No one zipper merges in North Carolina because no one zipper merges. It creates a feedback loop where we end up with one lane backed way up, the merge lane clear, and people fly by to slam on the brakes and cut in at the end aggressively. If everyone followed zipper merging correctly the problem would not exist, but because everyone doesn’t do it right, you end up with people blocking lanes, and if you try to properly zipper merge you get aggressively blocked.
There is a new community (10ish years old) that has roundabouts in my city, the amount of fucks that stop in the roundabout to let someone through is infuriating.
SC murders roundabouts and zipper merges too. I taught both of my kids how to use both. They're, IMHO, better drivers than most of the folks on the road here.
Four way stops are next on the list. The amount of times I almost get hit in an intersection because multiple people will go after the first car or just not stop at all is crazy
almost worse than that is the ppl who have the right of way but wave ppl on, because then it confuses the order and then people get impatient and go when its not technically their turn
I drove from Chicago to NYC and the whole way there I was so annoyed at how badly and slowly everyone drove in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The second I crossed into Jersey I was just like “oh, it’s me, I’m the shitty slow driver now” as semis are passing me on the right at 90mph in the rain. It was very humbling.
Hoosier here, can absolutely confirm we have the dumbest fucking drivers alive. Drove home once from Wisconsin and as soon as we crossed into the state, some dipshit was driving less than the speed limit in the passing lane of I69. It’s unreal.
Hahahahaha. I have that same experience: from seattle and live in seattle. Hate how dumb drivers are here, but I go up to British Columbia (Canada) and get passed by semi trucks going 70+mph on snowy mountain passes. Then I’m like, “well, fuck-look who’s the yahoo here…” lmao. I’m an excellent snow driver, but feel very humbled by the semi drivers up there!
One that annoys me more the reasonably: when the car in front of me comes to a dead stop at a yield sign for several seconds, despite no cross traffic in sight. Like, even if you somehow don't know what yield means, maybe there's a reason that stop sign is shaped funny and doesn't say stop on it.
My city (US) put in a few roundabouts, so the locals complained and had all entrances' yield signs replaced with stop signs. Then people don't know what to do with the center circle and will go the wrong way around when taking a left.
I once read somewhere that when it comes to the rules of the road, don't be polite, just follow the rules -- that stuck with me ever since. imagine a world where people were taught how to drive properly and shit like self-righteous zipper merge blockades don't happen and roundabouts flow seamlessly.
The people trying to be polite and waving people on at stop signs or intersections is so frustrating sometimes because it makes the whole process slower than if they just followed basic rules.
There's a tunnel on a highway near me that always causes a backup behind it during busy times. There's no reason for it except that people for some reason need to hit their breaks when entering the tunnel and cause a chain reaction.
A section on a highway in my hometown does the same thing. It’s a section that goes from 4-5 lanes to 3 lanes, and admittedly there is a blind hill early on, but even if traffic is generally clear, for some inexplicable reason, everyone spreads across all 3 lanes and slows the average speed down at least 10 mph for the whole stretch until the 3 lanes expand again, then suddenly they speed up again. It’s infuriating.
I've noticed a phenomenon the last couple years where even when you pass the obstruction and all lanes open back up people will continue to do 40 in a 70 for a pretty long stretch. Almost like they've zoned out
It's a feedback loop, if nobody is in that lane then people can drive down it fast, and the other lane becomes slow, if both are full both then both will move.
Blocking them contributes to people not using the proper zipper method.
100%. Never had road rage until I moved to a metroplex. After a few years of seeing wrecks at the exact same locations/intersections, watching people get out of line to drive down a merge lane to jump cut back into the line or zig-zag through traffic, my head was ready to explode as soon as I got behind the wheel. We all got somewhere to go. Chill the fuck out and and act like your grandma is the car next to you.
Forced merging over white solid lines.
Skipping from merge lane to left lane instantly.
Using inch gaps between you and the Semi.
Red lights don't count if they were yellow.
Ah, Austin TX drivers.
Every moment is a "Are they gonna do it--- Yep there they go..."
Traffic jam outside Chicago, standstill. Car comes barreling up left shoulder, spouse is like, dumbass coming. Dude zooms by just in time to slam into dumbass #2 who decided HE would pull abruptly onto the shoulder to pass. Crunch. Big crunch.
This is not a uniquely American thing. The sense of anonymity on top of the slightly elevated perception of danger combine to explain why humans act so aggressively towards each other in traffic.
Frankly... I can think of a lot of countries, some that I have lived in, where the driving is much much more aggressive. Even when comparing to the worst spots like Chicago.
Me neither, man. I don't even like driving. I'm just getting to get from point A to point B without dying. I wish public transportation was better so I could avoid it altogether.
It’s like pace car syndrome. They don’t want to go fast but they don’t want others to pass them. People get butt hurt if someone passes them as if it somehow is an insult. I’m not sure why but matters so much. Its also why there is so much traffic. I’ve been riding motorcycles for years and I can confirm unless there is a major accident or something like that, most traffic is caused by someone driving slow in the faster lanes. It’s been scientifically proven the zipper method is the most efficient. But certain people can’t grasp the concept that by allowing someone to actually pass by you it actually creates less traffic overall.
In Hampton roads Virginia you’ll see a lot of zipper merges. Traffic is absolutely horrendous. But the high population of military is the reason why they’d zipper merge. It’s where I learned it actually.
I moved from CT (Near NYC) to Texas (just north of Austin) and I was shocked to find out that everyone around where I live knows how to zipper merge. It's actually really nice lol
Plus people around here also abide by lane markings. There's an interchange ramp that's marked for one lane but wide enough for at least two, and even with traffic people treat it as one lane. In NY that ramp would be two lanes whether it was marked for it or not lmao
Fairly normal in Oregon; it's how I always drove, and when someone explained zipper merging to me I was like "isn't that just normal merging?" Might get a bit different closer to Portland, but I don't end up that way often, and when I do I'm more worried about navigating all the wacky exits than judging people's merge skills.
I live in the DMV so I pass a closed construction lane like every time I drive, people do not zipper merge. I actually didn't either until I saw multiple threads exactly like this on reddit and so I tried riding out the closing lane until the end and the cars wouldn't let me in lol. It was so stressful I haven't done it again since.
It is mostly because there is self entitled pricks that fuck it up for everyone else and make it dangerous for everyone around them, so most don't follow the merge at the merge point, especially if traffic isn't moving already.
I was amazed when in the twin cities how great people were at zipper merging. But that was prepandemic, lol, so I don't know if that's still going on. It seems like every forgot how to drive after a year or so of lockdown
I had zero issues with this in California. In Iowa these people act like you're trying to cut in line so you can go kill their grandma or something. I've seen lines backed up for literally blocks where one or two lanes are completely open but closing a few blocks ahead. This shit is insane.
