Driving

[Sprinter]

Can anyone explain why drivers insist on driving in the outside lane when the inside is completely empty and then after ages stuck in the lane decide to turn left.

[snifter]

Nope. 

[NicF]

23 hours ago, Sprinter said:

Can anyone explain why drivers insist on driving in the outside lane when the inside is completely empty and then after ages stuck in the lane decide to turn left.

My OH does this (he's from Adelaide) and it used to drive me nuts in the UK.  I think it's because if a road goes from 2 lanes to 1 lane generally it's the left hand lane that ends and you have to merge to the right and given how rubbish drivers are at letting you in people tend to stick in the right hand lane.  

[Sprinter]

1 hour ago, NicF said:

My OH does this (he's from Adelaide) and it used to drive me nuts in the UK.  I think it's because if a road goes from 2 lanes to 1 lane generally it's the left hand lane that ends and you have to merge to the right and given how rubbish drivers are at letting you in people tend to stick in the right hand lane.  

I suppose there is some kind of logic there, albeit a selfish attitude which encourages undertaking and accidents, although I think drivers here are generally a lot better than where we came from (Switzerland), where most roads are unofficial race tracks.

[llessur]

The road rules here don't require you to keep left unless the speed limit is 80 or over so, whilst annoying by UK standards, driving (and over/undertaking) in any lane on most two or three lane roads is perfectly acceptable. It annoyed the hell out of me for the first couple of years when we came over but am used to it now.

What still really irks me is the inability of many Adelaide drivers to merge, or allow other people to merge. I've never seen anyone need to stop in a slip road back in the UK, but over here it is often necessary as people already on the road won't move over to let you in.

[Rammygirl]

I don’t think they do it deliberately. They just don’t look and think ahead.  There is less traffic here and many learnt to drive in the country and are freaked out by the Britannia roundabout.  They would not enjoy driving in the UK!  I was recently in Colchester and my is that place complicated to drive round.  The famous magic roundabout certainly had me confused and I wasn’t the one driving that day (thankfully it was a local).

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I totally agree that drivers have no idea how to merge into traffic...horrendous skill set!

I was in Queensland earlier in the year and drivers there sit tight in the right hand lane...more so than here. I did find the drivers much better than in Adelaide though. How things change! When we arrived I thought that the driving was wonderful compared to the anarchy on the roads in the city that I moved from and now the poor driving annoys the hell out of me!

The worst driving experience that I have ever encountered was whilst driving in some small towns in West Yorkshire. Narrow roads littered with cars, just so many vehicles that they are parked everywhere, on pavements, facing the wrong direction!, the sheer level of concentration required to drive there was so tiring. I have driven all over the world and the experience was by far the most stressful of my driving life...even more so than driving in African townships...sorry Yorkies but it's the truth!!

 

 

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I think that a lot of problems are the result of not knowing road rules...and for new arrivals there can be some differences...

 

5 merging mistakes drivers make

How do your merging manners measure up?

Published: Thursday, December 14, 2017

Whether you’re courteous or impatient when another car’s trying to edge its way in front of you, here are five merging mistakes to avoid.

1. Not knowing the difference between a zip merge and a lane change

When two lanes become one without a line marking between them (pictured below), who gives way?

In these cases, one lane is coming to an end, and drivers mistakenly assume that cars in the left lane always need to give way to the right. But that’s actually not the case.

This is a zip merge, and you need to give way to drivers that have any part of their car ahead of yours. So in the diagram above, the yellow car needs to give way to the blue car.

Drivers seem to get this one confused with a lane change (pictured below).

Here, the blue car has to cross a broken line to get to the other lane, so needs to give way to all traffic in that lane, including the yellow car, before moving over. The driver might need to stop and wait until there’s a safe gap.

How to avoid a merging mishap: They might look similar, but a lane change and a zip merge are different. If you have to cross a white line (i.e. a lane change), give way to all traffic in the lane you’re about to enter. If the white line ends before the lanes merge (i.e. a zip merge), give way to any car that’s in front of you.

2. Speeding up to get in front

Back to the zip merge for a moment… while you have to give way to any car in front, drivers shouldn’t speed up to get ahead.

How often do you see one car flying to get in front before the lane ends?

It’s not only frustrating, but drivers need to remember that all road-users are required to drive with due care and attention, and avoid crashes if they can.

How to avoid a merging mishap: Ease off the accelerator and cars should naturally flow in front of each other one by one like a zipper.

3. Failing to give way to pedestrians and cyclists when turning left from a slip lane

All too often pedestrians step out onto a slip lane to cross the road, but quickly step back because a motorist hasn’t seen them.

Remember, if a pedestrian or cyclist is waiting on the edge of the road about to cross a slip lane, motorists must stop and give way before turning left.

How to avoid a merging mishap: Before merging, try to make eye contact with pedestrians and cyclists about to cross slip lanes so you’re aware of each other’s intentions.

4. Not merging properly on a freeway

Merging can be even trickier when you’re travelling at high speeds.

So, what’s the rule? In most situations, you’ll need to cross a broken white line to enter (see picture below) so you’ll need to give way to all cars already on the freeway, even if that means coming to a stop.

It’s a good idea to stay back while you’re waiting to enter so you have enough time to build up some speed before merging.

If you’re already on the freeway, you don’t need to slow down for these newcomers, but it’s courteous to make room for them if you can and if it’s safe to do so.

How to avoid a merging mishap: If you’re trying to enter a freeway, wait for a safe gap. Already on the freeway? Then help out other drivers by giving them space to enter if it’s safe.

5. The part lane change

What about the part lane-change… you know, where a driver creeps out into the adjacent lane to get around an obstruction (a parked car for example)?

Even if you’re only partly moving into a lane for a few seconds, you still need to indicate and give way to cars in that lane.

How to avoid a merging mishap: Don’t forget to indicate before you merge, rather than flicking your blinker on when you’re part way through the manoeuvre.

[oakcharl]

 

In times like these, if you know that the person drives poorly you'll just have to compromise and adjust so you can avoid any road accident. I almost got involved in such situation before because I wasn't careful enough to check that my tires are already worn out and I've been using the same set with an extra to spare. Now I just keep on reserving spares like toyo tires and nitto tires on my garage.