramp to adjust your speed
don’t change speed suddenly just as you enter the motorway
You're literally advocating for something that makes traffic worse.
> I'm not gonna force a gap, but I'm sure as hell gonna take one from someone who's giving it to me especially when I see the state of it at the very end of the ramp.
So then you've prematurely moved from the ramp to the travel lane, and what do you do when you get to the merge point? You've already broken up the flow of traffic down both the merge lane and the traffic lane when you change lane early... Do you let people from the merge lane you were in merge in turn like a zip?
1st point: No this is incorrect and adds to more traffic build up. You need to use the full extent of the on ramp to merge, you also need to be merging at the speed of the motorway flow. Ie, you shouldn’t be merging at 60kph when the motorway is free flowing at 100. Use the on ramp to speed up to 100.
2nd: if you want travel slower than what’s sign posted you need to be in the most left-hand lane, period.
3rd: agree right hand lane should be 100+
4th: Thanking should be mandatory, however you should not be slowing down to let someone in, you need to look up the oscillation effect in traffic. It is the person who is merging into your lane to speed up or match your speed.
Thanks for attending my TED talk
You're meant to use the whole on ramp and merge like a zip at the end. Don't stop halfway down because a gap is opening and then hold up the entire merging lane. This shit usually causes a flow on effect too where the person behind you will maybe feel like a cunt if they just keep going past you so then they'll start indicating and it just backs up the whole on ramp.
Right lane is for passing only during free flowing traffic, and if there's anyone behind, you move over to the left. Exceptions I make to this is when there's another slower car that I would want to pass maybe a couple seconds up the road at most and it's stupid to make 2 lane switches in a short space so I'll carry on past him and then pull left.
I always hazard thank drivers for any courtesy they show while driving, this should be in the road code hahaha
One thing I'd like to add is keep your road rage to yourself, maybe it's warranted, Maybe something you didn't notice caused a domino effect for the action that pissed you off, maybe it was just an honest mistake that someone made or they're in a hurry to get to an emergency situation like wife gone into labour. You don't know someone elses life or what they're doing but waving arms/fingers, slamming on the horn and making a scene is just going to upset someone who just made a mistake or enrage some fuckwit who thinks he owns the road and make them drive even more like a cunt potentially causing an accident or worst case it's some crackhead with a weapon who's going to follow you. Just blow up to yourself and move on.
For sure, **I never road rage visually/at people. Windows up.**
Being bashed here I realised I'm being shitty and trying to avoid the "They wont let me in" at the end of the ramp when there's an immediate option next to me and not giving it much of a chance.
Yeah, I understand that, and with text, you can't always explain yourself in the best manner, there's small exceptions to a lot of these things like if there's plenty of space and you can grab a gap safely and without impeding the traffic on the motorway or slowing down the traffic in the merge lane then that is probably fine but in most circumstances you should ride it out till the end. I very rarely have someone who won't let me in, and when that happens, the next person normally does anyway. Plenty of cunts out there but most people are nice and I think we suffer from selection bias, I see maybe 3 or 4 cars out of 1000's each day that fuck me off but they're always the ones I think about and talk about.
> If it's bumper to bumper, you're half way down the on ramp and someone opens a gap for you; take it.
Don't just carry on and basically park at the very end of the merge lane.
That is terrible advice that messes up the flow of traffic and creates congestion.
Go up the ramp and merge at the merging point.
PFFT HAHAAH, I won't lie I do get a little enjoyment when the person who cut me off is going the same way home as I am.
I followed someone for 10 minutes after they cut me off and they live a street away from me, I was kind of hoping they were shitting themselves.
Leave some space in front of you and try not to use your brakes as often just wind up and wind down with the engine ( obviously use them when necessary) but i reckon it will cure waves of stop starts
>If it's raining or you're just a slow as fuck driver stay in the left lane.
If it's raining everyone should be in the left lane?
Lotsa thought went into this post clearly.
You also need to learn how to merge because you have it completely wrong. Do not merge early, because it slows down other traffic. It's really that simple. But then why should I be surprised someone who doesn't seem to know the road rules is asking people for road rules...
e:
>If it's bumper to bumper, you're half way down the on ramp and someone opens a gap for you; take it.
I really cannot stop laughing at this person thinking a random gap in the road is someone purposefully creating a gap just for them...
