Merging/accident question?

[infamous]

Hi everyone, I keep encountering this problem and I am not sure what the legalities are behind it.

I live in Deer Run and take Deerfoot northbound daily. Where Bow Bottom Trail merges with Anderson before merging with Deerfoot is such a problem area for me. As I go to merge over the two lanes, there are idiots who are impatient enough that they cut across the solid lines (before they are supposed to merge) and into the fast lane and try to fly by everyone.

I try to follow the rules of the road and wait until it is legal to move over, in this scenario I have ample viewing for the people merging from Anderson, and I can reasonably presume that there is nobody coming for when I go to merge over. But countless times I have these idiots who screw up traffic for everyone.

If I was to end up in an accident who's fault would it be? Assuming that it was a drivers side of my vehicle and passenger side of their vehicle collision?

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.95132...!3m1!1e3?hl=en

here is the area I am talking about; the white lines for the merge lane is where the cut over essentially onto Anderson Road.

I really hope this makes sense! TIA!

[speedog]

Let the idiots be idiots and smash into someone else - you've got about 500 meters to get into the two left lanes and over a kilometer to get into the far left lane which gets you on to Deerfoot NB.. Plenty of time and distance to usually make the needed merges.

[infamous]

Originally posted by speedog
Let the idiots be idiots and smash into someone else - you've got about 500 meters to get into the two left lanes and over a kilometer to get into the far left lane which gets you on to Deerfoot NB.. Plenty of time and distance to usually make the needed merges.

what was the relevance of this post? obviously i am going to merge properly and safely when i can. my question is if something did happen who would be at fault.

[ianmcc]

According to the TSA
15(1) When operating a vehicle on a highway,
(a) in the case where double solid lines exist between traffic lanes, a person shall not drive the vehicle so that the vehicle or any portion of the vehicle crosses the double solid lines from one traffic lane to another;

So, you can't cross the solid lines. Period.
In this case lift and slow down before the end of the double white lines (creating space ahead of you and forcing trailing traffic to slow down) then hammer down once you clear the concrete divider into the space provided in front of you.

[infamous]

Originally posted by ianmcc
According to the TSA
15(1) When operating a vehicle on a highway,
(a) in the case where double solid lines exist between traffic lanes, a person shall not drive the vehicle so that the vehicle or any portion of the vehicle crosses the double solid lines from one traffic lane to another;

So, you can't cross the solid lines. Period.
In this case lift and slow down before the end of the double white lines (creating space ahead of you and forcing trailing traffic to slow down) then hammer down once you clear the concrete divider into the space provided in front of you.

but it is the trailing traffic that cuts across the lines and try to get ahead of everyone, including myself that causes all the issues. the more i try and make it an easy merge the more it seems impatient people try and cut over early making it a dangerous merge for everyone.

[ianmcc]

You're right-they screw things up by crossing the double white.
I used to live in Deer Run and made the same commute. You gotta be passive or aggressive-either live with it and make your own space further down the road or hold up traffic them hammer down.
Or Cole Trickle them and pass em all on the outside.

[ercchry]

Crossing a solid line will be a he said/she said situation, what insurance is more likely to care about is lane establishment... fully established in their lane, you merge into them... your fault. Which is what I believe is the situation you are describing?

[infamous]

Originally posted by ercchry
Crossing a solid line will be a he said/she said situation, what insurance is more likely to care about is lane establishment... fully established in their lane, you merge into them... your fault. Which is what I believe is the situation you are describing?

In my experience it would be my rear bumper/drivers side impacting the front of their bumper/front passenger side, too much of a gray area to mess around...if they rear ended me it would obviously be their fault; i just don't want to go through the hassle of insurance cause somebody is too impatient to wait the 20 seconds to merge properly.

edit; what is the definition of "established in their lane"? Because half the time they are cutting over/accelerating/changing lanes at the same time and they don't occupy the whole lane yet.

Dash cam FTW.......

[Sugarphreak]

....

[ercchry]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
I would do whatever feels the safest for now

However write a letter to whomever the governing body of the traffic council is with a detailed description, then CC CTV, Global, and CBC on it



Not if you are somebody else is rolling with a dashcam that shows otherwise, which is more and more commonplace these days

In Vancouver, the use is higher; I'd say a pretty solid 20% of cars are rocking them now now, and it looks like a trend that is going to continue

And if it's not you chances are they will just keep continuing on with their day, and you might find the footage on YouTube 6 months later

I think they define established by what area of the vehicle was impacted

[bjstare]

Originally posted by ianmcc

Or Cole Trickle them and pass em all on the outside.

Back in the day when I lived down there, and drove this route, that was my signature move.

[ExtraSlow]

Get your bumper in front of their bumper and merge over like a boss. Fuck them, if they want to rear-end you, let em.
If they are moving so fast you can't do this, then they'll be blowing past you anyway and that space will open up in half a second.

[botox]

Don't assume rear end = rear vehicle fault. You could be ticked with a unsafe merge or lane change. You would need either a witness or a back and front camera to show they crossed the solid whites. Cause guaranteed they are going to say they were established in the lane.

I don't mind if they jump over two lanes but if they just go over one, then it's a total dick move. I've seen so many semi's get cut off because of this and I'm always wishing mr dbag gets taken out by the semi.

[tonytiger55]

Driving over the solid line is a nono. But how do you prove if the driver was being a stupid goomba? Get a dash cam if you don't have one, they are pretty cheap now (Almost as little as $25).

Some of these interchanges and merge lanes are designed by overpaid people who just like to draw pretty lines on paper.

[sexualbanana]

Wouldn't a dash cam be useless in this case because the ones crossing the double-solid are behind him?

[JfuckinC]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
Wouldn't a dash cam be useless in this case because the ones crossing the double-solid are behind him?

But if it helps prove where you were, and driving in safe manner etc. probably isn't a bad idea?

I bought my Dash cam because no one would ever take the turn from 8th st to 4th ave correctly, and if someone hit me I just wanted to prove I was going into the correct lane lol

[Thaco]

its a tough call, a "Merge" should be 50/50, but its definitely going to look like you entered "their" lane, even though, legally they shouldn't have been there, the events that lead up to the crash are usually not considered.

[tonytiger55]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
Wouldn't a dash cam be useless in this case because the ones crossing the double-solid are behind him?

Not necessarily. So if you are rear ended/side swiped and can't stop to take photos. It gives the insurance company evidence to your position on the road vs the other party denying/potentially talking out of their arse.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by tonytiger55


Not necessarily. So if you are rear ended/side swiped and can't stop to take photos. It gives the insurance company evidence to your position on the road vs the other party denying/potentially talking out of their arse.

yep, most accidents are determined by who is entering the other persons lane, if you're solidly in a lane and someone hits you on the side its (typically, maybe exceptions like merge) their fault.