How do you handle the right lane ends issue?

[T-Town Now]

Tulsa (as well as other cities) has a penchant for building nice, wide intersections that squeeze down to a two lane road 100 feet past the intersection. Despite the signs that indicate the right lane needs to yield, since it is the one ending, many people seem oblivious to the fact that THEY are the ones who must yield if they are in the right lane.

I normally try to be in the left lane, so I don't have to worry about merging or yielding, but I often find I must slam on the brakes when some idiot in the right lane just starts coming over, almost as if they aren't even looking to see if there's a car in the left lane.

If you take your time and allow people in the right lane to merge in front of you, you often get almost run over from drivers in a hurry behind you. And if you step on it and get in front of everyone, sometimes you chap off the idiot in the right lane.

How do you handle this, and why do you believe people are such idiots when it comes to yielding?

[sgrizzle]

I think the problems are (in importance order)
1. They don't care.
2. Even if they did, they don't read.

I also don't understand how double turn lanes are so confusing. I was almost hit the other day by someone who started in one lane and turned into mine. I laid on the horn and the woman happily waved as if I let her over... mid turn.

[MichaelC]

quote:Originally posted by T-Town Now

How do you handle this, and why do you believe people are such idiots when it comes to yielding?

Honk like a madman and wildly wave a digit.  Which digit, depends on the day.

[grahambino]

it almost never fails...the driver in the right lane that weaseled his way in front of you will also turn in front of you a quarter-mile down the road.

ive wondered, say you dont let this person and and you dont hit your brakes who's fault would it be?  logic dictates that it would be the person in the right lane yielding to you, but on the same token if you can avoid an accident, shouldnt you?

imho, some crumb bum taking an extra 30 secs of my time isn't worth getting in wreck (or have someone 'stand their ground') to prove a point.

[MichaelC]

To be barreling down 6 lanes of Yale near LaFortune Park, or anywhere on Riverside, only to have some stooge stop at a median cut to make a U-Turn; that gets me.  Tailgaters on the other hand, are kind of fun.

[cannon_fodder]

I proceed at my normal speed.  If the person GUNS it and hops in front of me - fine.  If he pokes and falls behind, fine.  However, if he goes the same speed as I am wants ME to slow down so he can get in, then he will have to ram be and contact my insurance company because that's just too damn bad.

[sauerkraut]

That's what your horn is for. Bull your way thru if your in the right. They hit ya they are at fault.

[Wilbur]

I'm particularly fond of the lanes that, basically without notice, turn into left-turn-only lanes all by themselves.  Such as:

The northbound left lane of Yale as you approach 71st.  

Or the southbound left lane of Yale as you approach the Creek Turnpike.  

I also like the westbound lane of 71st Street at Highway 75 that ends into a center median on the crest of a hill.

Engineering marvels!

[waterboy]

Remember queuing theory? If everyone were to get in the left lane so they wouldn't have to merge, the line would be longer and fewer people would make it through the light. So those nuts in the right lane are allowing more people to make it through the light. I agree with whoever said, keep a constant speed and if they pop in front fine, if they pull behind fine, if you're feeling charitable and want to let them in, thats fine too. But they have to yield and merge, not the left lane.

However waving the digit and forcing them to yield may be construed as a threat to their life and they may pull a concealed weapon and shoot your bully donkey![]

[Wrinkle]

Why doesn't someone suggest 4-lane roads?
And, storm sewers instead of bar ditches?

Tulsan's seem satisfied with whatever they get handed.

Those home owner associations need to get the City to do what is expected, especially for those $500K and up homes paying huge tax bills.

[T-Town Now]

quote:Originally posted by grahambino

it almost never fails...the driver in the right lane that weaseled his way in front of you will also turn in front of you a quarter-mile down the road.

ive wondered, say you dont let this person and and you dont hit your brakes who's fault would it be?  logic dictates that it would be the person in the right lane yielding to you, but on the same token if you can avoid an accident, shouldnt you?

imho, some crumb bum taking an extra 30 secs of my time isn't worth getting in wreck (or have someone 'stand their ground') to prove a point.

A friend got forced into oncoming traffic on 81st Street, just East of Harvard (heading east). This is on a hill, and you cannot see oncoming traffic when the two lanes merge into one. He had an idiot in the right lane just come right over, and he laid on the horn and had to swerve to avoid being hit.

The guy just kept going, so my friend got as much of the tag and vehicle description as he could. He then drove to my house which is nearby, and called the Police. The office came out and took a report, tried to identify the vehicle based on the tag and description, but couldn't get a match - the vehicle was from California.

That officer said any accidents caused by failure to yield lie with the driver in the right lane who failed to yield. It's like a rear end collision, it doesn't matter if it was a panic stop, if the car in front didn't have brake lights, or whatever. If you ram someone from behind, it's pretty much your fault. Same with failure to yield.

It's a bad, bad, bad design and I've often wished they'd put ridges in the road and paint THIS LANE YIELD TO LEFT LANE in bright red or something.

[Rowdy]

Can't we all just walk and get along?

[Ed W]

A cycling friend and I debated the best way to merge into traffic in this sort of intersection.  It's difficult on a bicycle because of the greater speed difference.  But we decided if traffic is light, the cyclist should be in the left hand lane as any other through traffic, leaving the right hand lane free for right turning vehicles.  If there's heavy traffic, a cyclist should be in the left-most portion of the right hand lane, making it obvious that he's planning to travel straight ahead and merge into the left lane on the other side of the intersection.  This allows 2 or 3 cars to pass before he has to merge.

It works well for us, but what do the rest of you think is the best way for slower traffic to merge?

[TurismoDreamin]

When growth and development both outgrow infrastructure, this is the outcome. It's not like they are not addressing the issue.

For those of us who commute through 91st and Yale, you can vouch for me. Before when that intersection was just a two lane road at the intersection, traffic was relentless. Now that it's widened, traffic flows smoothly. This can be said about every other intersection to which they have done the same thing to. Heck, if it was not for them widening these intersections, then this topic would be about traffic issues instead of merging lanes. And if it was not for them widening these intersections, you could not widen a single road between them. I'm sure it is much more dangerous to have a congested two lane intersection than it is to have uncourteous drivers own the merging lane.

[South_Tulsan]

I can't stand the docility level of the typical driver in this town. When I roll up to a 2-into-1 intersection stoplight, I will switch lanes if it will put me at the front of one of the lanes.

When the light changes, I pass everyone, unless the car next to me has over 300 horsepower.

It has been my observation over the years that these 2-into-1 intersections have solved many arguments between spirited motorists... hehe.