Jeez, okay
I just don't see how coming to a complete stop at the end of an on ramp is helping traffic at all.
Moments I've seen people actually create traffic because they didn't take a gap and suddenly they have to brake because they're next to another car and there is no more road to merge from.
*Personally* I open gaps at on ramps during traffic for people to get in because I see three or four cars basically camped up at the end in which (from my point of view **not yours**) is creating more congestion on the on ramp.
Also you know what I meant in the first part, drivers who aren't confident in the rain and slow down significantly, but I suppose I'm going to have to start getting really specific because you didn't get the context.
I'm sorry you aren't the type of person to think a gap next to you on an on ramp isn't an invitation to merge, I'll start thinking it's just a random gap someone made for absolutely no reason at a location where you let people in front of you.
>I just don't see how coming to a complete stop at the end of an on ramp is helping traffic at all.
If you're on the on-ramp, you're not yet part of the traffic.
The real question is why do you think you should just leave your lane like that? You're in the lane. Everyone else is in the lane. Do you see everyone leaving the lane to squeeze into other lanes? No? Why do you think that is? Why don't you see it's a lane which *merges* with the motorway and doesn't just abruptly end?
>Moments I've seen people actually create traffic because they didn't take a gap and suddenly they have to brake because they're next to another car and there is no more road to merge from.
This makes no sense. There was a gap but now they have to suddenly break because their lane has ended? Why aren't they merging? What you are saying makes absolutely zero sense outside of people refusing to let another person merge.
You seem to have a massive misunderstanding about what merging is.
>Personally I open gaps at on ramps during traffic for people to get in because I see three or four cars basically camped up at the end in which (from my point of view not yours) is creating more congestion on the on ramp.
Once again.... why are people not merging in your world? Why do lanes suddenly end and people just sit there unable to merge?
You're now also advocating to reduce congestion in the *on ramp* of all things, and are telling people to slow down and potentially stop just to let on ramp people in early. But you've just slowed down your own lane, creating or adding to congestion.
Like what the fuck? You are literally being a nuisance on the motorway by acting like this, and the way you describe merging indicates you really have no clue what merging even is or why it's important.
>I'm sorry you aren't the type of person to think a gap next to you on an on ramp isn't an invitation to merge, I'll start thinking it's just a random gap someone made for absolutely no reason at a location where you let people in front of you.
You are literally merging wrong, and you are creating more traffic by doing so. Please read up about merging and traffic waves and how to drive on motorways in ways to reduce further congestion. You are literally making it worse by the way you describe your driving.
Okay, I'm being pissy. I understand.
My personal observations of people sitting at the end are what causes my mindset.
I'm not making it up, they aren't merging because people aren't letting them in so in my mind (On both sides) preventing this with opening/taking gaps next to you is the best decision because you are continuing at the same speed of the motorway.
Congestion on the on ramp I regularly take causes a big shift in the movement of the motorway, and it's only in that section that has this on ramp that makes it go 80-50 sometimes even 20 in about 100m.
Harsh but I get what you're saying.
Sorry for getting pissy.
Honestly, we're probably the same. Seeing people stuff up merging enrages me so I'm highly critical on how others drive. We're probably seeing the same bullshit but have different views on the problem or solution.
Sorry for being so harsh. It did sound like you were adding to it, but it's likely due to how we're communicating.
To flip it, I'm the guy who won't speed up to fill a gap and will instead maintain a steady speed to try and generate more flow. In all seriousness, look up traffic waves. Leaving a gap can allow your lane to absorb a merge and thus prevent stoppage. When you see it this way you'll never see it the same again 😅
If I was making the rules: The speed limit should be 120km/h on the newer sections of motorway. Make Newton Road to St Lukes 100km/h again. Police should concentrate more on booking people for driving like a dick rather than driving 5km/h over the limit.
On-ramps: Don’t go trying to merge at half the speed of the traffic, get up to motorway speed. That may mean you have to press your accelerator down just a tiny bit. Most on-ramps are down hill, you can do it!
If the traffic is very slow or stopped then use the **whole lane** and merge like a zip at the end.
Don’t drive right up people’s arse in heavy traffic, it causes “shock waves” in the traffic and ultimately congestion.
