Merging

[BZG Wagon]

What's the rule with merging? I always thought the 'merge like a zip' recommendation was pretty much law - is it?

Today on the way home two lanes in Te Atatu merge into one, and all cars merged 'like a zip' bar the $&#$% in a 4wd next to me who decided to try and get in front of me (his front bumper was just behind front door when the lane ended - as it had been for the past 100m).

I slammed onthe brakes at the last minute (well after the lanes merged) - my mirror missed the side of his 4wd by less than a cm.

My question is - if he cliped the side of my car (i.e. I kept moving over), is he at fault given I'm in front and the lanes have already merged into one?

[Al]

I miss having a shit car for this reason. Had some chump many years ago try this. Right hand lane was chock full. Well up passed where the two lanes merged. Cocksmoker in WRX decides to full boost up left lane, and pulls level with my car right where the lane merged. He got the bird, I didn't move and he ended up in the grass.

[1I1]

Get this almost every night going home.

Would appear theres just too many impatient idiots on the road

[Al]

It cracks me up, because you catch up to them about a kilometre up the road because other cars have slowed them down and other cars have turned off.

[1I1]

Yeah.

The way I commute theres a few different ways you can go, often I see these people waiting at a stop sign further on having to wait for me as I toodle on past.

[DVSMOTORSPORT]

Haha, this an everyday occurance in Tga, down here it seems to be more a case of the "dumb", than people being wankers.

My approach is to just keep moving over on them till they have to slam on thier brakes. My rule of thumb being, if Im ahead of them, even by a foot, IM STILL AHEAD OF THEM. Done deal.

Im also one of those guys who will keep slowing down if you too close behind me

[Akane]

I think the left lane has to give way? Since you're merging into the right lane.

There's a lot of people who guns it to the very end of the lane. They think they're a farking genius.

Nah brah, you ain't no genius. You're just a douche.

There was a few guys who tried to play who's the chicken with me. There was one who gave up after being 1cm away from my front fender. And then start shouting, made my day lol.

[loudstealthGT-Four]

The NZ Road Code says to "Merge like a zip" which is what I've always thought the rule was. Though as far as I know there is no law stating that you HAVE to do it like that, its more just a courtesy thing.

Would come down circumstances, on who was to blame should an accident occur

[Looonie]

Merge like a zip is a guidance.

The actual interpreted rule is more along the lines of "Whoever gives more of a shit about scratching their car will give way"



I've had this a few times, I vaguely remember checking with a cop many years ago and basically if the front of their car is behind the drivers door, they have to give way... if you really want to push the limit, the marks on each car will tell the story come insurance claim time...

[DVSMOTORSPORT]

Which raises a point, maybe we need to phone our insurance companies and ask who would be at fault, maybe not say who you are tho incase it happens to you the next day, might look a little suspicious

[Elmo]

Coming from experience the car on the left ESPECIALLY if it comes from behind is at fault. I had a woman do exactly this, came up left hand side of me past where lanes ended, I was in work van so didnt give two tosses, I gave her a toot of the horn (truck horn in a van, VERY loud) she still preceeded, she ended up hitting me to avoid a parked car.

Long story short, she didnt stop afterwards even tho we tried to get her to, we went to police station and filed a report, she got charged for not stopping after an incident and also had the fee of repairing both vehicles (ours had no damage as she hit side of my bull bars into her door, so yes, she was actually in front to).

Ive had 2 people run into the left hand side of my 4x4 also, lol, seen rather LARGE rubber marks up the sides of there cars, Ive never heard anything back from those people either.

The rule is, give way to your right, end of story.

[Elmo]

Oh, and general 'rule of thumb' to aid in quick desicisions as to who has right of way, if the drivers door of the vehicle you are in is likely to get hit, you are most likely in the wrong.

[matt dunn]

Yes the right hand lane has right of way as the law states somewhere.

[Akane]

Long story short, she didnt stop afterwards even tho we tried to get her to, we went to police station and filed a report, she got charged for not stopping after an incident and also had the fee of repairing both vehicles (ours had no damage as she hit side of my bull bars into her door, so yes, she was actually in front to).

How the fark? When the drunk driver hit my car he sped off, filed a report with the cops and they didn't give 2 toss about it, told me to "errr sorry it's civil, go sort it out yourself"

[matt dunn]

How the fark? When the drunk driver hit my car he sped off, filed a report with the cops and they didn't give 2 toss about it, told me to "errr sorry it's civil, go sort it out yourself"

some cops give a shit some dont, depends on who you get at the time.

[Bling]

wall'o'text

I always pick a fair spot in the zip and go with it. You will always get people that don't understand that two cars don't fit in one lane.

What I do depends on what i'm driving pretty much. Van with bull bars I get right of way, if they want to imprint the bars into the side of their car sweet as. If driving the rolla, then i'm less inclined to take a ding. So will usually pick the better lane further up and pass them the sit on the speed limit max. I will not try and jump the queue, ever, as that's farking annoying when people do it!

Had someone try undertake me down a cycle lane the other day. No lane for cars, JUST for cyclists. So when the car lane actually started I just changed lanes (indicated of course). I still had room to do so but it meant he had to stop speeding and got stuck behind me in the legit lane. He wasn't impressed and gave the boss a call. Didn't leave his number though, true tough guy. Didn't want to pull over either when given the option.

I tend to get more than my fair share of road ragers. But I refuse to let inconsiderate people have their way. If they are breaking the law then I have no qualms driving within the rules in a manner that may upset them.

Last issue I had with lane merging was when someone 'merged' into my lane without even looking on a two lane bridge. It was either drive into the centre island or leave my bull bar signature on their car. Was a good sig I must say and when they pulled over they swore I was in their blind spot (hiace with lights on full) and were very apologetic.


tl;dr trolling exists on the road too, i'm well trained.

[levinguy]

Long story short, she didnt stop afterwards even tho we tried to get her to, we went to police station and filed a report, she got charged for not stopping after an incident and also had the fee of repairing both vehicles (ours had no damage as she hit side of my bull bars into her door, so yes, she was actually in front to).

How the fark? When the drunk driver hit my car he sped off, filed a report with the cops and they didn't give 2 toss about it, told me to "errr sorry it's civil, go sort it out yourself"

not hard to do if you can get time off work to show up at court

[rollaholic]

blindspot lol. thats what your blindspot check is for no?

so wait a sec, someone up thread was saying car on the right has the right of way - even if the car on the left is 'in front'? that seems a bit counter intuitive.

i can think of at least one 2 into 1 merge off the top of my head where its really the right lane that has to pull into the left. from memory most of the motorway on ramps merge into a central lane, rather than either side.

PS people are cocks. being in a car seems to have a similar effect to being on a keyboard

[levinguy]

but as far as i see it, i will let people in if they are trying to get into the right lane and merge with traffic as normal people would, as soon as someone's a dick about it/tries to skip ahead of a few people, i won't let them in, no matter what it takes.

to the op, i would have just kept going, what right does he have to pass you when two lanes are merging? 100m before hand maybe, but if what you are saying is true then he's just being a knob like most auckland drivers.

[crispy'86]

I'm usually considerate when it comes to merging, of course it depends what i'm in. At the moment it's mainly the 4x4 so i have no problem with people pushing their luck, most see a big fricken 4x4 beside them and think twice about it.