There are quite a few comments on the definition of “getting cut off”. My question is related to that. If you see someone accelerating to merge, is it ok for you to try to accelerate to block their merge? If they’re still in front of you and manage to pull in, does it still count as cutting you off?
Reported for forum change.
Why would you do that? Have you ever needed to merge into traffic?
No.
R’s passenger: Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, we’re glad to have you with us.
I’m a little confused, though. I assume your post is in reference to some other thread on our Boads, but I don’t know which one. It doesn’t belong in the “About this Message Board” forum, in any case, so I’m taking a wild guess and moving it to the forum called “General Questions.” At least temporarily. IF you could kindly email a moderator with some indication of whether you were commenting on an existing thread (and which one), we’ll fix from there.
No biggie, just trying to be sure you get maximum responses.
I didn’t, nor would I ever. R did it and is complaining that the other person “cut him off”. Now I’m the bad guy for defending the merger.
Thanks for moving it to the general question area. I was introduced to your forum by R. He sent me a link to the question "what is the definition for “getting cut off in traffic” "to support his complaint that he had been “cut off”. I felt he created the problem by accelerating to block the merge and wanted others opinions on the situation.
Nah. Shrug it off. You aren’t the bad guy. The driver who aggressively blocks others from entering the roadway is out of line. Eventually that driver will need to enter an unforgiving line of traffic and will learn the other perspective.
For your own safety and that of others: you drive next time. I’ll let you in. Promise.
If you mean merge as in a ramp entry to a highway (indicated by merge signs for both the ramp and the highway traffic), the blocking move would probably be illegal in most jurisdictions. Think about it: at high speed the merging traffic has to enter the highway before their lane ends. The blocker is trying to keep them from doing that, ensuring a fiery death for the merging car.
Or did you mean a simple lane change?
Of possibly requiring them to brake and then merge behind the aggressive jerk.
This is certainly bad driving, but fortunately leads to fiery death in only a minority of cases.
No, and in many states (if not all), it’s illegal as all hell (I write this assuming the merge is from an on-ramp,)
The correct way to merge / allow a merge is that the car on the expressway (or whatever) carries on at its normal speed, no unusual changes in speed or lanes. This allows the on-merging car the opportunity to judge the traffic flow and merge before or after that vehicle without disrupting the flow, which could cause the whole expresway to have to slow down. Except in very busy traffic, normal separation between vehicles on the expressway means there will be room ahead or behind for that merging vehicle.
Sudden changes in speed, lanes, etc. makes it more difficult and dangerous for the merging vehicle to judge the situation. Actively blocking means moving so that you actually make it difficult for the vehicle to get out of the merge lane before it ends. (See “fiery end” comment earlier). That could earn the aggressive driver a dangerous driving charge or worse.
The only acceptable actions involve speeding up or slowing down, in plenty of time, so that you create the necessary opening in front or behind if it looks like both speeds mean the cars will not have room to merge. Often at merge ramps on expressways you will see the regular traffic change to the center lanes to leave the outside lane open for merges. All of these are polite and acceptable maneuvers. Accelerating to ensure the merging car now has to go behind, where before it would easily have gone in front, putting your car in the way an daring the other guy to hit it, is what is known in expressway driving as an “asshole maneuver”.
In the bigger picture - nobody owns the road, unless you are Mohammar Gaddahfi and it’s your country. (See where that got him, because he didn’t own the sky). Everyone has an equal right to be on the road, and everyone has to make sure that there is room for everyone else, traffic flows best and safest when nobody changes speed or direction erratically, and yield when it is safe and prudent. Sounds like R was a dick.
A minor semi related rant.
If you are the person doing the merging, please do TWO things. First get up to my speed. Second, make is somewhat obvious WHERE you are trying to merge. If its obvious you are going for the front, if you need a bit more space I let off the gas a bit. If its obvious you are aiming behind and need a bit of space I’ll hit the gas to give you more room.
But, if you are merging and right fricking beside me going at the same damn speed, I don’t know what the hell you are trying to do. This used to freak me out. Now, I’ll just let you slam into the overpass pillars at 70 MPH cause I aint getting in a wreck because you don’t know how to merge. This goes double if I am driving an RV and towing a car in heavy traffic. I have one speed (the one I am at) and one position (the one I am in). Its up to you to make a choice one way or another.
rant over.
Moving to IMHO from GQ.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
tell “R” to stop driving like some hyper-competitive dick. he doesn’t “win” by being ahead of someone else.
It’s a dickhead and possibly illegal move to try blocking someone else on the freeway. However, it’s “R’s” responsibility to merge and YIELD to existing speed, while using turn signals and other co-operative and communicative means, whether that’s 10 mph or 100 mph. In most states, it’s the duty of the merging vehicle to adjust speed, not the vehicles already on the highway - although common sense and courtesy goes a long way here.
If “R” simply blasted onto the highway and expected people to get out of his way, he is ignorant and wrong. Although this may depend on the state - what state is “R” in [del] so I can avoid it [/del] for legally accurate info.
Illinois law on merges is as follows:
I can’t speak for whatever state the OP was in but, in the Land of Lincoln, it’s on both parties to figure it out and not act like dicks.
Except in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where driving is a contact sport and roller derby rules prevail…
Quote: **littlespeedysuperbike **
I’m interpreting the situation as R is already on the freeway, accelerating to block someone else from entering the freeway in front of him.
If R is deliberately speeding up to try to block the merger, I would call that a form of road rage that is not taken lightly by the police. If someone I was riding with did that I would never ride with them again. As it has been said, it’s a completely dick move and more than likely a tictable offence. Reckless driving for one. Road Rage for another.