You’re approaching a construction zone and a sign tells you the left lane will end several miles ahead. Traffic is heavy, but you see an opening and move to the right lane. As you inch along, drivers to your left keep zipping by. Miles ahead, you finally reach the merge point and the left-lane drivers make their move. Your pulse quickens. You pull up tight on the car in front of you and refuse to let anyone in. Are you in the right, or are you fortunate that nothing escalated?
In light traffic, the merge is easy. But moving over early when an opening first appears fails in moderate to heavy traffic, where greater efficiency can be achieved by using both lanes as long as possible. Simple, right? Not at all.