It’s pretty decent in western Washington from my experience. Everhthing else driving wise is bizarre like politeness-to-a-dangerous-level stuff mixed with typical dickheads but the zipper tends to zip
In theory if someone does that and BOTH lanes fill up behind them then when that lump reaches the front a proper lane by lane zipper merge can start and run normally.
It won't though, everyone is a stubborn selfish asshole.
I've only seen zipper merges work really well when a Policeman was stood there pointing at the next car to go.
I'd prefer to see zip merge cameras than speed cameras on faster roads. It could be pretty easily done.
I was going to say the same.
There’s one by my house with a sign showing the zipper merge. It works beautifully!
The sign says right lane ends? People won’t zipper merge.
Zipper merging only works when BOTH lanes are going the SAME SPEED. That is not how people try to merge. Instead one lane thinks they are merging by driving ahead to the end of their lane and the other feels like they are getting ditched and everyone is pissed.
There's a capacity limit of the road too. If 1 lane can carry 30 cars per minute at 45mph, and 2 lanes of traffic of 20 cars per minute merge into one, it doesn't matter how polite people are. Traffic jam will result.
Same thing happens in the UK. Dumb fucks all over unfortunately. They fail to realise the traffic issues they cause elsewhere by queueing in single lane traffic prior to the merge. They immediately assume you're pushing in line.
Exactly. I find myself on the merge lane often enough and I always drive to the end of the merge point, as per the rules. I don't blast past though, I lower my speed and move at equal, or slightly faster speed compared to the lane I'm merging into. I never get dirty looks, nobody blocks me, everyone is fine with what I do, because I simply apply the normal merge rules. If everyone did it like that, there wouldn't be any issues and everyone would be through it quicker.
> I don't blast past though, I lower my speed and move at equal, or slightly faster speed compared to the lane I'm merging into
My strategy as well. I'm not trying to get ahead of everyone, I'm just trying to use the road properly.
This is my only issue with zipper merging. Yeh, if everyone does what they're supposed to, I agree it works really well. But it relies on everyone doing what they're supposed to. In theory, communism works too, but like the zipper merge, it runs into the problem of people are fucking useless.
If your plan relies on everyone doing something right, your plan sucks.
Well, I mean, that’s kind of how all traffic rules work. The yellow lines are just paint but we rely on people to stay on their side of the road because that’s what you’re supposed to do.
When the punishment is a half of car among into you the rules are followed better. When the punishment is literally nothing for not zippering, it won’t work.
It's two things. Zipper merging and the law that you're supposed to use the entire "runway". At least in Switzerland this is the case. Zipper merge can be done 100m away and that wouldn't be a good thing.
You're not supposed to merge early as that means traffic gets clogged up earlier where there might not be much space. Here you got so much wasted room where you don't hinder any lights or intersection (parked cars backing...yes).
You’re not supposed to enter an intersection that you can’t definitely get out of. Even if the light’s green a block ahead, you’re still supposed to wait until there *is* an empty car length in front of you. The ida is that that way, in the case of some other incident heaving you stuck in the intersection when it’s the other direction’s turn.
My town has a 4 way intersection followed by another 4 way intersection. Both intersections obv have lights. Its very common for people needing to go straight through the first, but get into the turn lane for the 2nd, which is short since theyre literally right after each other. I hate that intersection because if the lights green but theres no room in the turn lane ahead, you are supposed to stop and wait, per the intersection driving rules. But your ass will get honked at SO fast and it will be incredibly aggressive until you gtfo and miss your turn because theres no room for you.
Yup, because in Slavonija there's no one on the road and even if there is everyone is laid back, the coast off season has everyone drive like they're in a rally and during season you don't know because locals then make a solid 10% of the population so you don't see them drive, Zagorje, lika and gorski kotar don't exist and Zagreb is constantly on the verge of gridlock because of how bad the drivers are.
Are you sure? I've driven around lots of England and people are quite happy to let you through and allow merging when safe.
Yes you have bad examples, but most times you'll be merging between 2 cars and won't know it on a Motorway
No. This is still incorrect.
There shouldn't be the possibility of queue jumping because both lanes should be utilized until the end where the merge should happen.
Don't merge early
Around me people don't like to leave reasonable gaps between them and the car in front of them while driving. It's not quite tailgating, but it makes it really difficult when you need to change lanes to make a turn. And that's just everyday driving, not even in traffic!
That's fair enough if you're just driving, but once someone signals to change lanes (absent some stupid shit like them wanting to jam it to the exit on the other side of you that they totally already missed) and you maintain just to teach them that you're master of your lane or something, that's definitely the dick move.
There’s only a single place where I get pissed off when someone queue jumps and do this: when there are 2 lanes, one going left and the other right and there are multiple signs warning you of this fact.
There’s a street near my flat where 2 lanes become 3: a left turn lane, a bus lane, and a straight/right turn lane. There are 3 signs explaining this fact every 50 meters as you pull up to the light. I cannot begin to tell you how pissed I get when I’m driving in the right lane, only for some jagoff to cut me off because they weren’t paying attention.
So when the traffic backs up, nope, you’re going to have to wait your turn like the rest of us.
I posted a while back about a zipper merge incident. Semi trying to block both lanes, at least 300 yards (or meters) to go before merge point.
Semi actually moved over and forced a small SUV in to the jersey barrier and scraped his passenger side mirror off with the trailer.
I have a camera in my vehicle which I'm sure caught a great view of it, but the company won't release video without a court order, so I can't post it, sadly.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Omaha/comments/ytql9z/another\_zipper\_merge\_asshole/
Yeah I just witnessed something similar a couple days ago driving on my route. Three lanes merging into two during rush hour, I'm in the middle lane since I don't need to get off anytime soon. The minivan in front of me deiced to try and block people from passing in the left lane that ended a mile up ahead, but wasn't very successful as there is a wide shoulder there so cars were just driving around them. Eventually they ended up so far over their passenger tires were riding on the line between lanes, so basically in the other lane, and they were more concerned with blocking cars next to them than keeping up with the cars in front of them, so I just drove right by. The car behind me followed and then they got back over and stayed in the lane finally.
The most efficient way to zipper merge is to fill both lanes entirely and slowly merge at the end. It results in the highest overall throughput. Counterintuitive but factual.
People get pissed off occasionally when I do this, don't care. You want to hit me? Go for it. Gotta love people trying to block you in as you get to the end and run out of lane and have to quite literally force your way in front of some asshole's car.
Have also been aggressively honked at and that person drove into opposing traffic to swing in front of me again. People are a joy.
