Why does merging traffic expect us to slow down & let them in

[Hooligan]

Those lights are called Ramp meters. You are still merging with traffic that has the right of way.

"WSDOT uses ramp meters to reduce accidents and decrease travel times for commuters. Most ramp meters allow only one vehicle through each green light, creating a 4 to 15 second delay between cars entering the highway. This delay helps reduce disruptions to freeway traffic. Without ramp meters, multiple cars try to merge simultaneously."
WSDOT - Ramp Meters

[Mekanic]

Originally Posted by NukeRef

She must have missed the DE class segment on merging ... in fact, I think 90% of the idiots in the on ramp missed that class. They mostly do not understand "acceleration lane."

What you described happens to us all the time. One time my DW was driving in traffic heavy enough that she could not have pulled over had she wanted to. Space ahead of us, space behind us, I watched a woman match our speed (which was well below the speed limit), then come to a complete stop in the acceleration lane. The guy behind her nearly sent her into the next county (if not further). I could see her cussing us ...

Very few people know what or where the "acceleration lane." is let alone that is is NOT proper to stop.
I see people stop like that all the time, completly stupid as one stoped vehicle leads to more stoped vehicles.

[Hooligan]

Another traffic situation that I just did not understand.. (Almost on topic- merging)

We were on On I-81, "Construction ahead, Left Lane closed all traffic merge Right" Traffic lined up in right lane but cars were still passing everyone in that left lane. Truck moved over to block the "line jumpers". Virginia Trooper lit him up and the driver reported he got a ticket for impeding traffic???
This moved 2 lanes of traffic right up to the construction site where it was stop & go to merge. Right lane had been moving about 15mph.

[Dunner]

I've seen that and have bocked cheaters also. I've also been on the freeway where it came to a stand-still and people were using the merge lane to jump 10-15 cars as they merge. Cut them off too.

[sdennislee]

Originally Posted by Land Barge

"if you can read this... You should have bought a faster car... "

Now thats funny

[sdennislee]

Just got home from spending a few months in California.

Their method of merging when exiting the freeway is to wait until they are less than a 1/4 mile from the the exit ramp or interchange then attempt to cross 4 lanes of traffic. When they can't get over they just stop in whatever lane they are in until someone lets them in. Now you know why left lanes on an interstate come to a complete stop.

Why not start getting over 2 or 3 miles before your exit??????????

[corjaguar]

Originally Posted by greezykid

In FL law is you can make a right turn on red.

Yea but you got to stop at the light before you proceed......

[George Schweikle]

X2!. We see this in Kentucky, and I call these actions Destructive Politeness. When confronted with this stupidity and driving one of our Alfa Spiders with the top down, I used to make a big deal of making eye contact with the other driver and tapping the side of my head with my finger (as in "use your brains"). DW cured me of this by mentioning how many people here have conceal......... and might .......... End of off topic rant and back to discussing dumb drivers. I tend to think that every other driver is an idiot until proven otherwise.

Originally Posted by SNAPPY

... Take for example, the people who wave you on at a 4 way stop. Even though THEY were there first.What about the people that come to a complete stop in the middle of the road to allow someone out of a parking lot? I understand that they're trying to be nice, but they're (moderator edit) the flow of traffic and are TOTALLY unaware of it....

[Dunner]

For rage free driving consider that everyone is....

[JohnBoyToo]

Originally Posted by clyon51

No I am not out of my mind, and I consider this a personal attack. The OP gave no mention of traffics lights, only merging of traffic on to a throughfare in which they have the the right of way under the law.

Cylon51 apologies ----
It was tongue in cheek and I DO think you were making sense... guess my smilies didn't get in there like I intended...

dang printed word doesn't convey the smirk

[clyon51]

Originally Posted by Francesca

I'm talking about the signals ON THE ON RAMP that meter cars into rush hour traffic. There's usually a "one car per Green" restriction. The light turns green and off one car goes...supposedly to merge with a solid stream of rush hour traffic.

Don't tell me you've never seen these...every metropolitan area in the U.S.A. has them!

No I have never seen them or even heard of them before this. After some thorough research, they are far from being in "every metropolitan area in the U.S.A." There appears to be only about 15 states that even have them, and most of those only have a select few. I do note Washington State, where you live, is the largest user of these. So it seems these devises are very extremely the exception and not the rule in the country.

When I'm going down the Interstate at 65 mph, if I encounter a sign or light that indicates I must yield to vehicles entering the interstate from an on ramp, I will certainly do so. Nuff said.

[KAS]

WOW, I didn't realize that my policy of looking at the highway so that I can pace myself and merge into an open spot is unusual-- I thought everybody did that.

And now I am feeling very nervous about when I start driving our Behemoth.

[Hipshot]

Originally Posted by Francesca

My query is exactly on the "right-of-way-when merging" topic, though you apparently didn't understand what I asked.
I obviously didn't make myself clear...I'm talking about the signals ON THE ON RAMP that meter cars into rush hour traffic. There's usually a "one car per Green" restriction. The light turns green and off one car goes...supposedly to merge with a solid stream of rush hour traffic.

Don't tell me you've never seen these...every metropolitan area in the U.S.A. has them!

Here's a picture of one, if that's any help to those of you that have never been inside an urban area:




So what's the protocol? Do the (bumper-to-bumper) cars already on the freeway "have the right of way", and the guy coming down the ramp on the green is just supposed to wait 'til rush hour is over???

They installed those in Houston about 30 years ago. The purpose was to meter the flow of traffic onto the freeway so there would not be 40 cars trying to merge into a 20 ft space. Didn't work very well people ran the light and jammed up anyway. So they installed barrier arms to allow a single car through. It kinda works, drivers avoid them if they can thus cutting down on traffic merging. To answer your question the drivers entering the freeway still have to yield unless otherwise posted and I have never seen one otherwise posted in Houston.

[SarahW]

Originally Posted by corjaguar

Yea but you got to stop at the light before you proceed......

That's the case everywhere. A red light means "STOP."