Quote:
Originally Posted by ken0042
There are really two "issues" with the zipper merge. I hesitate to use the word "issues", as they are a fault of people, not the process.
- Everybody needs to be doing the same merge. Doesn't matter if it's zipper or the "get over as time permits", the problem is if not everybody is on the same page. The zipper is the better of the two as far as that is concerned.
- If you are already in the lane that continues, you should not change lanes into the lane that ends. Sometimes this is marked with lane markings, however that isn't always possible if the lane exits as well as ends.
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The zipper merge is also specific to bottlenecks when traffic has slowed. If traffic is chugging along at the speed limit and someone has a space of 10 car lengths to merge, it's better to just get in and keep traffic flowing than speeding up to get in front of that person 11 car lengths ahead just because that is technically where the merge lane ends. That 10 car gap will quickly disappear if that person has to brake for you.
If you are ever on a freeway and suddenly traffic stops or slows down for a few minutes for seemingly no reason, it is usually because someone causes the person behind them to brake.
https://phys.org/news/2007-12-traffi...maticians.html
It's all about reading traffic. If traffic is crawling, then zipper merge is the best and if someone in the main lane isn't letting the mergers zipper in, they are being a ######. But if traffic is flowing and you have all the time in space in the world to get in to the one lane you need to be in, but still insist on getting to the very front, then you are being the ######.
You have to read traffic and react accordingly.