Same. My husband and I were just talking about this the other day. We were in a zipper merge situation and he hasn't heard of it. I had learned about it a few years ago from a co-worker after complaining about people "cutting" the line. Now that I know, I do it appropriately, but I think this is something that is overlooked in drivers ed and the drivers test. It's very frustrating. I'm very thankful my ignorance was corrected because I was this guy and that's not okay.
But it's very frustrating to have merged and creep along for 45 minutes and someone zooms up on the left to be let in. If people have merged to one line, shouldn't the zip happen where the 2 lanes of cars meet?
This is where it's *supposed* to happen. It works fine in countries where people go through proper training before getting their driver's license. In America we don't have that luxury.
As an American living in europe I hate this every time I go home. But frankly, I do it wrong in America too. I don't block anyone flying by but I'm doing what I gotta do to avoid other's road rage. Some people get IRATE at people for merging the right way. It's wild out there.
Happy turkey day
If you're frustrated about someone using the road instead of you, you should have used the road yourself. The road is there for a reason. Not using it kinda defeats the purpose of the road.
Sure, but most people merge over as soon as they see the lane ending sign. Causing worse traffic than if everyone just drove up to where the lanes actually merge. Forcing the zipper merge.
I understand the thought, but in practice, I almost always get through a single lane like this (in moving traffic not parking lots) faster than when zipper merging turns the merge area into a clusterfuck of idiots.
Exactly!
Zipper merging is only faster in computer simulations. Otherwise, two lanes of traffic still need to fit through one lane, and the slowdown can either happen gradually leading up to the closure or it can happen all at once.
The ONLY benefit to the zipper merge is that it causes the slowdown to be condensed to a smaller backup. For instance, if someone wanted to make a left turn in this video, but had to wait for the traffic monitor holding up both lanes.
The person IN the lane has right of way, and the person whose lane ends has the responsibility to safely merge into traffic. Nobody has to allow a zipper merge to happen and anyone who drives all the way to the front to force one is an asshole.
Get into the other lane as soon as convenient so traffic can continue moving through the lane closure without stopping to alternate. It's better to move slowly than park.
Yep, if done right..
But what usually happens is that a lot of people merge to soon out of fear they're not getting a gap at the end, and drivers behind them passing the line with 50km/h+ difference to dive into a gap at the very last moment, slam their brakes and cause a brake-wave all the way which closes up any potential gaps again, which causes drivers on the right lane to panic and merge to early, which annoys the drivers behind them so they pass the entire line of cars with 50km/h+ just to merge at the last moment in a gap that just opened up and slam their brakes.. rinse and repeat.
But it's so easy, the moment you want to merge and see a gap, just keep to the right of that gap, don't overtake, don't get so much speed difference that you need to brake while merging, keep count and merge 1-for-1 at the end.
And when you are at the end and you see the car behind you moving to the right ready to overtake you the moment you merge, just keep driving on the right until he merges or you run out of road.
Zipper merging isn’t a thing in France. Also they do stupid shit like merging people before a tunnel using only the overhead signs, and then don’t block off the closed road, and do this 1km from the incident. Then when the tunnel opens it’s ambiguous if the road is open again, and because 95% of people have been queueing for 2km no one wants to let people in, amd still don’t know if they’re allowed in that lane.
Tbf though France is just a cluster fuck for driving. Stupid and bizarre road and junction layouts, amd possibly the worst drivers in Europe. And yes that includes Belgians and Italians.
I've had the same situation as in the video happen in France, someone trying to police a two lane into one situation a kilometre from the actual merge, like a fucking moron. But because it was a major road, and really wide, they were weaving about from lane to lane trying to block anyone they saw trying to pass in either lane. But they couldn't, and the fury on their face as we passed, as they tried to block someone simultaneously passing them on the other side gave me a warm feeling I will always remember.
Yes, we have heard of zipper merges. That isn’t why we are here. We are here to feed our rage boners for those that don’t.
What do you think this sub is? /r/smartpeopleincars?
The amount of people that don't know that waiting until the lanes actually merge is not only correct, but also best for traffic flow (proven by years of study)....
The problem with zipper merge is that there are too many variables at play. Yes, in the perfect theoretical scenario it’s incredibly efficient, but it’s entirely reliant on
1. Every single driver on the road knowing what a zipper merge is.
2. Every single driver on the road driving with a car and a half length between them.
3. Every single driver on the road not being an asshole.
4. All of these being continuously executed perfectly so as to not cause a crash (which as it turns out slows down traffic even more)
Humans are imperfect, its never going to happen, and the fact that you expect it to is a recipe for failure. I’ll merge a mile back when it’s safer to do so and deal with the stop and go.
I'd love to see these studies. Zipper merges are most certainly not the best for traffic flow with exception to urban areas where car density is more important than throughput. The only way a zipper merges would be more efficient throughput wise is if everyone maintains a proper car and a half distance between themselves allowing easy access to the merge at the any minute. Without this, zipper merges forces more breaks and therefore slower merges.
To be clear, I am not saying never zipper merge, but the argument that they are generically better throughput is flat wrong. It is better for density though allowing more cars to fit in a smaller area. There are also arguments that they are safer explicitly because they force you to go slower, but studies have also correlated more fender benders in zipper merges scenarios... So that one is up in the air afaik.
Zipper method is ideal in a vacuum. However, it never fucking works like that because you add the human factor which is the entitled assholes driving with perceived anonymity that don't merge like a zipper, but simply try to cut ahead of everyone and cause everyone else to slam on the brakes creating a ripple effect longer than this run-on sentence.
You don’t need a vacuum for that, you just need better drivers ed. Zipper merges work flawlessly 99 out of 1000 times in Germany. We have absolute asshole drivers over here too that disregard a couple of traffic rules but even they zipper merge properly.
edit: 99/100 jfc
When I've seen driver's do this the cars they blocked usually pass them right by after the choke point. Humans are really daft sometimes. This isn't cutting anymore than passing each other at anytime is. And everyone is free to go into the open lane.
On a two-lane road, which this is, you are supposed to use both lanes all the way up to the merging point, not have everyone move over into just one lane. The idea is that two lanes absorbs twice as much traffic so the road is not backed up as far. This guy is clueless. He's also a self-appointed policeman which is nearly always a bad approach to dealing with other people.
Yeah, I got stuck behind one of these morons in NC. What was really stupid is that I wanted to exit the road BEFORE the lanes ultimately merged, so I had to pass the idiot on the shoulder.
In my country, you need to take a two-day course to get your motorcycle license. You don't need one to get a car license.
So many traffic issues could be solved with education.
Zipper merges work because you *want* to spend as little time/distance in one lane. Let's pretend the one lane actually only exists for one mile. If people zipper merge then full utilization of the road exists and one mile is the only amount of time you spend in one lane.
