Merging into one lane accident

[pinchmeimdreamin]

Greengecko said:

There was a large enough gap in front for me to merge into at the point when I was a car length in front.

So why didn't you ? Surely if you were that far ahead and moving left to merge then the LR would have hit you not the trailer ?

[spikeyhead]

pinchmeimdreamin said:

Greengecko said:

There was a large enough gap in front for me to merge into at the point when I was a car length in front.

So why didn't you ? Surely if you were that far ahead and moving left to merge then the LR would have hit you not the trailer ?

That's the bit that gets me, in the time that it would have taken to merge, suddenly a vehicle with one of the worst accelerations imaginable to modern man has somehow squirted up the inside of him.

[AA999]

Seems to be the usual case of blame the OP attitude when clearly as with another thread on this issue it seems to be a case of another driver causing the conflict by closing the gap in which the car in front is about to merge in to.

Like the previous thread it should be mentioned that there is no clear guidance within the H-C to establish a priority or an onus on who should 'give way'.
So its the usual situation of a 'fight for the space', but in this case from what I read in the OP the 'fight' was done rather aggressively by a car towing a trailer leaving little remaining options for the OP to maneuver.

All very easy to say the OP should have done this that or the other, but the cause of many of these merge-in-turn situations that I read on here and from what I view on the road is a result of one of two events....
(1) the car 'ahead' tries to merge in to a space when not fully ahead.
(2) the car 'behind' tries to fill the space preventing anything from merging.

Like I mentioned in previous thread I think the Highway Code needs to be updated and give a priority.
Either the car 'ahead' MUST be allowed to merge (meaning car 'behind' has to 'yield'), or the car in the lane coming to an 'end' must give way to traffic already in the lane and merge in behind. (The second option would play out with rule 162, regarding 'overtaking' and making sure there is space to complete the maneuver.

[pinchmeimdreamin]

AA999 said:

Seems to be the usual case of blame the OP attitude when clearly as with another thread on this issue it seems to be a case of another driver causing the conflict by closing the gap in which the car in front is about to merge in to.

No I am trying to understand how if he was a car length past the LR the rear of the trailer hit his car. Bearing in mind this is just after the lights so the LR was probably doing 15-20 at most.

[Greengecko]

pinchmeimdreamin said:

No I am trying to understand how if he was a car length past the LR the rear of the trailer hit his car. Bearing in mind this is just after the lights so the LR was probably doing 15-20 at most.

I was indeed roughly a car length past, but saw in the corner of my eye he was accelerating and therefore the gap to move into being closed. I was position diagonally for the merge and braked as he past the rear quarter of my car, I knew I wasn't going to be able to merge in front. At which time he slightly mounted the grass verge and the trailer followed.

[james7]

AA999 said:

Like I mentioned in previous thread I think the Highway Code needs to be updated and give a priority.
Either the car 'ahead' MUST be allowed to merge (meaning car 'behind' has to 'yield'), or the car in the lane coming to an 'end' must give way to traffic already in the lane and merge in behind. (The second option would play out with rule 162, regarding 'overtaking' and making sure there is space to complete the maneuver.

Surely, in the absence of anything else, the arrow in the road and the lane ending is enough to tell road users that the car in the right hand lane needs to change lanes to the left?

And obviously look, indicate and move into an appropriate sized gap. If not is it any different to someone changing lanes on a dual carriageway and just hoping they will fit and pushing into a gap that is not there?

[eatcustard]

Top Tip

When you are in the outside lane at the lights, make sure you out accelerate the car on the near side.

OP looks like you dithered and the other car kept accelerating and you backed out when you should have gone across when you had the space to do so.

My uneducated guess is a 50-50 will be the outcome, but you may come out worse off, as you are behind him then the collision occurred.

[General Fluff]

I can't believe people are questioning the OP in an attempt to blame him for what is clearly inconsiderate and stupid driving by the LR driver. Unfortunately there are idiots everywhere on our roads, some of them are on this forum and a few are on this thread. Thankfully they are in the minority.

Any reasonable person in the LR driver's position would leave space. In the OP's position that's what most of us would have expected him to do and we would all be at risk of getting caught out by this behaviour.

[james7]

General Fluff said:

Any reasonable person in the LR driver's position would leave space. In the OP's position that's what most of us would have expected him to do and we would all be at risk of getting caught out by this behaviour.

Why would you expect other cars to leave a gap for you when your lane ends?
Would it not be better to drive with the attitude that you should not expect other drivers to make room for you but instead to make sure there is a gap where you want to go when you are changing lanes?

[Vipers]

Have the same situation up here, as you exit the roundabout in the outside lane (inside lane is for the turn off before), we merge into one lane, I always indicate, stop, and wait until someone lets me in.

