If you’re one of those people who sees the road construction sign forcing lanes to merge a mile ahead and you change lanes immediately and slow down, you’re doing it wrong.
More and more states are telling motorist to stay in their lane until they get to the merge point before changing lanes, like a zipper. The experts claim that it reduces delays by 35 percent. Just trust the other driver to let you in when you run out of roadway.
Zipper merging in Illinois Here
I don’t think most drivers know how to merge.
In Wa they seem to try merging at 35-45mph into 60-70mph traffic.
It doesn’t matter, I’m about the only asshole on the road that knows how to drive anyway.
Try to zipper merge at the checkout counter and see what happens.
“If you’re one of those people who sees the road construction sign forcing lanes to merge a mile ahead and you change lanes immediately and slow down, you’re doing it wrong.”
Fuck you.
I hate the pricks that block the left lane by pulling 1/4 of the way into that lane a mile out.
Makes me wish I had an old dumptruck.
It wouldnt be my fault since they were obstructing traffic.
I usually do it 5-to-10 cars ahead.
Anyone that zooms past is merely AN A§$H*LE.
Of which there are plenty.
Remember that bumper sticker:
“I may be slow but I’m ahead of you”?
Ya, I’ve seen these zipper cars. Not one corner is without dings and dents.
I think they’re right but only because of buttheads that can’t read a road sign. I’ve done both kinds of merges and zipper merge is definitely the way to go BUT the construction site has to be set up for it with the proper signs.
In a regular merge the signs tell you get out of the closed lane and move into the other one (makes sense doesn’t it)- but then the nimrods who can’t read signs pass you and stay in the closed lane right up to the flashing arrow. Then they swerve over in front of you causing you to slam on your brakes and then all of the people who obeyed the signs (suckers) to have to come to a stop.
Meanwhile the other dorks follow their leader right into the construction zone while the people who obeyed the signs have to sit and wait. Then about ten cars back people see the traffic “moving” in the other lane and move back into the closed lane.
This could have been stopped long ago by posting cops who pull the people in the closed lane over and fine them for failing to obey road signs but the cops only care about the speed people drive through the work zone.
@AC I’m one of those people who gets over as early and possible and is unnerved trying to merge at the merge point.
My experience, especially on highways is that it’s nearly impossible to make the merge at the merge point in heavy traffic and usually the open lane is stalled and stopped letting the mergers come in.
I thought the second video showing how the zipper merge works in Illinois gave the technique a much needed dose of reality.
I hate millennial women.
Drive through one on the way home every day. Totally fucking stupid idea.
Traffic is moving fine and then, WHAM, it comes to a standstill in the two lanes that remain open.
If you’d tell people to get over earlier it would not bd the cluster fuck that it is.
Think about it this way; if a Lane closes because of an accident the sooner everyone moves over the better the traffic flows.
Stupid fucking WDOT. Don’t even talk about the damned round a bouts…
Zipper merge works as long as you do it on the fly.
😉
You need an old clunker to be a successful merger.
Blinker on my truck means “I’m changing lanes.”
It does not mean “Please let me get over.”
Speaking as a Licensed Professional Engineer with 16 years experience in transportation all I can say is that you can do everything possible in Washington State to engineer an idiot proof solution and they just keep breeding better idiots here.
I’ve had four years navigationg a merge point to confirm the zipper merge is the only way to go in slow bumper to bumper traffic. One merge point at the end of two lanes is a lot more efficient than random merge points along the way where muldoons stop traffic to merge at their randomly chosen point. It amuses me when people merge left–way to early–spend lots of time not moving, then try to block your merge at the zipper because they think they paid their dues.
The problem is that to “zipper merge” drives need to be aware and courteous. Many are neither.
Drivers need to maintain enough space between each other that a merging vehicle can come over without stopping traffic.
Re: Dr. Tar “I’m one of those people who gets over as early and possible . . .”
Me, too (obviously, right?).
The later you try to merge, to more likely it is someone will hit you, or – even more likely – not let you merge, like in the video.
Conservatives like zipper merge and can do it properly – Fucking Liberals do not and cannot
The question is: What is the merge point? In Oregon, they place the orange barrels 5 friggin miles before the construction zone. I have no problem with people who merge where the barrels start narrowing the lane, but I have a real problem with the asshole who starts crowding in at the point where the merging lane is only 5 feet wide. Suck my bumper, bitch.
Then again, the idiots use the right turn only for a personal passing lane in Milwaukee. They usually run the red light before it changes so they can get ahead and ‘merge’ back into your lane after the intersection. Easy to spot, they have cars with severely dented left rear panels.
I hate roundabouts. Whoever invented those should be dug up and killed again.
Zipper merge only works where people leave some distance between vehicles. Here in CO, a gnat couldn’t fly between bumpers.
I am a fairly courteous driver. I let people in when they ARE AHEAD OF ME & signal their intent to come into my lane
my patience runs out, however, when I have been sitting, patiently & courteously, in a line of cars that HAVE merged & are plodding along to get through the construction/obstruction, … when Mr. or Ms. Jackweasel seems to think that their time is so much more important than the rest of us & decides to fuck the courteous, established protocol & cram down the merge lane & at the last second CUT IN … I say this as ‘courteously’ as possible as I glide, every so slighty into sweezing out his/her lane clearance, “FUCK YOU JACKWEASEL, EAT SOME CONES!” …
… have a happy day! 🙂