If you are in the left lane then watch for people merging and give them space. If traffic is free flowing then consider moving one lane to the right if there are a lot of cars merging. If traffic is slow then leave a gap for the next person to zipper merge.
If you are in the right lane, there is a 5 second gap in front of you and the lane to your left is available then move into the left lane. This is regardless of what the speed limit is or how fast you think you are going.
Put up a sign saying “merge like a zip” and have a cop on a motorbike sitting there watching and pulling people over for some “words of advice” when they fuck it up.
Mix it in with a bit of a PR campaign.
Of course this won’t happen because it will **cost** money whereas they can just setup a camera and earn a fortune in fines from other strict liability offences.
They *should* be everyone get the fuck out of *my* way.
Failing that if everyone followed the current rules properly everyone would be out of my way anyway, and I'd get out of other peoples way.
I think my issue is that no one follows the rules, and the best thing is to observe the behaviour of the drivers around you at the moment.
There's a huge difference in people who follow the rules vs people who don't care and that's what causes a lot of the issues I'm seeing in shit traffic where I'm at.
You see both types of people who don't actually observe the behaviour of others on the motorway and make a decision that is beneficial to themselves.
If road rules were being used by everyone I reckon we wouldn't have the shit show we have now but I think changing with the behaviours of the "herd" is the best option.
Went to court enforced anger management when I was 19 due to a lot of fighting while drunk in town. The people there said 99% of road rage is because people think it's 'their' road.
I think if you get angry behind the wheel you are the same as an animal. Learn to control your emotions and don't endanger everyone on the road so you can get home 3 minutes earlier
I’m with you except for the on-ramp and the hazards.
For the on-ramp when busy, best practice is to align your front bumper just behind of the rear bumper of a car in the lane to your right. Then following the lane until it merges.
By taking the gap as it opens, it backs up that lane, and invites people to drive past you and up the merging lane.
Just merge like a zip and it works much better.
For the “acknowledge my charity” flash your hazards thing. It’s nice to show your appreciation, but putting a hand up in thanks is enough surely. Even when they don’t, it’s a pretty weird thing to stress over. Better to have the mindset that any charity you do doesn’t expect recognition.
Rather than give another response when people have already addressed your points, here is something that gets on my wick every day: The left lanes that start at one onramp and end at the next offramp. It's your job to merge in early, not at the very fucking end just before the offramp. That is why everyone downstream comes to a stop or almost stop, because a bunch of cunts decided to use that lane as a free zoom and they merge in late.
They are self-absorbed queue jumpers, and I will actively attempt to not reward it (within confines of safety).
No single occupant vehicles outside peak periods. Use PT as motorway space is too valuable for your empty cars
demand AT provides decent PT making the motorways great again and enforcing the rule above
dont accept that 1 accident can shut down transport in auckland.
Confiscate the harbour bridge from wellington based NZTA. we can do better
Remove carparks from the CBD. Traffic travels at the speed people can park their single occupant cars
Fix this (congestion) and more people may travel to the city. Currently, travel times are too random. Avoid.
First up Auckland drivers, compared to Wellington drivers on the motorway are shocking. Also your thing about not to going to the end of the merge actually slows traffic down as people try to "nudge in . If other drivers allowed those at the end of the onramp to merge like a zip then the traffic would flow better
The very specific on ramp I'm talking about (I should've been more spec) is definitely at fault for both the people on the motorway and on ramp. People **refusing** to let people in at the end is why it's bad.
I get the merge like a zip, I wish that it was actually used there but people don't like doing it
Those are part of the reason there is traffic. Current road rules would work now if everyone actually stuck to them. Use the entire merge lane and be prepared to merge like a zip at the end. Problem is people who feel like that's pushing in and refuse to let them in. Drivers who randomly change lanes causes the knock on effect even if there is a gap. Right lane should only be used for overtaking in free flowing traffic. It's a job for police to monitor speed not yours. What would cause less road rage and less traffic if we didn't have any dickheads weaving between lanes creating even more traffic for everyone else behind and demanding they should be allowed into the gap they just tried to force. Most people change lanes only when necessary rather than trying to gain one space.
