Zipper Merge. What do you do?

[Danaldson]

Thoughts?

Ive always been one to try to merge over as early as i can when i see an upcoming lane closure.(In both high volume and low volume traffic) To me.. its always been oh i should hop over into this lane now because other people have been waiting in line and i dont wanna look like a dick if i wait until the lane closes. but i understand that its a better use of space to fill up both lanes and then merge one after another, and potentially safer Etc... Etc..

What do you do in these situations, and should we all be zipper merging?

[Jester B]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

100% Zipper. Most efficient for all. Uses more open road so all people keep moving. Prevents the last minute jerk cut-in and associated annoyances. And, prevents the "I won't let go in" jerk too.

So frustrating to move over early and watch people fly right up to the closure, so I believe in using both lanes and merging properly.

Now, if only everybody knew how to merge...

[witchcraftz]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

Actually Late merging has been shown to be the better way...

http://trafficwaves.org/seatraf.html



_____________________


MERGING - LANE TRAFFIC JAMS, A SIMPLE CURE

ON THE LEFT: NORMAL DRIVERS WHO PACK THEMSELVES TIGHTLY TOGETHER WHENEVER THE TRAFFIC COMES TO A STOP. NOBODY CAN MERGE EXCEPT AT THE END OF THE JAM. NOTE THEIR LOW SPEED.

ON THE RIGHT: DRIVERS WITH UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR: THEY ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO MERGE AHEAD OF THEM, AND THEY TEND TO MAINTAIN LARGE SPACES AHEAD, EVEN IF TRAFFIC SLOWS TO A CRAWL. MERGING IS EASY. SEE HOW MUCH FASTER THEY GO?

Traffic jams on highways are often triggered where two lanes must merge into one. Lanes of cars cannot merge if there are no large gaps between cars. Therefore, drivers who create large gaps between cars will ease this type of traffic jam.

The "zipper flow" is counterintuitive. It's created by proper late-merging at the last minute. It's destroyed by early merging. For this reason, the Fed Highway Admin has specific recommendations for proper driver behavior. They (and the various state highway groups) also have found the best road signage for smoothing the flow: "STAY IN LANE UNTIL MERGE POINT." Then at the last minute, another sign: "MERGE HERE, TAKE TURNS." Early merging ruins everything. Any drivers who encourage early merging, but who tailgate to punish late merging, they've fallen for faulty reasoning. The situation is counterintuitive. The ideal behavior is the exact opposite of drivers' early-merge and "cheater-punisher" beliefs: keep everyone in their lanes, no early merging allowed. No empty lanes, so 'cheating' is stopped. Then take turns merging *only* at the last minute. Anything else is a recipe for hot-headed tailgaters and jam-triggers.

[kujiwara]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

If everyone used the zipper rule, it wouldn't make the driver that actually knows how to drive seem like a jerk lol. In congested cities, such as Vancouver and Seattle, even in Beijing, almost everyone goes by the zipper rule. I feel like it's because traffic is not as nearly as congested as those cities so the zipper effect doesn't look as effective.

[BaggedGLI]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

My problem is people zipper together then traffic stops. Then another row of cars comes up the merge lane and tries to zipper in again. You can't zip 3 zippers together.

[stefan]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

My problem is people zipper together then traffic stops. Then another row of cars comes up the merge lane and tries to zipper in again. You can't zip 3 zippers together.

Yeah, in situations where the lane is blocked for an emergency, it doesn't work so well. As soon as everyone gets in to the next lane over, you have to reduce your speed for the emergency vehicles. So the timing is all off and the space between cars tightens up right away.

[Deuce]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

I basically merge based on the traffic flow. If people are going the speed limit (ie. say 50kph on a residential street) and there is a lane closure ahead... I'll move over as soon as it is safe and possible to do so. This also allows the cars behind you to see the upcoming lane closure and hopefully keep everyone moving along.

However, when things get too congested and traffic slows to an absolute 0-5kph crawl... you might as well merge at the end. In my opinion, there is nothing to be gained at merging 500m before the merge here sign at 3kph... only to watch 37 cars come by from behind you and merge in front of you as they go to the end of the closure lane. Where possible... I try to keep a flow going by slowly 'zippering' over (albeit at 3kph) so hopefully the drivers behind me keep it going.

In summary, the key is to keep both lanes moving at the same speed if you ask me. The problem in Calgary though is that people think 1.5 car lengths at 80kph is a proper following distance. Ugh!

[T-Dubbs]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

My problem is people zipper together then traffic stops. Then another row of cars comes up the merge lane and tries to zipper in again. You can't zip 3 zippers together.

exactly right!

[MechEngg]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

I merge when space is available and i have no appreciable impact on the speed of the surrounding vehicles. Typically ends up being a simple flow in far ahead of time when i notice a lane closure but under unforseen circumstances (coming around a bend into a previously unclosed off lane or similar) we all have to get used to merging in close proximity to each other and allowing others the courtesy of moving over.

That being said, i HATE the zipper merge in reality!! It frustrates me simply because people DO NOT know how to properly use it. If everybody on the road (or at least 95%) knew how to use it, then that is the proper way to do it. But less than 1/3 of the drivers out there have no clue how to properly merge and come to a full stop part way through a merge or slow way way down. So i like to just get my merging done ahead of time and then not have to deal with the terrible drivers.

[toplessvw]

Re: Zipper Merge. What do you do?

Any merge should be like a zipper merge unless people are being aholes, being courteous is the best way. Unfortunately there are far to many idiots on the road that do not know how to merge properly, or the people who feel that they are far more important then all the other drivers on the road and go all the way to the very end of the lane that is ending and then jam themselves into the traffic lane. Every morning on Deerfoot I have people blow right past me when there is space to move over both in front and behind me. They go all the way to the end of the lane and usually end up pushing over or stopping entirely.