traffic law experts?

[iwannadie]

ok just wondering about this situation...

say a 3 lane road, the right lane is ending with signs saying so. i was driving/riding in the middle lane with a car to my left and to my right(in the lane thats ending). they try to pass me at the last second, they arent passed my front bumper yet. they just signal and begin to drift into my lane. i dont give up my right away just cause they signaled and stay at my same speed. they just keep coming into my lane, im on the horn the entire time. they cant speed up cause the car in front of us is right there and a car behind me right on my bumper.

in my mind, the car in the lane ending has to yield and merge at the next opening. they dont gain any right of way because their lane ends.

am i right for not giving up the right of way in that situation?

[brooder]

Technically, yes. But, you would get a ticket for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Guy hits you from behind, that's his fault and he'll pay you.

In an instance like that, let the jerk in. He's only interested in himself. I've had the same thing happen during road construction in my area and laying on the horn and way interesting hand signals only makes them feel better, IMO.

[BrooklynKat]

That sounds about right. Your right, but were you on the bike or in a car/truck? if im on my bike ill give up the spot cause of a car can takes more damage than a bike, and its a lot safe, but if im in my truck!!! LET THE FENDERS FLY .

[BarMatt80]

i say they have to yield for sure. and they have to make preparations to merge, not just at teh end and guaranteed a spot.

[iwannadie]

i was in the car(on the bike i would had changed lanes not worth playing around with that situation).

i just Hate when people do that to me though and it happens alot. i never let them in and they all act like im wrong.

the whole not stopping and failure to avoid and accident thing is BS i think. it would be a total judgement call on the cop prolly. i mean i can just say he swarved into my lane so fast i didnt have time to react then what can the cop say? i wasnt paying attention to someone who out of no where ran into my lane cause i wasnt doing anything wrong? or i can say yea i slowed down but obviously not slow enough for him cause they ran into me?

i think its the same situation as someone rear ending you its not your fault period.

[katana bob]

if someone needs to merge I'll usually let them in hoping they'll pay it forward sometime. I will however cause an accident to prevent the arsehole that has to race up to the end of the lane and merge at the last second from getting in. I've even moved half my truck into the mege lane to prevent this. really pisses them off.

[BrooklynKat]

I agree, that happends allot but it me of to but hey Its 4:00pm and its time for me to leave work and get ready for MILLER TIME RIDE SAFE

[StblJmpr]

I don't know what traffic laws are like in the US, but here in Cauck-land, at least Alberta anyway, when there is a merge, the right of way goes to the person further ahead. According to an officer, even if the vehicle in the merge lane is travelling slower, as long as they ahead of you, they have the right of way. But he also stated that if they are travelling too slow and you don't have time to slow down and let them in, then once you are ahead, you have the right of way.

I think it all comes down to the officers discresion if there is an accident. but when on the bike, I never try to be in any cage's way. If it wants to move, either slowly or quickly, I don't want to be there.

[iwannadie]

I don't know what traffic laws are like in the US, but here in Cauck-land, at least Alberta anyway, when there is a merge, the right of way goes to the person further ahead. According to an officer, even if the vehicle in the merge lane is travelling slower, as long as they ahead of you, they have the right of way. But he also stated that if they are travelling too slow and you don't have time to slow down and let them in, then once you are ahead, you have the right of way.

I think it all comes down to the officers discresion if there is an accident. but when on the bike, I never try to be in any cage's way. If it wants to move, either slowly or quickly, I don't want to be there.

see that kind of law wouldnt make sense to me... what if the car merging is behind you then guns it to get an inch ahead and merges at the very last second?

also what would they consider 'ahead'. does the whole vehicle have to be ahead of you before they begin to merge? what if you are neck and neck and the car begins to merge? what if your bumper is at the half way point of the merging car? seems like to many discrepences that would allow the merging car the right away.

next time i see a local cop ive got to ask them what they think. just comes down to the merging cars has to slow and merge when its safe in my mind that makes the most sense. even if the merging car has to stop and wait for an opening it would be the safest for everyone, rather than these weir merging exceptions.

[DreKat]

just remember everyone is in a hurry to get know where fast. If they knew where they were going in the first place they should have merged earlier.

[lopeha]

Being a professional driver I experience this on a daily basis. If you hadn't give up the lane the ticket would've been yours as it was a "Preventable" accident. I have people cut in front of me several times a day, although I still can't figure out their thought process. Their 3000 lb car versus my 80,000 lb semi. Go Figure? Just know in your heart that Karma does work & they will get their just dues at a later date. Besides are all the paperwork & higher insurance rates worth it. Someitme I'm sorely tempted to try & justify finidng out.

[iwannadie]

Being a professional driver I experience this on a daily basis. If you hadn't give up the lane the ticket would've been yours as it was a "Preventable" accident. I have people cut in front of me several times a day, although I still can't figure out their thought process. Their 3000 lb car versus my 80,000 lb semi. Go Figure? Just know in your heart that Karma does work & they will get their just dues at a later date. Besides are all the paperwork & higher insurance rates worth it. Someitme I'm sorely tempted to try & justify finidng out.

not to keep arguing my point, But how can they justify giving me a ticket for not preventing the accidnet?

cop shows at the scene my car is in the lane fully, the car that hit me is obviously merging into the lane cutting me off causing the accident.

cop questions me 'i dont know what happened, out of no where he swarves into the side of my car. i tried to stop but didnt have enough time. i was going the speed limit and he flew past my side window then just swarved over before he got half way past my car.'

cop questions the other guy 'i had my signal on, he wouldnt slow down to let me in so i just kept drifting over'.

how i would get a ticket just doesnt make sense to me. even IF the cop says yes its My fault for not stopping to prevent an accident. the other driver would be in the same boat, they are not stopping either to prevent the accident. if anything the other driver would get failure to prevent an accident and wreckless driving. still if we both got equal tickets then my lawyer would eat them alive in the end.

[lopeha]

You're peaching to the choir there. Cops are notorious for not making sense when issuing tickets. You never know who is driving the other vehicle. If it's someone of "importance" then you're really screwed. It basically all boils down to how much you like doing paperwork

[iwannadie]

You're peaching to the choir there. Cops are notorious for not making sense when issuing tickets. You never know who is driving the other vehicle. If it's someone of "importance" then you're really screwed. It basically all boils down to how much you like doing paperwork

yea i hear ya, ive been considering taking a driver job for UPS. man i dont know if i could stand the other people on the road. id have to take a whole new attitude towards driving. one accident on or Off the job and thats it they let you go.

i try not to be a jerk while driving but when people have that attitude they are better than me so they get to cut me off, thats when things get to me. ill let someone merge in my lane no problem if they signal ahead of time and arent trying to get ahead of everyone else.

[Mojoe]

personally, I think most laws are made for the "stupid" to follow. the ones with brains, they rely on common sense and courtesy. I really feel that the "I am right so I will do it the way I am doing it" attitude is kinda stupid....especially when riding on a bike. If I see some guy about to merge and he is wrong....and there is a chance that he will hit me in doing so, I don't get all upset about it and hold my ground. I back off and let the dickhead in.

when I am rolling along with traffic at 70mph, the law and who is right is the last thing on my mind. staying out of "danger spots" and leaving myself a way out of any potentially dangerous situation is all I am thinking about. but that is just me. if you want to hold your ground on a 500lb bike against a 3000lb car, then by all means, go for it.

I don't know...maybe it is just that I have been riding for over 20 years and I have long given up on traffic laws to protect me....seeing as half the cagers out there don't follow the law anyway.