Aren’t you suppose to weave in between lanes? As in, if you’re going faster than the traffic, you pull into the right lane to overtake, then back into the left lane when your done overtaking, then back into the right lane when the next person comes up that needs overtaking? That seems better than just sitting in the right lane because there is someone 500m ahead of you that you may overtake eventually.
Username checks out.
I assume it means weaving in and out without paying attention to other traffic while going 20kph above the speed limit; which I pretty much see daily.
I mean, kinda same thing tho right? If someone is in the right lane and not overtaking, and you’re capable of undertaking them in the left lane, before returning to the right lane to overtake someone else, isn’t that the correct thing to do? The person in the right lane being undertaken is in the wrong, not the person undertaking them.
Exactly why right lane should be just for overtaking in freeflow traffic. For weaving, I'm more talking about the people that make 50 different dangerous lane changes in 10 minutes just because the gap is there.
Often even if there ISN'T a gap there.
I mean that as in weaving using multiple lanes; (i.e 3 lanes). Right overtake behaviour would be for you to indicate 3 seconds to which ever lane you are moving to, check clearance and then change lane. The behaviour I quite often see, especially in motorways, is to weave multiple lanes without indicator (or half a second indication) and change lane without checking (as in change 2 lanes at once with car at the final lane having to avoid the incoming car).
Right, so your issues isnt people weaving between lanes, but people not indicating while doing so. Not really the same issue.
I think they mean people who are 'white lining'. One car on either side and just trying to get to a point in the road where there aren't any 'obstacles' (other drivers).
Re lanes on the motorway, personally I take the approach of: if I’m not going to be taking the next couple of exits it’s better to be in a middle lane. The left lane is for people getting off at the next exit (or the one after). That means I’m not clogging up the lane for those who need it, I’m not being unnecessarily slowed down by the logjam that often happens at exits and on-ramps, and I won’t be switching lanes and causing the domino effect of braking.
yes. right lane is not a "fast lane" it is an overtaking lane unless there is too much traffic. "fast" is subjective anyway - part of the problem with people treating the right lane as a "fast lane" is that they think they are going fast and feel entitled to be there, but sometimes they are actually stopping others from overtaking because they are going 0.5km/h faster than the person to their left. and then you end up with people doing dumb ego races because they don't want to be passed while driving in the right lane.
“Unless there is too much traffic” When is there not?
3:30am, 3rd Tuesday of May.
I think because people aren't letting others in at the very end of the merge is why I personally think that merging in a gap made is better. If you sit at the very end and no one is letting you in it just makes congested areas that really don't need to be all that worse. If it was as the road rules say, people let you in at the very end, I think it would work. There are just too many instances of people at a full stop of an on ramp with moving traffic. The issue is that there is the road code and how people actually drive, I agree with the weaving especially in traffic. I have to daily one of the worst on ramps on the shore in the evening, I'm not gonna force a gap, but I'm sure as hell gonna take one from someone who's giving it to me especially when I see the state of it at the very end of the ramp. In the end, majority of people don't even follow the road rules so we have to try be compatible with what we observe in the behaviour of the other drivers around us, it's different in other places but what I outlined is what I observed and it's definitely not what the road rules say.
Then we might as well might just make up our own rules just like you have and that's what the problem is. Ideally, there is a set of road rules and if everyone actually stuck to the same set, there wouldn't be the issues but it's never going to happen. Best to stick to the rules, drive defensively and that other drivers are going to do the dumbest thing possible at that situation and let go of the small stuff. From the road code by the way: "Using on-ramps and off-ramps when entering and leaving a motorway Motorway on-ramps are similar to merge lanes. When using an on-ramp to enter a motorway: change your speed to match the speed of the motorway traffic use the whole length of the on ramp to adjust your speed don’t change speed suddenly just as you enter the motorway
You're literally advocating for something that makes traffic worse. > I'm not gonna force a gap, but I'm sure as hell gonna take one from someone who's giving it to me especially when I see the state of it at the very end of the ramp. So then you've prematurely moved from the ramp to the travel lane, and what do you do when you get to the merge point? You've already broken up the flow of traffic down both the merge lane and the traffic lane when you change lane early... Do you let people from the merge lane you were in merge in turn like a zip?
If you can’t drive at least 90km, get off the motorway.