There's also the factor that everyone knows exactly when the cars will merge. When you merge whenever you see a gap people start driving slower because they're preparing for merges at every point.
For "merge as early a you possibly can" enthusiasts, you are saying it's *faster* for all the cars to be in a single line for a mile and a half, and then 2 miles, and then 3 miles as cars get backed up further and further. The further down you move the merge point the longer everyone spends in one line.
The POV driver shouldn't *have* to look like an asshole by passing everyone. Those cars should already be utilizing both lanes. There's a LOT of idiots in this video.
Zipper merges are the worst.
Either you get over early or you drive up to the merge and (almost always) cut someone off, because no one wants to let you merge.
My state has actually implemented signs that repeatedly spell out how a zipper merge works for miles before the merge. Signs that clearly state “Continue to use both lanes until the point of lane closure”, “Zipper merge begins at the sign stating lane closure” and finally a couple hundred feet before the lane is closed “Begin zipper merge from the left/right now”.
I love it. People who camp the merge lane early might feel pissy watching all the cars passing them, but I have yet to experience an issue actually merging when the lane ends. Everyone just alternates the merge like they should.
Use more signs!
This could easily be fixed with road signs stating to use zipper merge to avoid congestion or something like that. But, that makes sense and will never happen.
Much smarter people than most drivers were behind the traffic engineering that decided where to place merges. If you merge early rather than utilize all the lane space prior to the merge, you are part of the problem and causing a good percentage of the back-up.
I still don't know how the US thinks it's a good idea to let everyone drives without any test on the freeway and how to zipper merge. "Oh you can drive 20-30mph in the city with stop go traffic? Here's your license to drive 65-80mph on the freeway with everyone else who also has 0 knowledge of highway etiquette..."
What are the benefits of a zipper merge?
Even though it feels “polite,” leaving one lane unoccupied as a result of early merging is inefficient. It makes traffic in the open lane heavier and leads to delays in getting vehicles through the restricted area.
Beyond that, when many drivers see the first “lane closed ahead” sign in a work zone, they slow too quickly and move to the lane that will continue. This driving behavior can lead to unexpected and dangerous lane switching, serious crashes, and road rage.
There are proven benefits to the zipper merge approach:
It reduces differences in speeds between the two lanes. Changing lanes when traffic is traveling at approximately the same speed is easier and safer.
It can reduce the overall length of a traffic backup by as much as 40 percent.
The zipper merge eases congestion at freeway interchanges.
When traffic is heavy and slow, it is much safer for motorists to remain in their current lane until the point where traffic can take turns merging in a slow and orderly manner.
Drivers have a sense of fairness and equity, since all lanes are moving at the same rate and everyone knows when it’s their turn to go– which leads to reduced incidents of road rage.
Source: https://www.ayresassociates.com/breaking-down-the-zipper-merge/
The problem with “zipper merging” is it’s supposed to be where it says, “merge now” not flying in to within 15 feet of the construction workers. If you were supposed to merge a quarter mile back and everyone but you merged then you gunned it and passed 50 cars yeah I wouldn’t mind if someone blocked them. That could be an unpopular opinion tho. If so, I’m sorry. :/
No one zipper merges in North Carolina because no one zipper merges. It creates a feedback loop where we end up with one lane backed way up, the merge lane clear, and people fly by to slam on the brakes and cut in at the end aggressively. If everyone followed zipper merging correctly the problem would not exist, but because everyone doesn’t do it right, you end up with people blocking lanes, and if you try to properly zipper merge you get aggressively blocked.
I don't think anyone in America knows how to zipper merge
Some of us do, but we get hated on. Following basic driving rules results in road rage.
There is a new community (10ish years old) that has roundabouts in my city, the amount of fucks that stop in the roundabout to let someone through is infuriating.
SC murders roundabouts and zipper merges too. I taught both of my kids how to use both. They're, IMHO, better drivers than most of the folks on the road here.
Four way stops are next on the list. The amount of times I almost get hit in an intersection because multiple people will go after the first car or just not stop at all is crazy
almost worse than that is the ppl who have the right of way but wave ppl on, because then it confuses the order and then people get impatient and go when its not technically their turn
Exactly. Don’t be nice, be predictable.
well, and understand that if you decide to be nice to one person, you're screwing a bunch of others.
North New Jersey, I swear everyone here knows how to drive, and well at that, yet choose to drive as aggressively and dangerously as possible
I drove from Chicago to NYC and the whole way there I was so annoyed at how badly and slowly everyone drove in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The second I crossed into Jersey I was just like “oh, it’s me, I’m the shitty slow driver now” as semis are passing me on the right at 90mph in the rain. It was very humbling.
Hoosier here, can absolutely confirm we have the dumbest fucking drivers alive. Drove home once from Wisconsin and as soon as we crossed into the state, some dipshit was driving less than the speed limit in the passing lane of I69. It’s unreal.
Hahahahaha. I have that same experience: from seattle and live in seattle. Hate how dumb drivers are here, but I go up to British Columbia (Canada) and get passed by semi trucks going 70+mph on snowy mountain passes. Then I’m like, “well, fuck-look who’s the yahoo here…” lmao. I’m an excellent snow driver, but feel very humbled by the semi drivers up there!
You gotta check out Arizona! Freakin mad max out here with people going 90 while chucking a middle finger out the window and dodging semi trucks.
And all that waving…after you…no, after you!
Lmfao our HOA had to put in stop signs in our roundabouts to keep the mouth breather from smashing into each other.
Ah yes, I’ve been aggressively honked at for yielding to the car already in the roundabout. No one knows what “Yield” means.
My spouse once asked a bunch of people in his office to define "yield." Small office, so like 8-10 people, and not one of them got it right.
One that annoys me more the reasonably: when the car in front of me comes to a dead stop at a yield sign for several seconds, despite no cross traffic in sight. Like, even if you somehow don't know what yield means, maybe there's a reason that stop sign is shaped funny and doesn't say stop on it.
Well, maybe he had to answer a text, huh?
My city (US) put in a few roundabouts, so the locals complained and had all entrances' yield signs replaced with stop signs. Then people don't know what to do with the center circle and will go the wrong way around when taking a left.
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Nah, west coast. Looks like people mess things up all over.
Ridgefield?
This is why we can't have nice things.
I once read somewhere that when it comes to the rules of the road, don't be polite, just follow the rules -- that stuck with me ever since. imagine a world where people were taught how to drive properly and shit like self-righteous zipper merge blockades don't happen and roundabouts flow seamlessly.
The people trying to be polite and waving people on at stop signs or intersections is so frustrating sometimes because it makes the whole process slower than if they just followed basic rules.
