15/10/2026
🚨This makes people so angry - but police have settled a merging debate 🚗
Police have shed light on the correct way to merge lanes in the common situation on UK roads where two lanes converge into one.
Nearly every driver on UK roads will have encountered this scenario at some point, and will undoubtedly have witnessed a lengthy queue of single-file traffic in the left-hand lane while the right-hand lane sits empty.
Many motorists will also have felt frustrated by drivers in the right-hand lane speeding past the queuing traffic until the merging point.
A great number of people consider this "jumping the queue", and one driver was even caught on camera apparently becoming so enraged by this very situation that he collided with the vehicle in front. However, feeling aggrieved doesn't necessarily mean you're in the right.
The most frequent circumstances in which lane-merging is required are either where a permanent lane reduction is in place, or when roadworks — on a motorway, for instance — result in the closure of one of the lanes. It is evident that drivers remain uncertain about the correct approach in such situations.
One motorist from Cardiff commented: "I'm not sure anyone knows for certain what the rule is. But judging from how frequently you get drivers in the left hand lane doing their best to stop you merging in from the right, I'd imagine most people think those wily right hand lane drivers are just trying to stitch them up and jump the queue."
But what is the correct way to merge lanes in this situation? Fortunately, both the police and the Highway Code have shed light on the matter, so you will know precisely what to do, and what to avoid, the next time you find yourself needing to merge lanes.
The proper technique for merging when two lanes converge into one at a specific point is known as "zip-merging". Rather than moving into a single lane as soon as a lane closure is signalled, drivers should merge one at a time at the actual point of closure. The method takes its name from the teeth of a zipper coming together, and is widely regarded as significantly reducing congestion.
The police, Highway Code, RAC and National Highways are all agreed on this. Avon and Somerset Police said the method "helps make full use of the available road space" and added: "Problems tend to arise when drivers are unwilling to allow others to safely merge, or when motorists change lanes aggressively, without adequate observation, signalling or consideration for other road users."
National Highways gave similar advice and said: "By keeping both lanes in use until the merge point, congestion is minimised and journey reliability is improved."
