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Merging lanes


Merging lanes

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A recent NRMA Motoring & Services commissioned audit of motorways and freeways has found the simple act of merging lanes can be fraught with danger.

The NRMA Motoring & Services audit, conducted as part of an ongoing campaign to make roads safer and reduce congestion, analysed 124 locations where traffic merged onto motorways or where lanes ended. A shocking 73 per cent of the lanes tested had signs that were incorrect, inconsistent with other merges, poorly located or simply missing altogether. The audit also found 22 per cent of merge lanes were too short.

Motorists need to have enough warning to allow them to adjust their speed so that traffic is able to merge safely. If someone is faced with these situations on an unfamiliar road they are liable to make mistakes and have an accident at high speed. High speed traffic means that even minor accidents can cause a dangerous pile up.

NRMA Motoring & Services would like to see the RTA improve the signage, remove obstructions so that motorists have a better view of the traffic they are merging into and provide longer merging lanes. NRMA Motoring & services is focussed on reducing the road toll and simple improvements in road design and maintenance to keep motorists safe.

These improvements would also improve traffic flow. In Sydney, accidents on busy motorways such as the M2, M4 or M5 in peak periods, can build up a traffic jam at the rate of 1.5km every minute.

A copy of the audit is available on our Research and Reports page and outlines some simple steps that would make Sydney's motorways safer, reduce congestion and vehicle emissions.

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