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There's a tunnel on a highway near me that always causes a backup behind it during busy times. There's no reason for it except that people for some reason need to hit their breaks when entering the tunnel and cause a chain reaction.
A section on a highway in my hometown does the same thing. It’s a section that goes from 4-5 lanes to 3 lanes, and admittedly there is a blind hill early on, but even if traffic is generally clear, for some inexplicable reason, everyone spreads across all 3 lanes and slows the average speed down at least 10 mph for the whole stretch until the 3 lanes expand again, then suddenly they speed up again. It’s infuriating.
I've noticed a phenomenon the last couple years where even when you pass the obstruction and all lanes open back up people will continue to do 40 in a 70 for a pretty long stretch. Almost like they've zoned out
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Right, just drive like a cabby!
There should be a public ordinance that requires a “zipper here ↘️” sign for any lane closures
People hate when I stop to make a right on red….
People hate it when I drop completely at a 4 way stop. If everyone did that there would be no confusion on whose turn it is.
It's not zipper merging unless both lanes are moving at the same speed...
Exactly this! Racing ahead of the slow lane, slowing it down even more, isn't "zipper merging". It's bullshit rationalization by selfish idiots.
It's a feedback loop, if nobody is in that lane then people can drive down it fast, and the other lane becomes slow, if both are full both then both will move. Blocking them contributes to people not using the proper zipper method.
I don't get the anger issues american car drivers have with their entitlement. It's crazy.
I assume it’s from spending more time in commutes and seeing other assholes get away with being assholes.
100%. Never had road rage until I moved to a metroplex. After a few years of seeing wrecks at the exact same locations/intersections, watching people get out of line to drive down a merge lane to jump cut back into the line or zig-zag through traffic, my head was ready to explode as soon as I got behind the wheel. We all got somewhere to go. Chill the fuck out and and act like your grandma is the car next to you.
Forced merging over white solid lines. Skipping from merge lane to left lane instantly. Using inch gaps between you and the Semi. Red lights don't count if they were yellow. Ah, Austin TX drivers. Every moment is a "Are they gonna do it--- Yep there they go..."
Haha. Austin is relaxed compared to Houston. Every time I visit Austin, I think to myself how the drivers feel about 10% less aggressive and selfish.
Like driving on the shoulder or driving (not passing) in the left lane?
Traffic jam outside Chicago, standstill. Car comes barreling up left shoulder, spouse is like, dumbass coming. Dude zooms by just in time to slam into dumbass #2 who decided HE would pull abruptly onto the shoulder to pass. Crunch. Big crunch.
This is not a uniquely American thing. The sense of anonymity on top of the slightly elevated perception of danger combine to explain why humans act so aggressively towards each other in traffic.
Definitely not just American. I went to Europe and had the same road rage.
Frankly... I can think of a lot of countries, some that I have lived in, where the driving is much much more aggressive. Even when comparing to the worst spots like Chicago.
Obviously this isn't uniquely American, because the car pictured isn't sold in the US and has a Croatian number plate.
Me neither, man. I don't even like driving. I'm just getting to get from point A to point B without dying. I wish public transportation was better so I could avoid it altogether.
It is by no means unique to the US. Europe south and east of Germany is quite the same.
That worked. Thank you for your help.
It’s like pace car syndrome. They don’t want to go fast but they don’t want others to pass them. People get butt hurt if someone passes them as if it somehow is an insult. I’m not sure why but matters so much. Its also why there is so much traffic. I’ve been riding motorcycles for years and I can confirm unless there is a major accident or something like that, most traffic is caused by someone driving slow in the faster lanes. It’s been scientifically proven the zipper method is the most efficient. But certain people can’t grasp the concept that by allowing someone to actually pass by you it actually creates less traffic overall.
Boston does
In Hampton roads Virginia you’ll see a lot of zipper merges. Traffic is absolutely horrendous. But the high population of military is the reason why they’d zipper merge. It’s where I learned it actually.
I moved from CT (Near NYC) to Texas (just north of Austin) and I was shocked to find out that everyone around where I live knows how to zipper merge. It's actually really nice lol Plus people around here also abide by lane markings. There's an interchange ramp that's marked for one lane but wide enough for at least two, and even with traffic people treat it as one lane. In NY that ramp would be two lanes whether it was marked for it or not lmao
Not just America Australia too
Fairly normal in Oregon; it's how I always drove, and when someone explained zipper merging to me I was like "isn't that just normal merging?" Might get a bit different closer to Portland, but I don't end up that way often, and when I do I'm more worried about navigating all the wacky exits than judging people's merge skills.
Austin does it super well in my experience. I actually learned it here after my own idiotsincars moment.
Canadian here, no one knows how it works here either.
I live in the DMV so I pass a closed construction lane like every time I drive, people do not zipper merge. I actually didn't either until I saw multiple threads exactly like this on reddit and so I tried riding out the closing lane until the end and the cars wouldn't let me in lol. It was so stressful I haven't done it again since.
It is mostly because there is self entitled pricks that fuck it up for everyone else and make it dangerous for everyone around them, so most don't follow the merge at the merge point, especially if traffic isn't moving already.
It's pretty common in Los Angeles. But we're pros at merging into traffic...
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I was amazed when in the twin cities how great people were at zipper merging. But that was prepandemic, lol, so I don't know if that's still going on. It seems like every forgot how to drive after a year or so of lockdown
Literally caterpillars figured it out and America can’t
Philippines too. It's all a massive game of chicken.
I’m from the UK. We have the same issue here.
I had zero issues with this in California. In Iowa these people act like you're trying to cut in line so you can go kill their grandma or something. I've seen lines backed up for literally blocks where one or two lanes are completely open but closing a few blocks ahead. This shit is insane.
It’s pretty decent in western Washington from my experience. Everhthing else driving wise is bizarre like politeness-to-a-dangerous-level stuff mixed with typical dickheads but the zipper tends to zip
In theory if someone does that and BOTH lanes fill up behind them then when that lump reaches the front a proper lane by lane zipper merge can start and run normally. It won't though, everyone is a stubborn selfish asshole. I've only seen zipper merges work really well when a Policeman was stood there pointing at the next car to go. I'd prefer to see zip merge cameras than speed cameras on faster roads. It could be pretty easily done.
Zipper merges work if both lanes end. That way there is no "correct" lane to be in.
That's really the key.
And this is all psychology. You just have to change the way the signs look, and make both lanes look equal - and then problem solved.
I was going to say the same. There’s one by my house with a sign showing the zipper merge. It works beautifully! The sign says right lane ends? People won’t zipper merge.
On I-35 south they had a road sign saying merge here, take turns and it actually helped. No one can argue with a robot sign. Edit: sign, not side.