If I have entered from the other road, and am now in the inside lane, I will always try to let someone merge in front of me but it aggravates me when some folk just barge in, no indicators, just get out of my way attitude.

I do find though these days, although clearly a car is letting you in, they don't seem to flash the lights like folk used to do.

Sorry all this doesn't help you, sounds to me the guy pulling the trailer is an idiot. I am sure you didn't just barge in.

[General Fluff]

james7 said:

Why would you expect other cars to leave a gap for you when your lane ends?
Would it not be better to drive with the attitude that you should not expect other drivers to make room for you but instead to make sure there is a gap where you want to go when you are changing lanes?

Merging requires all parties to behave with courtesy. You don't just drive with your head down and blinkers on because it's not your lane that's ending. If a car on your right is ahead you leave a gap. Maybe give them a polite wave or flash of the lights. That's what a good driver does.

[2013BRM]

james7 said:

General Fluff said:

Any reasonable person in the LR driver's position would leave space. In the OP's position that's what most of us would have expected him to do and we would all be at risk of getting caught out by this behaviour.

Why would you expect other cars to leave a gap for you when your lane ends?
Would it not be better to drive with the attitude that you should not expect other drivers to make room for you but instead to make sure there is a gap where you want to go when you are changing lanes?

Because everyone has been notified that 2 lanes are merging into one, in Europe it is known as the zipper method and works perfectly, here no one is taught it so aggressive, territorial and small minded idiots think they should not give way, I don't know, maybe it's some machismo pride thing. especially annoying when one of our 'knights of the road' in an arctic hog the middle lane preventing everyone from driving considerately. Does it bug me? oh fking yes

[eatcustard]

General Fluff said:

Merging requires all parties to behave with courtesy. You don't just drive with your head down and blinkers on because it's not your lane that's ending. If a car on your right is ahead you leave a gap. Maybe give them a polite wave or flash of the lights. That's what a good driver does.

and in the real world....

[AA999]

james7 said:

Surely, in the absence of anything else, the arrow in the road and the lane ending is enough to tell road users that the car in the right hand lane needs to change lanes to the left?

That would be common sense, but yet the LR driver thought it would be a good idea to accelerate and not keep position and maintain a gap. So demonstrated by the OP's description to not be followed by all.
And nothing in the H-C to 'make' the LR driver 'yield' with that common sense viewpoint.

james7 said:

And obviously look, indicate and move into an appropriate sized gap. If not is it any different to someone changing lanes on a dual carriageway and just hoping they will fit and pushing into a gap that is not there?

Again common sense, but if there is a car accelerating up the 'inside' and taking away your options?

[General Fluff]

eatcustard said:

and in the real world....

In the real world there are a few idiots who think people merging are somehow cheating the system. Thankfully in 17 years of driving I've managed to avoid them. They are few but they are there.

[eatcustard]

AA999 said:

james7 said:

Again common sense, but if there is a car accelerating up the 'inside' and taking away your options?

But a LR towing will not accelerate that fast when towing, the OP had the time to indicate and shut the door on the LR, but failed to do so, dithering will cause an accident on our busy roads.

[james7]

AA999 said:

james7 said:

Surely, in the absence of anything else, the arrow in the road and the lane ending is enough to tell road users that the car in the right hand lane needs to change lanes to the left?

That would be common sense, but yet the LR driver thought it would be a good idea to accelerate and not keep position and maintain a gap. So demonstrated by the OP's description to not be followed by all.
And nothing in the H-C to 'make' the LR driver 'yield' with that common sense viewpoint.

james7 said:

And obviously look, indicate and move into an appropriate sized gap. If not is it any different to someone changing lanes on a dual carriageway and just hoping they will fit and pushing into a gap that is not there?

Again common sense, but if there is a car accelerating up the 'inside' and taking away your options?

I guess stopping and waiting for there not to be a car to hit would be the best option.

The only thing which I am uneasy with is that the op came within 6" or so of the side of the landrover in order for the trailer to hit him yet didnt actually stop.
And as has been mentioned previously I am not convinced a landrover with a trailer could accelerate more than it would normally be considering it was accelerating anyway. ie it could hardly surprise many people and catch them out.

[andy_s]

Basically he collided with you, you were stationary and he was moving and hit you. 100% his fault for not judging the trailer gap, same as if you were parked.
The merge in turn is a red herring.

[james7]

andy_s said:

Basically he collided with you, you were stationary and he was moving and hit you. 100% his fault for not judging the trailer gap, same as if you were parked.
The merge in turn is a red herring.

That may be the case if he was stationary

[james7]

http://www.highwaycode.info/rule/134 says:-

"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."

I guess congested and very low speed are subjective as is high speed of course