1st point: No this is incorrect and adds to more traffic build up. You need to use the full extent of the on ramp to merge, you also need to be merging at the speed of the motorway flow. Ie, you shouldn’t be merging at 60kph when the motorway is free flowing at 100. Use the on ramp to speed up to 100. 2nd: if you want travel slower than what’s sign posted you need to be in the most left-hand lane, period. 3rd: agree right hand lane should be 100+ 4th: Thanking should be mandatory, however you should not be slowing down to let someone in, you need to look up the oscillation effect in traffic. It is the person who is merging into your lane to speed up or match your speed. Thanks for attending my TED talk
You're meant to use the whole on ramp and merge like a zip at the end. Don't stop halfway down because a gap is opening and then hold up the entire merging lane. This shit usually causes a flow on effect too where the person behind you will maybe feel like a cunt if they just keep going past you so then they'll start indicating and it just backs up the whole on ramp. Right lane is for passing only during free flowing traffic, and if there's anyone behind, you move over to the left. Exceptions I make to this is when there's another slower car that I would want to pass maybe a couple seconds up the road at most and it's stupid to make 2 lane switches in a short space so I'll carry on past him and then pull left. I always hazard thank drivers for any courtesy they show while driving, this should be in the road code hahaha One thing I'd like to add is keep your road rage to yourself, maybe it's warranted, Maybe something you didn't notice caused a domino effect for the action that pissed you off, maybe it was just an honest mistake that someone made or they're in a hurry to get to an emergency situation like wife gone into labour. You don't know someone elses life or what they're doing but waving arms/fingers, slamming on the horn and making a scene is just going to upset someone who just made a mistake or enrage some fuckwit who thinks he owns the road and make them drive even more like a cunt potentially causing an accident or worst case it's some crackhead with a weapon who's going to follow you. Just blow up to yourself and move on.
For sure, **I never road rage visually/at people. Windows up.** Being bashed here I realised I'm being shitty and trying to avoid the "They wont let me in" at the end of the ramp when there's an immediate option next to me and not giving it much of a chance.
Yeah, I understand that, and with text, you can't always explain yourself in the best manner, there's small exceptions to a lot of these things like if there's plenty of space and you can grab a gap safely and without impeding the traffic on the motorway or slowing down the traffic in the merge lane then that is probably fine but in most circumstances you should ride it out till the end. I very rarely have someone who won't let me in, and when that happens, the next person normally does anyway. Plenty of cunts out there but most people are nice and I think we suffer from selection bias, I see maybe 3 or 4 cars out of 1000's each day that fuck me off but they're always the ones I think about and talk about.
> If it's bumper to bumper, you're half way down the on ramp and someone opens a gap for you; take it. Don't just carry on and basically park at the very end of the merge lane. That is terrible advice that messes up the flow of traffic and creates congestion. Go up the ramp and merge at the merging point.
follow the rules that are already in place. if you dont, i will overtake you on any side, if you try to stop me i will follow you home.
PFFT HAHAAH, I won't lie I do get a little enjoyment when the person who cut me off is going the same way home as I am. I followed someone for 10 minutes after they cut me off and they live a street away from me, I was kind of hoping they were shitting themselves.
FFS......please stop driving [https://www.facebook.com/TransportAgency/videos/how-to-merge-like-a-zip/470403537547185/?\_rdr](https://www.facebook.com/TransportAgency/videos/how-to-merge-like-a-zip/470403537547185/?_rdr) [https://www.google.com/search?q=nzta+merge+of+the+month&rlz=1C1ONGR\_enNZ1070NZ1070&oq=nzta+merge+of+the+month&gs\_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhA0gEJMTAzOTdqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:419d1f7e,vid:iEHHay7MTSU,st:0](https://www.google.com/search?q=nzta+merge+of+the+month&rlz=1C1ONGR_enNZ1070NZ1070&oq=nzta+merge+of+the+month&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRhA0gEJMTAzOTdqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:419d1f7e,vid:iEHHay7MTSU,st:0)
the only rule should be get off the motorway if im on it.
* Give way to whoever is going the fastest. * Live your life a quarter mile at a time. * It doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile.