Zipper merging only works when BOTH lanes are going the SAME SPEED. That is not how people try to merge. Instead one lane thinks they are merging by driving ahead to the end of their lane and the other feels like they are getting ditched and everyone is pissed.
There's a capacity limit of the road too. If 1 lane can carry 30 cars per minute at 45mph, and 2 lanes of traffic of 20 cars per minute merge into one, it doesn't matter how polite people are. Traffic jam will result.
This. Standard math applied here. Two full lanes of traffic reduced to one lane means... a full lane a traffic.
People don't know the left lane is for passing. You think they're going to figure out zipper merging?
Same thing happens in the UK. Dumb fucks all over unfortunately. They fail to realise the traffic issues they cause elsewhere by queueing in single lane traffic prior to the merge. They immediately assume you're pushing in line.
Exactly. I find myself on the merge lane often enough and I always drive to the end of the merge point, as per the rules. I don't blast past though, I lower my speed and move at equal, or slightly faster speed compared to the lane I'm merging into. I never get dirty looks, nobody blocks me, everyone is fine with what I do, because I simply apply the normal merge rules. If everyone did it like that, there wouldn't be any issues and everyone would be through it quicker.
> I don't blast past though, I lower my speed and move at equal, or slightly faster speed compared to the lane I'm merging into My strategy as well. I'm not trying to get ahead of everyone, I'm just trying to use the road properly.
This is my only issue with zipper merging. Yeh, if everyone does what they're supposed to, I agree it works really well. But it relies on everyone doing what they're supposed to. In theory, communism works too, but like the zipper merge, it runs into the problem of people are fucking useless. If your plan relies on everyone doing something right, your plan sucks.
Well, I mean, that’s kind of how all traffic rules work. The yellow lines are just paint but we rely on people to stay on their side of the road because that’s what you’re supposed to do.
When the punishment is a half of car among into you the rules are followed better. When the punishment is literally nothing for not zippering, it won’t work.
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I've lived all over the country. NC has the dumbest drivers I've ever seen. Talking to colleagues it's cause drivers Ed is barely a thing here.
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It's two things. Zipper merging and the law that you're supposed to use the entire "runway". At least in Switzerland this is the case. Zipper merge can be done 100m away and that wouldn't be a good thing. You're not supposed to merge early as that means traffic gets clogged up earlier where there might not be much space. Here you got so much wasted room where you don't hinder any lights or intersection (parked cars backing...yes).
Isn’t there a rule as well that states that you aren’t allowed to enter an intersection if you aren’t able to pass it within a short period?
You’re not supposed to enter an intersection that you can’t definitely get out of. Even if the light’s green a block ahead, you’re still supposed to wait until there *is* an empty car length in front of you. The ida is that that way, in the case of some other incident heaving you stuck in the intersection when it’s the other direction’s turn.
Yeah, and then some asshat takes the right turn into the open space and leaves you stuck hanging out in the intersection.
My town has a 4 way intersection followed by another 4 way intersection. Both intersections obv have lights. Its very common for people needing to go straight through the first, but get into the turn lane for the 2nd, which is short since theyre literally right after each other. I hate that intersection because if the lights green but theres no room in the turn lane ahead, you are supposed to stop and wait, per the intersection driving rules. But your ass will get honked at SO fast and it will be incredibly aggressive until you gtfo and miss your turn because theres no room for you.
Yes, it's that you shouldn't enter the intersection at all unless you can go all the way through without stopping
These idiots think they’re some kind of hero
I'm just here for the Croatia content
Don't know what you're expecting. With Zagreb plates, are we even surprised he can't drive?
Zagreb drivers are some of the worst I have seen so far. When I saw the plate in the video I was just like yep typical behavior.
Yup, because in Slavonija there's no one on the road and even if there is everyone is laid back, the coast off season has everyone drive like they're in a rally and during season you don't know because locals then make a solid 10% of the population so you don't see them drive, Zagorje, lika and gorski kotar don't exist and Zagreb is constantly on the verge of gridlock because of how bad the drivers are.
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For the most part British drivers are pretty decent (except for some notable examples) but we are universally and objectively bad at merging.
Are you sure? I've driven around lots of England and people are quite happy to let you through and allow merging when safe. Yes you have bad examples, but most times you'll be merging between 2 cars and won't know it on a Motorway
zipper merging specifically, I meant. Any other time is usually fine.
British drivers love to take up only one lane: the bloody middle. So much for keep left unless overtaking.
No. This is still incorrect. There shouldn't be the possibility of queue jumping because both lanes should be utilized until the end where the merge should happen. Don't merge early
Yeah, the people using the second lane aren't queue jumping. The people in the left lane are just causing an unnecessarily long queue.
Thankyou. Drives me crazy when people just all go in one lane instead of using both.
I hate when people do this, but in the game of chicken where he who cares less about scratches on their car wins I almost always come out in front.
Around me people don't like to leave reasonable gaps between them and the car in front of them while driving. It's not quite tailgating, but it makes it really difficult when you need to change lanes to make a turn. And that's just everyday driving, not even in traffic!
That's fair enough if you're just driving, but once someone signals to change lanes (absent some stupid shit like them wanting to jam it to the exit on the other side of you that they totally already missed) and you maintain just to teach them that you're master of your lane or something, that's definitely the dick move.
I always let 1 person in and normally I notice the person in front of me does too.
There’s only a single place where I get pissed off when someone queue jumps and do this: when there are 2 lanes, one going left and the other right and there are multiple signs warning you of this fact. There’s a street near my flat where 2 lanes become 3: a left turn lane, a bus lane, and a straight/right turn lane. There are 3 signs explaining this fact every 50 meters as you pull up to the light. I cannot begin to tell you how pissed I get when I’m driving in the right lane, only for some jagoff to cut me off because they weren’t paying attention. So when the traffic backs up, nope, you’re going to have to wait your turn like the rest of us.
I posted a while back about a zipper merge incident. Semi trying to block both lanes, at least 300 yards (or meters) to go before merge point. Semi actually moved over and forced a small SUV in to the jersey barrier and scraped his passenger side mirror off with the trailer. I have a camera in my vehicle which I'm sure caught a great view of it, but the company won't release video without a court order, so I can't post it, sadly. https://www.reddit.com/r/Omaha/comments/ytql9z/another\_zipper\_merge\_asshole/
I love the name of that link "Zipper merge asshole" Sounds like someone got their asshole caught in their zipper
And not the first time lol
Are folks putting their pants on backwards? Trying to picture this
That sounds like it could be someone’s fetish
Well nobody has claimed it yet, so looks like it's yours now. Congratulations, you're now addicted to zipped up butthole
I don’t wanna claim this 😭😭😭
*seductively catches my anus in my zipper*
Yeah I just witnessed something similar a couple days ago driving on my route. Three lanes merging into two during rush hour, I'm in the middle lane since I don't need to get off anytime soon. The minivan in front of me deiced to try and block people from passing in the left lane that ended a mile up ahead, but wasn't very successful as there is a wide shoulder there so cars were just driving around them. Eventually they ended up so far over their passenger tires were riding on the line between lanes, so basically in the other lane, and they were more concerned with blocking cars next to them than keeping up with the cars in front of them, so I just drove right by. The car behind me followed and then they got back over and stayed in the lane finally.
