Everyone that has driven for an extended period of time has, at some point, sat in traffic caused by two lanes merging into one. Let’s be honest, how many of you reading this blog are guilty of hugging up to the car in front of you because you don’t want to let too many people in front of you? Or, how many of you are guilty of cursing the drivers that aren’t merging over and are just driving up to the front of the traffic jam via the lane that is ending? The truth is that far too many of us are guilty of these behaviors and those behaviors are to be blamed for the traffic.
Proper Merging Behavior
Studies have shown that the best way to avoid traffic jams when two lanes merge into one is to do the complete opposite of the behaviors described above. The first thing to do in a merging situation is to make plenty of space in between you and the car in front of you. If enough people do this, traffic will move more smoothly because merging will become less of a struggle. Also, never “punish” late merging drivers just because you think that they are “cutting line”. This isn’t the lunch line and it is illegal because it can cause accidents at higher rates.
The next tip for clearing up merging traffic may be contrary to what many of you have learned over the years. That tip is to merge late. In many instances, drivers know that two lanes are going to merge from two to one lane and they get over early. It turns out, this is actually what causes the traffic jam in the first place. If drivers simply stayed in the lane they were initially traveling in and merged closer to the merge point, traffic would be much more bearable or traffic would possibly not even materialize.
The Schafer Law Office’s Take
These behaviors that cause merging lane traffic are simply a product of being discourteous to your fellow driver whom with you are sharing the road. The next time you find yourself in a merging situation practice leaving space in between you and the car in front of you and merge late. At first, this may take some patience because other drivers, unfortunately, don’t know these facts to help clear up this type of traffic.
Also, practicing these driving behaviors will significantly reduce your chances of getting into an accident. That is what we care about the most! Let’s practice some kindness and patience when caught in merging lane traffic and we will all benefit from it!