Aussie drivers rage over this seemingly easy road rules quiz about what to do when lanes merge – so do you know the answer?
- NSW Police put the poser on Facebook and opinions were divided on the answer
- Two cars merge but the one with right of way is not always the one expected
- The lack of lane markings mean the car in front can pull in ahead of the other
- Some warned the ‘zipper merge’ can still end in disaster even if you’re in the right
It’s an everyday situation faced by drivers all the time – yet an apparently simple scenario posed by New South Wales Police has sparked furious online debate.
The headscratcher shows two cars on a highway when the left lane ends and the vehicles need to merge, asking drivers whether car A or car B has right of way.
NSW Police put the quiz on Facebook and within minutes thousands had commented on the post as they rowed over what the correct answer should be.
‘When two lanes reduce to one lane and there are no longer any road markings, what should happen?,’ said the police post on the force’s official Facebook page.
It’s an everyday situation faced by drivers all the time – yet the apparently simple scenario (pictured above) posted by New South Wales Police has sparked furious online debate
‘A. Car B should speed up to block Car A moving across.
‘B. Car B must give way to Car A.
‘C. Car A should come to a complete stop, and only merge when safe to do so.
‘D. Car A should slow down and only move across when it’s behind Car B.’
In real-life, the scenario has sparked furious road rage incidents as cars speed up or slow down to block or hold up traffic.
‘Both floor it and the one with the least dents gives way if there isn’t a clear winner,’ suggested one user, while another added: ‘Flick the finger.’
The majority of people replying got it right, but many drivers said that even if that was correct, switching lanes like this could still cause prangs in real life
Because Car A is ahead of Car B and the two lanes merge, Car A does have right of way and should pull in ahead of Car B, meaning option B is the correct answer.
The majority of people replying got it right, but many drivers said that even if that was correct, it could still cause prangs in real life.
‘Answer B. It’s also a great way to get sideswiped by ignorant self important twats in car B that speed up and push through,’ warned one driver.
Another added: ‘I mean it’s B, but literally nobody follows this rule.
‘The merging lane is widely known as the douchebag tough boy push in lane. There should be loss of demerits for being a douchebag.’
Another driver added an additional option: ‘E: if A is a truck, B will speed up to 150 to pass it last minute, then slam the brakes on and sit on 85 for the next 20km till the OT lane.’
A NSW Police spokesman confirmed: ‘The correct answer is B.
‘When you’re driving on a road and the number of lanes or lines of traffic reduces, and there are no longer any road markings, you must give way to the vehicle that’s ahead of you.
‘This is called a zipper merge.’
But not all were convinced. Casey Pascoe immediately demanded: ‘Are you sure? I’m sure 99 per cent of the population don’t think that’s true.’