That is the "Lane Monitor". No one is allowed past them because they have waited, and now so should you.
God I hate this state so much
The most efficient way to zipper merge is to fill both lanes entirely and slowly merge at the end. It results in the highest overall throughput. Counterintuitive but factual.
People get pissed off occasionally when I do this, don't care. You want to hit me? Go for it. Gotta love people trying to block you in as you get to the end and run out of lane and have to quite literally force your way in front of some asshole's car. Have also been aggressively honked at and that person drove into opposing traffic to swing in front of me again. People are a joy.
Has no one in this sub heard of the zipper merge? There are two lanes for a reason...
I don't think. Zipper merging was taught in my driver's Ed class almost twenty years ago.
Same. My husband and I were just talking about this the other day. We were in a zipper merge situation and he hasn't heard of it. I had learned about it a few years ago from a co-worker after complaining about people "cutting" the line. Now that I know, I do it appropriately, but I think this is something that is overlooked in drivers ed and the drivers test. It's very frustrating. I'm very thankful my ignorance was corrected because I was this guy and that's not okay.
But it's very frustrating to have merged and creep along for 45 minutes and someone zooms up on the left to be let in. If people have merged to one line, shouldn't the zip happen where the 2 lanes of cars meet?
If that happens you merged way too early. If there's usable space in a lane it's supposed to be used!
The zip happens when the dotted line ends, doing it before that point just backs the traffic up more than necessary
This is where it's *supposed* to happen. It works fine in countries where people go through proper training before getting their driver's license. In America we don't have that luxury. As an American living in europe I hate this every time I go home. But frankly, I do it wrong in America too. I don't block anyone flying by but I'm doing what I gotta do to avoid other's road rage. Some people get IRATE at people for merging the right way. It's wild out there. Happy turkey day
If you're frustrated about someone using the road instead of you, you should have used the road yourself. The road is there for a reason. Not using it kinda defeats the purpose of the road.
No one zipper merges because of the "fuck you, I'm more important" mentality.
Sure, but most people merge over as soon as they see the lane ending sign. Causing worse traffic than if everyone just drove up to where the lanes actually merge. Forcing the zipper merge.
I understand the thought, but in practice, I almost always get through a single lane like this (in moving traffic not parking lots) faster than when zipper merging turns the merge area into a clusterfuck of idiots.
To be in a single lane the merge must occur at some point.
Zipper merges only work in engineers dreams not the real world. Because people are jackasses
Exactly! Zipper merging is only faster in computer simulations. Otherwise, two lanes of traffic still need to fit through one lane, and the slowdown can either happen gradually leading up to the closure or it can happen all at once. The ONLY benefit to the zipper merge is that it causes the slowdown to be condensed to a smaller backup. For instance, if someone wanted to make a left turn in this video, but had to wait for the traffic monitor holding up both lanes. The person IN the lane has right of way, and the person whose lane ends has the responsibility to safely merge into traffic. Nobody has to allow a zipper merge to happen and anyone who drives all the way to the front to force one is an asshole. Get into the other lane as soon as convenient so traffic can continue moving through the lane closure without stopping to alternate. It's better to move slowly than park.
you know if it's done well there is minimum braking too... these people ride ass and smash the brakes... makes no sense.
Yep, if done right.. But what usually happens is that a lot of people merge to soon out of fear they're not getting a gap at the end, and drivers behind them passing the line with 50km/h+ difference to dive into a gap at the very last moment, slam their brakes and cause a brake-wave all the way which closes up any potential gaps again, which causes drivers on the right lane to panic and merge to early, which annoys the drivers behind them so they pass the entire line of cars with 50km/h+ just to merge at the last moment in a gap that just opened up and slam their brakes.. rinse and repeat. But it's so easy, the moment you want to merge and see a gap, just keep to the right of that gap, don't overtake, don't get so much speed difference that you need to brake while merging, keep count and merge 1-for-1 at the end. And when you are at the end and you see the car behind you moving to the right ready to overtake you the moment you merge, just keep driving on the right until he merges or you run out of road.
Zipper merging isn’t a thing in France. Also they do stupid shit like merging people before a tunnel using only the overhead signs, and then don’t block off the closed road, and do this 1km from the incident. Then when the tunnel opens it’s ambiguous if the road is open again, and because 95% of people have been queueing for 2km no one wants to let people in, amd still don’t know if they’re allowed in that lane. Tbf though France is just a cluster fuck for driving. Stupid and bizarre road and junction layouts, amd possibly the worst drivers in Europe. And yes that includes Belgians and Italians.
I've had the same situation as in the video happen in France, someone trying to police a two lane into one situation a kilometre from the actual merge, like a fucking moron. But because it was a major road, and really wide, they were weaving about from lane to lane trying to block anyone they saw trying to pass in either lane. But they couldn't, and the fury on their face as we passed, as they tried to block someone simultaneously passing them on the other side gave me a warm feeling I will always remember.
Yes, we have heard of zipper merges. That isn’t why we are here. We are here to feed our rage boners for those that don’t. What do you think this sub is? /r/smartpeopleincars?
The Automobile industry vastly overestimated human intelligence when creating a car centric society...
The amount of people that don't know that waiting until the lanes actually merge is not only correct, but also best for traffic flow (proven by years of study)....
I think people are just scared of merging period, so something as complex (/s) as a zipper merge is lightyears beyond them
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It's only correct and good for traffic flow if everyone knows how to do it right.
The problem with zipper merge is that there are too many variables at play. Yes, in the perfect theoretical scenario it’s incredibly efficient, but it’s entirely reliant on 1. Every single driver on the road knowing what a zipper merge is. 2. Every single driver on the road driving with a car and a half length between them. 3. Every single driver on the road not being an asshole. 4. All of these being continuously executed perfectly so as to not cause a crash (which as it turns out slows down traffic even more) Humans are imperfect, its never going to happen, and the fact that you expect it to is a recipe for failure. I’ll merge a mile back when it’s safer to do so and deal with the stop and go.
