How to drive through road works

I was reminded of the behaviour of the majority of motorists who simply don’t know how to behave in situations where a lane is closed.

Most drivers get into the lane as soon as they are aware of the impending closure and glare at drivers who have the audacity to use the other lane. Some self-righteous people even take it upon themselves to straddle the centre line, blocking traffic from using both lanes. Who do they think they are?

If these people took the time to read the highway code, specifically rule 288 concerning road works, they would see this snippet: “Where lanes are restricted due to road works, merge in turn”.

It is clear from this that the correct thing to do is to use both lanes and merge at the cones: one from the left lane, one from the right etc.

Those of us who choose to do this are not the arrogant, self-important, impatient, ignorant drivers “pushing in at the front of the queue”.

On the contrary, we know the rules and are simply following them. It’s those drivers who refuse to allow us to merge in turn who are breaking those rules.

There will always be road works and subsequent delays, but if people would take the time to learn the rules and follow them there would be much less frustration about something so simple.

Christopher Pollard

Burnley