Lane closures and backed-up traffic are the bane of motorists’ lives – but you could be making things worse. With the six-week school summer holidays fast approaching, thoughts will be drifting to road trips to the coast and jaunts to picturesque cottages or fun-packed UK resorts.
But the crushing reality of having to sit bumper to bumper with other road users as you undertake a summer getaway is never far from the mind. Now vehicle leasing firm Select Car Leasing has revealed the simple piece of road etiquette that has bamboozled drivers for years – but could see them arrive at their destination far quicker if they follow it to the letter.
Graham Conway, Managing Director of Select Car Leasing, said: “Lane closures and the resulting zip-merges – where two lanes of traffic consolidate into one – often see drivers panic and jump into non-closing lane as soon as possible. In fact, you have probably found yourself tutting at those who stick in the other lane for as long as possible, but they are actually doing the right thing.
“That’s because when everyone starts piling into one lane as early as possible, it creates a longer line and slows the traffic down dramatically, whereas if drivers were to make the most of both lanes fully, merging would be much smoother.”
While joining at the last minute helps reduce the length of a queue, it doesn’t mean you should speed along. Mr Conway explained: “There might be the tendency to speed up as there is a big gap in front of you, but this is dangerous as you could miscalculate the road length and it also puts other road users on edge.”
According to the Highway Code Rule 134 motorists “should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed.” Select Car Leasing has also revealed a host of other common traffic mistakes that can lengthen journeys and put road users at risk.
Traffic jams on multi-lane roads like motorways can be a minefield, but is there a way to get through quickly? The short answer is no, according to Mr Conway.
He added: “Queuing in general is irritating, but being stuck on a motorway can be particularly stressful for drivers. Plenty of research has been conducted into motorway traffic. Some findings evaluated actual movement, and some revealed the psychology behind why other lanes seem to move faster than others.”
Many drivers often suffer with a case of ‘grass is greener on the other side’ and the other lanes seem to move faster than the one they are in. Mr Conway added: “Traffic lanes jam up and spread out at different paces, this is why it sometimes seems other lanes are moving quicker.
“When the fast lane initially joins the traffic, there might be bigger spaces between the cars as they are moving faster, but eventually these will become smaller as the vehicles reduce their speed.”
Lane hopping is also not advised. Select Car Leasing’s Mr Conway said: “Switching between lanes rarely helps a driver reach their destination quicker. All it does is affect the traffic behind them who have to adjust their speed to accommodate the vehicle entering the lane.
“Pulling into another lane can also increase the risk of a collision, as there are usually smaller spaces between cars in a traffic jam and less time for drivers to react to a vehicle pulling in front of them. The varying speeds in traffic jams can also cause issues for motorists so it’s better to remain in your lane, and only move when it’s a necessity, such as moving towards your exit.”
Select Car Leasing is the UK's largest independent specialists for car and van leasing. Established in 2004, the team has supplied vehicles to thousands of satisfied customers across the UK.