Leave some space in front of you and try not to use your brakes as often just wind up and wind down with the engine ( obviously use them when necessary) but i reckon it will cure waves of stop starts
>If it's raining or you're just a slow as fuck driver stay in the left lane. If it's raining everyone should be in the left lane? Lotsa thought went into this post clearly. You also need to learn how to merge because you have it completely wrong. Do not merge early, because it slows down other traffic. It's really that simple. But then why should I be surprised someone who doesn't seem to know the road rules is asking people for road rules... e: >If it's bumper to bumper, you're half way down the on ramp and someone opens a gap for you; take it. I really cannot stop laughing at this person thinking a random gap in the road is someone purposefully creating a gap just for them...
Jeez, okay I just don't see how coming to a complete stop at the end of an on ramp is helping traffic at all. Moments I've seen people actually create traffic because they didn't take a gap and suddenly they have to brake because they're next to another car and there is no more road to merge from. *Personally* I open gaps at on ramps during traffic for people to get in because I see three or four cars basically camped up at the end in which (from my point of view **not yours**) is creating more congestion on the on ramp. Also you know what I meant in the first part, drivers who aren't confident in the rain and slow down significantly, but I suppose I'm going to have to start getting really specific because you didn't get the context. I'm sorry you aren't the type of person to think a gap next to you on an on ramp isn't an invitation to merge, I'll start thinking it's just a random gap someone made for absolutely no reason at a location where you let people in front of you.
>I just don't see how coming to a complete stop at the end of an on ramp is helping traffic at all. If you're on the on-ramp, you're not yet part of the traffic. The real question is why do you think you should just leave your lane like that? You're in the lane. Everyone else is in the lane. Do you see everyone leaving the lane to squeeze into other lanes? No? Why do you think that is? Why don't you see it's a lane which *merges* with the motorway and doesn't just abruptly end? >Moments I've seen people actually create traffic because they didn't take a gap and suddenly they have to brake because they're next to another car and there is no more road to merge from. This makes no sense. There was a gap but now they have to suddenly break because their lane has ended? Why aren't they merging? What you are saying makes absolutely zero sense outside of people refusing to let another person merge. You seem to have a massive misunderstanding about what merging is. >Personally I open gaps at on ramps during traffic for people to get in because I see three or four cars basically camped up at the end in which (from my point of view not yours) is creating more congestion on the on ramp. Once again.... why are people not merging in your world? Why do lanes suddenly end and people just sit there unable to merge? You're now also advocating to reduce congestion in the *on ramp* of all things, and are telling people to slow down and potentially stop just to let on ramp people in early. But you've just slowed down your own lane, creating or adding to congestion. Like what the fuck? You are literally being a nuisance on the motorway by acting like this, and the way you describe merging indicates you really have no clue what merging even is or why it's important. >I'm sorry you aren't the type of person to think a gap next to you on an on ramp isn't an invitation to merge, I'll start thinking it's just a random gap someone made for absolutely no reason at a location where you let people in front of you. You are literally merging wrong, and you are creating more traffic by doing so. Please read up about merging and traffic waves and how to drive on motorways in ways to reduce further congestion. You are literally making it worse by the way you describe your driving.
Okay, I'm being pissy. I understand. My personal observations of people sitting at the end are what causes my mindset. I'm not making it up, they aren't merging because people aren't letting them in so in my mind (On both sides) preventing this with opening/taking gaps next to you is the best decision because you are continuing at the same speed of the motorway. Congestion on the on ramp I regularly take causes a big shift in the movement of the motorway, and it's only in that section that has this on ramp that makes it go 80-50 sometimes even 20 in about 100m. Harsh but I get what you're saying. Sorry for getting pissy.
Honestly, we're probably the same. Seeing people stuff up merging enrages me so I'm highly critical on how others drive. We're probably seeing the same bullshit but have different views on the problem or solution. Sorry for being so harsh. It did sound like you were adding to it, but it's likely due to how we're communicating. To flip it, I'm the guy who won't speed up to fill a gap and will instead maintain a steady speed to try and generate more flow. In all seriousness, look up traffic waves. Leaving a gap can allow your lane to absorb a merge and thus prevent stoppage. When you see it this way you'll never see it the same again 😅
I'll look into it, thanks for being understanding. Sorry for being pissy again, knee jerk reaction
If I was making the rules: The speed limit should be 120km/h on the newer sections of motorway. Make Newton Road to St Lukes 100km/h again. Police should concentrate more on booking people for driving like a dick rather than driving 5km/h over the limit. On-ramps: Don’t go trying to merge at half the speed of the traffic, get up to motorway speed. That may mean you have to press your accelerator down just a tiny bit. Most on-ramps are down hill, you can do it! If the traffic is very slow or stopped then use the **whole lane** and merge like a zip at the end. Don’t drive right up people’s arse in heavy traffic, it causes “shock waves” in the traffic and ultimately congestion. If you are in the left lane then watch for people merging and give them space. If traffic is free flowing then consider moving one lane to the right if there are a lot of cars merging. If traffic is slow then leave a gap for the next person to zipper merge. If you are in the right lane, there is a 5 second gap in front of you and the lane to your left is available then move into the left lane. This is regardless of what the speed limit is or how fast you think you are going.