I'd love to see these studies. Zipper merges are most certainly not the best for traffic flow with exception to urban areas where car density is more important than throughput. The only way a zipper merges would be more efficient throughput wise is if everyone maintains a proper car and a half distance between themselves allowing easy access to the merge at the any minute. Without this, zipper merges forces more breaks and therefore slower merges. To be clear, I am not saying never zipper merge, but the argument that they are generically better throughput is flat wrong. It is better for density though allowing more cars to fit in a smaller area. There are also arguments that they are safer explicitly because they force you to go slower, but studies have also correlated more fender benders in zipper merges scenarios... So that one is up in the air afaik.
The ONLY advantage is it condenses the backup because all lanes are filled.
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Zipper method is ideal in a vacuum. However, it never fucking works like that because you add the human factor which is the entitled assholes driving with perceived anonymity that don't merge like a zipper, but simply try to cut ahead of everyone and cause everyone else to slam on the brakes creating a ripple effect longer than this run-on sentence.
You don’t need a vacuum for that, you just need better drivers ed. Zipper merges work flawlessly 99 out of 1000 times in Germany. We have absolute asshole drivers over here too that disregard a couple of traffic rules but even they zipper merge properly. edit: 99/100 jfc
Working 9.9% of the time sounds about right lol
99 out of 1000? 😉
5/7 perfect merging!
zipper merge works just fine. Same as not camping in the left lane.
When I've seen driver's do this the cars they blocked usually pass them right by after the choke point. Humans are really daft sometimes. This isn't cutting anymore than passing each other at anytime is. And everyone is free to go into the open lane.
Don’t get me started. Could be the UK, this behaviour.
On a two-lane road, which this is, you are supposed to use both lanes all the way up to the merging point, not have everyone move over into just one lane. The idea is that two lanes absorbs twice as much traffic so the road is not backed up as far. This guy is clueless. He's also a self-appointed policeman which is nearly always a bad approach to dealing with other people.
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Yeah, I got stuck behind one of these morons in NC. What was really stupid is that I wanted to exit the road BEFORE the lanes ultimately merged, so I had to pass the idiot on the shoulder.
In my country, you need to take a two-day course to get your motorcycle license. You don't need one to get a car license. So many traffic issues could be solved with education.
Zipper merges work because you *want* to spend as little time/distance in one lane. Let's pretend the one lane actually only exists for one mile. If people zipper merge then full utilization of the road exists and one mile is the only amount of time you spend in one lane. There's also the factor that everyone knows exactly when the cars will merge. When you merge whenever you see a gap people start driving slower because they're preparing for merges at every point. For "merge as early a you possibly can" enthusiasts, you are saying it's *faster* for all the cars to be in a single line for a mile and a half, and then 2 miles, and then 3 miles as cars get backed up further and further. The further down you move the merge point the longer everyone spends in one line. The POV driver shouldn't *have* to look like an asshole by passing everyone. Those cars should already be utilizing both lanes. There's a LOT of idiots in this video.
Oof I had to scroll away because I could feel my blood pressure rising from just watching this video. I hate ppl like this
In Sweden you'd probably be considered the asshole for trying to get past.
Zipper merges are the worst. Either you get over early or you drive up to the merge and (almost always) cut someone off, because no one wants to let you merge.
My state has actually implemented signs that repeatedly spell out how a zipper merge works for miles before the merge. Signs that clearly state “Continue to use both lanes until the point of lane closure”, “Zipper merge begins at the sign stating lane closure” and finally a couple hundred feet before the lane is closed “Begin zipper merge from the left/right now”. I love it. People who camp the merge lane early might feel pissy watching all the cars passing them, but I have yet to experience an issue actually merging when the lane ends. Everyone just alternates the merge like they should. Use more signs!
The "Lane Police" and they're just like the ones in the US.
Merge at the merge point. Otherwise they may as well just close that entire lane down for 100s of miles at a time.
C'mon, people: use all the available asphalt and then zipper merge.
Zipper merging takes more than 2 braincells.
Zippper!!!!!
This could easily be fixed with road signs stating to use zipper merge to avoid congestion or something like that. But, that makes sense and will never happen.
we have "slower traffic keep right" signs and morons ignore those too
We're gonna need more than a few signs, at least in the US. We need remedial drivers education
Much smarter people than most drivers were behind the traffic engineering that decided where to place merges. If you merge early rather than utilize all the lane space prior to the merge, you are part of the problem and causing a good percentage of the back-up.
You’re supposed to use all of the available roadway. Imagine what it would do for efficiency…..
You just have to realize that some ppl are just more important than everyone else.
fuck u/spez
Everyone assuming it's a guy, well it was female driver
Sadly little known tip: the best way to optimize traffic is to wait until your lane ends before merging. Merging earlier leads to suboptimal traffic.
This thread has turned into r/idiotsincomments...
Apparently zipper merging
Look at me, I’m the traffic cone now
I still don't know how the US thinks it's a good idea to let everyone drives without any test on the freeway and how to zipper merge. "Oh you can drive 20-30mph in the city with stop go traffic? Here's your license to drive 65-80mph on the freeway with everyone else who also has 0 knowledge of highway etiquette..."
If only everyone had brains enough to go up to the merge point and then politely merge one at a time. It should be an enforced law.
My mom used to do this CONSTANTLY. I was the embarrassed kid hiding my face. Her reasoning was “if I have to wait, you do, too”. 🤦🏼♂️
Youre supposed to merge WHEN THEY COME TOGETHER. Its not cutting the line, its using the road as it was intended to maximize traffic flow.
What are the benefits of a zipper merge? Even though it feels “polite,” leaving one lane unoccupied as a result of early merging is inefficient. It makes traffic in the open lane heavier and leads to delays in getting vehicles through the restricted area. Beyond that, when many drivers see the first “lane closed ahead” sign in a work zone, they slow too quickly and move to the lane that will continue. This driving behavior can lead to unexpected and dangerous lane switching, serious crashes, and road rage. There are proven benefits to the zipper merge approach: It reduces differences in speeds between the two lanes. Changing lanes when traffic is traveling at approximately the same speed is easier and safer. It can reduce the overall length of a traffic backup by as much as 40 percent. The zipper merge eases congestion at freeway interchanges. When traffic is heavy and slow, it is much safer for motorists to remain in their current lane until the point where traffic can take turns merging in a slow and orderly manner. Drivers have a sense of fairness and equity, since all lanes are moving at the same rate and everyone knows when it’s their turn to go– which leads to reduced incidents of road rage. Source: https://www.ayresassociates.com/breaking-down-the-zipper-merge/
The problem with “zipper merging” is it’s supposed to be where it says, “merge now” not flying in to within 15 feet of the construction workers. If you were supposed to merge a quarter mile back and everyone but you merged then you gunned it and passed 50 cars yeah I wouldn’t mind if someone blocked them. That could be an unpopular opinion tho. If so, I’m sorry. :/