This is exactly why we have not built one in my city. So many would just be so lost. In our office, we joke that some would get in the roundabout and still be driving around until the gas ran out.
Have you read about zipper merging? It’s controversial.
They say zipper-merging is far more efficient, because then traffic is using both lanes until the merge point… instead of everyone merging early and puttering along using just the one lane.
The zipper merge (one-to-one interleaving at the point of the merge) is, mathematically, the most efficient/fastest way to merge – if everyone does it. It’s the drivers moving over blocks or miles before the merge point who cause the slowdown. Those drivers you think are rudely passing you by to merge at the front are doing it correctly. I learned this in driver’s ed, and my policeman brother often emphasized the efficiency of the zipper merge.
There is one on-ramp here that basically designed to force people into zipper merging. That ramp is never clogged… it also helps that the majority of folks travel there daily and know the drill.
Why were you in the slow lane for 20 miles? I think of the slow lane as for merging and exiting. And for mechanical issues
Because 20 minutes can pass pretty quickly when you’re not sure how soon your turn may be coming up.
Just teasing a bit, but – there is this invention called Navigation. Or, if that isn’t in the vehicle itself, your phone’s Maps app can bark out directions. hehe
Edit:
I do remember the pre-Navi/phone maps days, when I would print the directions off of Mapquest.com and just hope there was enough light to read them. Those were the days. “Tom, watch the road…”
Doesn’t really work in the country.
In fact, I’ll go even further and state that in that area of the country almost no one drives in the “fast lane” (it’s really the passing lane) for more than 5 or 10 minutes at a time because that is almost an invitation to get pulled over by the local constabulary.
There are signs on certain stretches of freeways here saying “Keep right except for passing.” Hard to avoid the right lane when there are only 2 lanes…
You can download navigation for times you will be out of range.
True, but I wouldn’t be following somebody slow for 20 miles.
I’ve forgotten your point.
Yes, if the drivers in both lanes preposition themselves to do so just before the merge point. Unfortunately, that does not happen, since enough drivers try to get greedy and squeeze by one more vehicle in the other lane.
There may be only two lanes in that direction, so the default lane to use should be the slow lane except when passing.
However, the 20 mile tailgaters seem to prefer tailgating instead of passing.
This.
LOL. I still have my old Mapquest directions. They sometimes give the person riding shotgun something to do besides change the radio stations.
Sounds like zipper merging is dependent on drivers working together and patiently waiting their turn to merge. Those who speed down the breakdown lane and then gunk up the merge are those who can’t play well with others.
Can’t see it working in “Me First 'Murica”.
It might not happen all the time but I’ve certainly seen it happen plenty of times. I’ve seen mobile road signs calling it out as the method to use and seen drivers using the method. It can work very well. Obviously there are always some people that will muck up any situation. Those people shouldn’t deter the rest of us from using a good technique.