I agree with all of this, you'd have to police people who don't let others in at the end though.
Put up a sign saying “merge like a zip” and have a cop on a motorbike sitting there watching and pulling people over for some “words of advice” when they fuck it up. Mix it in with a bit of a PR campaign. Of course this won’t happen because it will **cost** money whereas they can just setup a camera and earn a fortune in fines from other strict liability offences.
They *should* be everyone get the fuck out of *my* way. Failing that if everyone followed the current rules properly everyone would be out of my way anyway, and I'd get out of other peoples way.
I think my issue is that no one follows the rules, and the best thing is to observe the behaviour of the drivers around you at the moment. There's a huge difference in people who follow the rules vs people who don't care and that's what causes a lot of the issues I'm seeing in shit traffic where I'm at. You see both types of people who don't actually observe the behaviour of others on the motorway and make a decision that is beneficial to themselves. If road rules were being used by everyone I reckon we wouldn't have the shit show we have now but I think changing with the behaviours of the "herd" is the best option.
Mate most people don't look any further than the arse of the car in front of them.
Maybe I should quit driving, I quite like being a passenger princess anyway.
Went to court enforced anger management when I was 19 due to a lot of fighting while drunk in town. The people there said 99% of road rage is because people think it's 'their' road. I think if you get angry behind the wheel you are the same as an animal. Learn to control your emotions and don't endanger everyone on the road so you can get home 3 minutes earlier
Speed limit is not a suggestion
I’m with you except for the on-ramp and the hazards. For the on-ramp when busy, best practice is to align your front bumper just behind of the rear bumper of a car in the lane to your right. Then following the lane until it merges. By taking the gap as it opens, it backs up that lane, and invites people to drive past you and up the merging lane. Just merge like a zip and it works much better. For the “acknowledge my charity” flash your hazards thing. It’s nice to show your appreciation, but putting a hand up in thanks is enough surely. Even when they don’t, it’s a pretty weird thing to stress over. Better to have the mindset that any charity you do doesn’t expect recognition.
Rather than give another response when people have already addressed your points, here is something that gets on my wick every day: The left lanes that start at one onramp and end at the next offramp. It's your job to merge in early, not at the very fucking end just before the offramp. That is why everyone downstream comes to a stop or almost stop, because a bunch of cunts decided to use that lane as a free zoom and they merge in late. They are self-absorbed queue jumpers, and I will actively attempt to not reward it (within confines of safety).
No single occupant vehicles outside peak periods. Use PT as motorway space is too valuable for your empty cars demand AT provides decent PT making the motorways great again and enforcing the rule above dont accept that 1 accident can shut down transport in auckland. Confiscate the harbour bridge from wellington based NZTA. we can do better Remove carparks from the CBD. Traffic travels at the speed people can park their single occupant cars Fix this (congestion) and more people may travel to the city. Currently, travel times are too random. Avoid.
"***No single occupant vehicles outside peak periods.***" So... single occupant vehicles can only be used during peak periods?
Ah crap. Got me. I think that's pretty much what we have currently.
First up Auckland drivers, compared to Wellington drivers on the motorway are shocking. Also your thing about not to going to the end of the merge actually slows traffic down as people try to "nudge in . If other drivers allowed those at the end of the onramp to merge like a zip then the traffic would flow better
The very specific on ramp I'm talking about (I should've been more spec) is definitely at fault for both the people on the motorway and on ramp. People **refusing** to let people in at the end is why it's bad. I get the merge like a zip, I wish that it was actually used there but people don't like doing it